Internet Safety Pledge for Middle and High School

1. I will talk with my parents or guardian about their expectations and ground rules for going online. The rules will include the time of day I may be online, the length of time I may be online, whom I may communicate with online, and appropriate areas for me to visit online.

2. I will keep my identity private. I will never share my full name, mailing address, phone number, name of my school, photo or other information that someone could use to determine my identity.

3. I will never respond to any online communication that makes me feel uncomfortable. I will tell a trusted adult if I come across any information that makes me feel scared, uncomfortable or confused. I will never respond to messages that are rude or offensive. I will show the message to a trusted adult right away.

4. I will never meet in person with anyone I have first "met" online without discussing it with my parents or guardian. I won't meet in person with anyone unless my parents or guardian agree to the meeting and will go with me, and the meeting will be in a public place.

5. I will respect other people's rights while online. The Internet is a community and my online behavior affects others. I will always treat others in the way I would like to be treated. I will respect copyright laws and check on sources. When writing reports I will make sure that the online sources of information are credible and I will cite my sources.

More information is available from 1-800-THE-LOST or NetSmartz.org.