And most of all, never leave home alone to meet someone you have met on the Internet...
This scary video says it all. Email the friends you know, but if you meet someone entirely online, remember that the other person could be anyone or anything. You can't tell!
Don't give out personal information about yourself to someone you meet online. This means, no matter who the person says they are, they shouldn't ask — and you shouldn't tell — where you go to school, your address, or your telephone number.
Report unwanted solicitations to your parents or a trusted adult. If someone harasses you online, says anything inappropriate, or does anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, tell a trusted adult and contact your Internet service provider.
If you become aware of the sharing, use, or viewing of child pornography online, immediately report this to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 or online at www.cybertipline.com. Under the law, when it comes to pornography, anyone under the age of 18 counts as a "child."
Don't believe everything you read in chatrooms. A person who says they're a 14-year-old girl from Texas may really be a 42-year-old man from your hometown. Don't believe the pictures, either. We know one goodlooking teen who got his own picture from somebody he was chatting with. Whoever it was, they said that was what they looked like!
A guy who is trolling the Internet trying to hook up with teens is not hot and he's not cool. He's a loser. We arrest people like that. Often, it turns out they are married and have kids. They end up in prison.
A "friend" you meet online may not be the best person to talk to if you are having problems at home, with your friends, or at school. If you need help, don't forget the Texas Youth Hotline at (888) 210-2278.
