Tips for children:

• Never give out your real name, age, address, phone number or any other information including passwords or the location of your school to a stranger online.
• Don't send a photo of yourself online and if someone asks for a photo of you or sends you a photo, notify your parents or a teacher.
• Never agree to meet someone that you have met online. Tell your parents if someone has asked to meet you. If your parents agree that you can meet someone you have met online, make sure you arrange a meeting in public with your parents there.
• Do not open e-mail attachments from senders that are unknown.
• Never respond to spam or junk mail.
• Always be courteous online. Don't send e-mails that may hurt others or be against the law.
• Don't enter contests, buy or accept gifts without first discussing with your parents.
• Never swap software, games or files, unless you're sure they don't contain viruses.
• Don't break copyright rules by taking words, pictures or sound from someone else's web site without their permission.
• Use a gender neutral "nickname" when entering chatrooms.

Tips for parents:

• Place computers in a high-traffic area so that you can monitor your child's Internet use.
• Teach children how to get out of websites quickly and discuss things they see or read that make them feel uncomfortable.
• Get to know your child's online friends, not just their offline friends.
• Remind your kids to behave online as they would in public. Explain to them they should never write anything in an e-mail that they would not want the world to read.
• Set up rules agreeing upon what time of day, how long, and what areas your child can access online.
• Maintain open lines of communication with your child regarding their Internet use. Ask them where they go and what they do online and get them to show you.
• Get to know chat room and web related slang. Ask your child to explain it to you.
• Remind your children that everything they read online may not be true. An offer that seems "too good to be true" likely is.
• Monitor your phone bill and pay attention to phone numbers you don't recognize. Ask your child about the phone numbers.
• Encourage your children to use the telephone to communicate with friends.
• Pay attention to your child's behaviour: Are they quickly closing the computer screen when you pass by? Are they giving up their nights and weekends to be on the computer? Are they becoming introverted and not wanting to spend time with friends and family? Are they getting phone calls from people you don't know?
• Find out what computer safeguards are used by your child's school, public library or friends' houses. Consider all the places where your child could go online.
• Set an example for your children by following the rules you set out for them. Be careful of what personal information you give out and what files you download.

Sign an Internet family safety contract (click link for a sample contract).