Police Department - Internet Safety

• Keep your identity private.
• Never get together with someone you "meet" online. You never know for certain if the people you meet online are who they say they are.
• Never respond to e-mail, chat comments, or newsgroup messages that are hostile, belligerent or inappropriate, or in any way make you feel uncomfortable.
• Talk to your children about your expectations and ground rules for going online.

• Situations and behavior that make you feel uncomfortable.
• Putting yourself in physical danger. The number of children who are molested, abducted, or leave home as a result of contacts made on the Internet are relatively low, but when it happens the results can be tragic.
• Giving up privacy or putting yourself or your family at risk. Be especially wary of any "get rich quick" schemes. If something sounds "too good to be true", it probably is
• Harassment, Junk E-Mail (Spam).

• Chat rooms are probably the most dangerous area on the Internet. Chat rooms are sometimes used by pedophiles to find victims. It can be tempting to get together with someone you meet in a chat room, but remember - people are not always what they seem to be. Chat rooms are organized around topics; avoid any topic area that makes you feel uncomfortable.
• There are thousands of Internet Chat Rooms on the Internet. Pedophiles and molesters often frequent these online chat rooms to lure children into dangerous situations.

• Talk to your children about what they can and cannot do online.
• Encourage your children to come to you if they encounter a problem online.
• Check out blocking, filtering, and ratings.

Sites to help Children and Parents stay safe:

• Web Wise Kids
• Safe Kids
• Safe Teens
• GetNetWise

If you come across material on the internet that you believe or think is child pornography please contact the North Aurora Police Department at 897-8705. In addition to contacting your local Police Department you can also call 1-800-843-5678 or click on the site below and file an e-mail report.

• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children