When you're feeling lonely because the bullies have taken your friends away, you might think of looking in an internet chatroom to find some new ones.

The internet is great fun but it does have dangers and Bullying UK wants you to be safe.

When you join a chatroom you'll find people are very friendly but how do you know that John aged 14 who wants to be your new best friend really is a teenager and not Frank aged 57?

People can pretend to be your age You don't know - nobody does - and unfortunately there have been cases where adults have pretended to be teenagers and lured young people into meeting them in dangerous situations. Some of these cases have ended up in court in the UK.

Bullying UK has had experience of young people using the internet who have been persuaded into dangerous situations by adults. This is an offence called 'grooming'.

Internet safety tips:

• Never give out your real name
• Never tell anyone where you go to school
• Only meet someone from a chatroom in a public place with one of your parents or another adult. If they are genuinely who they say they are they will be happy to do this
• Never give out your address or telephone number
• Never agree to meet anyone from a chatroom on your own
• Tell an adult if someone makes inappropriate suggestions to you or makes you feel uncomfortable online

Danger signs

• If the person tries to insist on having your address or phone number
• If the person emails you pictures which make you feel uncomfortable and which you would not want to show to anyone else
• If the person wants to keep their chats with you secret
• If the person tells you that you will get into trouble if you tell an adult what has been going on
• If the person emails you pictures which make you feel uncomfortable and which you would not want to show to anyone else
• If the person wants you to email them pictures of yourself or use a webcam in a way which makes you feel uncomfortable
• If the person shares information with you and tells you not to tell anyone else about it
• If the person wants to meet you and tells you not to let anyone know

If you find any of these danger signs  it's important that you TELL YOUR PARENTS or another adult.
If you need help from Bullying UK email us here