Instant Messaging (IM)

How can I make it safer?

Important discussions to have…

  • Explain to students where it is appropriate for them to have privacy (e.g. confiding in close friends face to face, writing in a paper journal, in their bedroom, etc.). Reinforce that there is no privacy on the Internet, as the Internet is a public place.
  • Explain to students that once they send pictures or information over the Internet, control over what happens to these pictures or information is lost. Teach students to be mindful of what they send online.
  • Teach students that it is illegal for people to manufacture, possess or distribute naked or sexually explicit pictures of children under 18 years of age. Explain to students that they need to tell a safe adult if they are presented with this situation.
  • Teach students that it is illegal for adults to offer gifts or money in exchange for sexual activity.
  • Discuss with students the concept of dignity and self-respect and how it can be preserved or destroyed by messages sent online.
  • Discuss with students the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships.
  • Explain to students that they should never meet with someone in person that they first met online without a parent or guardian.
  • Discuss with students high-risk behaviour both online and offline and create 'what if' scenarios together to help them recognize dangerous situations and practice responses.
  • Encourage open communication and be aware of student's sensitivity to social judgment. They may be hesitant to share personal experiences.
  • Suggest to students that they review Respect Yourself, a website designed to teach teens about the risks they face when sending pictures or videos by email, IM or by posting them online. This site guides teens through the risks and provides them with strategies to help keep them safe.