This week is anti-bullying week. Did you know? This week is anti-bullying week. Our learning intention is how to stay safe online and avoid cyber-bullies.

Having fun and staying safe using technology

HOW do young people use technology to communicate?

Let’s play Family Fortunes! P6a surveyed 32 pupils. I wonder what the top answer was…

Answers Mobile phones Bebo (known as Social Network sites, there are lots of these. Facebook, twitter etc) I.M Blog E-mail File sharing

Mobiles Mobile phones was the most popular choice. You can use it to talk to people, you can send text messages and you can also send picture and video messages. You can choose different ringing tones and message tones, so your phone can be personal to you. Most phones that people have now also have a camera built in.

BUT… What should you do if you receive a nasty, upsetting text? A text from someone you don’t know? What should you do with the nasty/anonymous text? DON’T REPLY AND DON’T DELETE IT! SAVE THE EVIDENCE!

Social Networking sites (Bebo) The most popular one is Bebo but there are plenty more. You can create your own online personal space, and you can include lots of information about yourself, like what school you go to, what music you like and your favourite sport. You can also have a blog (an online diary) where you can write your daily thoughts and invite people to add their comments. You can add pictures of yourself and your friends, but you should ask them first in case they don’t want their picture online. You can invite your friends to have access to your site and you can have access to their sites too.

BUT… you must stay safe! Make sure your profile is set to private! Only your friends should be allowed to contact you. Never allow or invite anyone to be your friend if you don’t know them well. Press REJECT! Be aware that people are not always who they say are. If Miley Cirus or any other famous person asks to be friend think very carefully – is it likely to be the real Miley Cirus? NO! Reject! Use a nickname rather than your real name. Your friends will know its you.

Don’t post your age, if you must, then don’t lie and say you are older Don’t post your age, if you must, then don’t lie and say you are older. If people think you are older they may try to contact you. Don’t post your address or school. Your friends and family know where to find you! Don’t put your mobile number on your site – its not a good idea and your real friends will already have it!

I.M (MSN) Instant Messenger (IM) is a great way of chatting with friends and family, and it’s private so only the people involved can see what’s being said. When a message is sent, it appears on the screen almost immediately, so it’s like having a real conversation! In IM, you can keep track of your friends using a contact list. This list shows when they are online the same time as you, so you can see who you can talk to. You can even talk to lots of friends at the same time! You can use webcams when you are logged onto IM,and this can be great fun as it means you can wave at your friends while you are talking to them! Even if they are in another country!

What’s the other half of the story? How to stay in control! If someone adds you to their contact list and you don’t know them, make sure you BLOCK THEM. This will stop them from seeing when you are logged on, and they won’t be able to contact you. If you add someone and decide afterwards you don’t want them on your list you can delete them too. If you have your own profile on IM, it’s not a good idea to include lots of information about yourself, like your hobbies, favourite band, your address and school.

It’s also NOT A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE A PICTURE OF YOURSELF on your profile - you can use one of the pictures that are on IM already, or a picture of a pet or your favourite pop group. This is because if you have someone on your contact list who you don’t know in the real world, they will be able to have access to your profile and see what you look like. Lots of people also use webcams when they use IM - this can be a great way of seeing all your friends and family when you are talking to them, but remember some people you meet online may not be who they say they are. Webcam images can be recorded and copied and also shared with other people, so the best thing to do is not use a webcam with people you don’t know in the real world.

File sharing or peer-to-peer (P2P) File sharing or peer-to-peer (P2P) is the name for sharing files like, music, films or pictures with your friends. (Sites like Limewire) File sharing sites are not a great way of downloading music or films, since the files could contain viruses or nasty images. If you want new music or videos it's better to go to a reputable site where you can pay for content. Sites like YouTube where you can watch and upload films can be fun - but remember anyone can post on them - so you might end up watching something horrible. Always ask a trusted adult before you visit these sites.

Cyber Bullying Cyber bullying is the name that is used when people use the internet to send nasty and upsetting messages to others. It can also be done by people using mobile phones, by sending messages and making nasty phone calls. The number one rule to remember if someone is being nasty to you in this way is DON’T RESPOND AND DON’T REPLY. You should tell a trusted adult straight away if someone is upsetting you, or if you have been getting upsetting messages. The second rule is to SAVE ALL NASTY MESSAGES AND EMAILS. You don’t have to read them, but save them in a folder so you can show an adult if you need to. The third rule is to TELL A TRUSTED ADULT. If you tell someone about what’s been happening, they will be able to help and maybe stop it.

Never share your passwords with your friends Never share your passwords with your friends! They might leave unkind comments which will only end in trouble for you! Remember, if you are uncomfortable with anything on the internet speak to a trusted adult such as parents/carers or teachers at school.

Next Steps… If you have any online profiles, check how secure they are. Check that you havent told too much information – follow the guidelines.# Visit www.thinkuknow.co.uk and go to the Cyber Café. It’s a fun website!