Like all types of crime there are always vulnerable groups online, just as there is in real life, these being the elderly, and especially in this case children. Unfortunately it is not uncommon to hear of children being bullied, harassed and abused online either by their peers, or by more dangerous individuals, if you begin looking into it most of the cases of children being abused follow very similar patterns, and some have worse outcomes then others.

However this does not mean that just because you child is online they are going to get abused or bullied, in fact when you look at the statistics the majority of people who use the internet do not encounter serious problems. As always the best way to ensure you or your child do not fall into the minority of people who have bad experiences online is by using your common sense, too often people believe that just because the person may me miles away on a computer somewhere else then the danger is not there.

The best way to start is by realising the danger is just as real online as it would be if you left your child to go talking to random groups of strangers in the street. This Privacy Watch Release contains lots of information on how you can make sure that whilst enjoying the internet your child is safe. This Release has information on different sites popular with children, tips for you to keep them safe, and information on how we can help you online.