Resources: Log on to ... Online safety advice

As internet access has expanded, the safety of young people online has become an increasingly prevalent issue. Youth workers need to give young people the skills and knowledge to use the internet, but also take steps to minimise their exposure to risk.

The site www.thinkuknow.co.uk is a suite of websites designed to help young people enjoy online activity while recognising dangers. It aims to "share what we think is good, look at what's not, share experiences of things that have gone wrong", as well as show ways to get out of bad situations. There are sites for children and young people aged five to seven, eight to 10 and 11 to 16, as well as parents and education professionals. The 11 to 16 site lacks a bit of interactivity but is full of useful advice on having fun but staying safe online.

Sections covered include instant messaging, chatrooms, mobile phones, social networking, blogs, gaming, internet TV and internet security and filesharing. The site is linked to the police initiative the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) and young people are encouraged to report "any activity which makes you feel uncomfortable" to CEOP advisers.

The teachers and trainers part of the site has a range of age-appropriate free resources to download, including Quicktime films and information packs linked to CEOP's Thinkuknow training course for use with 11- to 16-year-olds. The training section of the site gives details of this course and of training events in all parts of the UK. These focus on passing on safety messages to young people and take people through many of the most popular applications being used by young people. A training ambassador course enabling participants to cascade training to colleagues is also available.

The main CEOP site www.ceop.gov.uk reports on child protection policing and includes areas such as a "most wanted" gallery to help track down sex offenders, appeals for help in specific cases, and updates on subjects such as grooming techniques.

Childnet International is a not-for-profit organisation that wants to help make the internet "a great and safe place for children". The organisation's work covers a range of areas, but perhaps of most interest to youth workers and young people is its safety websites. Its http://www.chatdanger.com website is split into sub-categories covering the dangers young people can encounter in chatrooms, or while using instant messaging, emails and mobiles phones. It uses real-life stories in both text and audio format to show the types of scenarios young people face and features tips about how others can avoid finding themselves in similar situations.

http://www.kidsmart.org.uk provides practical advice for young people on subjects such as the legality of file sharing and why they need to be careful about what they say online as their comments can usually be tracked back. There's also a section on privacy that tells young people about when they should and shouldn't part with personal details.

Another Childnet initiative is www.digizen.org, which encourages young people to be internet savvy. There is a range of useful material here for youth workers and for older young people, including a section on cyberbullying which features the film Let's Fight it Together along with teachers' notes.

Teenangels is a US-based organisation that provides safety advice for young people. Its website www.teenangels.org includes top tips sections for teens and younger children using the internet. Advice includes choosing appropriate online screen names and what to do when someone requests to meet you in person: "Make sure that you meet in a very public place. Bring along someone that you trust (preferably an adult) and keep your first couple of meetings to a minimum."

Serious illegal material can be reported to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) site www.iwf.org.uk. The IWF operates to a tight legal remit and only handles reports of child sexual abuse content hosted anywhere in the world, criminally obscene material or incitement to racial hatred content that is hosted in the UK. However, the site does give guidance on reporting on other concerns ranging from suspected grooming activity to terrorist sites and identity theft.

WEB FILE

www.thinkuknow.co.uk - Offers focused advice for a range of ages on subjects such as gaming and file sharing

www.ceop.gov.uk - Run by the UK police and dedicated to protecting children from sexual abuse

www.chatdanger.com - Uses real-life stories to highlight the dangers of chatting online

www.kidsmart.org.uk - Practical advice for young people and professionals working with young people

www.digizen.org - Includes material for older young people, such as information on cyberbullying

www.teenangels.org - US-based site which includes top tips for teens and younger children

www.iwf.org.uk - Takes reports of child sexual abuse worldwide and racial hatred in the UK.