A publicly accessible global network connecting millions of computers. It carries various information and services, such as electronic mail, online chat, and the interlinked web pages and other documents of the World Wide Web. Read more

Some content on the Internet is clearly unsuitable for young people:
• Child abuse and obscene images
• Online grooming
• Pornography
• Self Harm
• Suicide
• Material that promotes prejudice
• Material that encourages illegal activities

Unfortunately it’s not that easy…some webpages are easy to judge, you can tell at a glance if they are suitable or not. The problem is that others look ok on the surface but when you click on a link or go further into them you arrive at content that is unreliable or unsuitable. Some commercial sites (eg adult shopping sites) may also be inappropriate for young people

Think about the questions you would ask your children before they go out of the house:
• Where are you going?
• What are you going to do when you get there?
• You can ask the same questions about their Internet use!
• What websites are you going to?
• What are you going to do when you get there?

Check it out yourself, before you say yes or no – this is just the same as asking your children where they are going, and saying no if they are going somewhere you think is not safe.

Did you know that Internet Explorer has built in parental controls called ‘Content Advisor’? Content Advisor blocks access to sites with objectionable content. Click here for detailed instructions of how to use it. Other Internet service providers have their own controls so it is always worth asking them for advice. There is also a range of commercial software designed to filter Internet content.

This means they can get to their favourite websites this way instead of relying on a serach engine, or risk misspelling the name of the site, and endup somewhere unsavoury as a result.

You can do also do this by working through the history folder, or looking at the temporary Internet files with your children.

Remember: The Internet can be a fun and interesting place to be, but like everyday life – there are some parts best avoided. You and your children can have fun in the park on a Saturday afternoon, but you wouldn’t let them go alone at midnight – would you?