• the definitive online safety site  http://cyberangels.org  they no longer have a 911 form. Your best bet is to call the police.  

• a nice safety site specifically for kids and for uk users..... www.chatdanger.com

• more cool info on the what's and what ya can do about cyber stalking http://www.safetyed.org/help/stalking.html

• to report abuse in yahoo chat go to http://add.yahoo.com/fast/help/chat/cgi_abuse and complete the form....... or same details and info to chat-abuse@yahoo-inc.com

• use yahoo mail? getting pornographic emails or being  spammed? click the block sender option in email  client....  and if a yahoo user forward email  to  abuse@yahoo.com and/or use www.spamcop.net

• most offensive email can be forwarded to abuse@ senders isp or email company.......

it CAN happen to you.....   getting stalked?  before it escalates.. check this info...

get familiar with those sites before you need them......

and  pay attention to local info about this subject. local info may be the best choice  rather than online support.  SOME sites that proclaim to  help with online harassment and  stalkers will not ~ its all about the hits for them ~ we have recently removed a link to one such site.

Chatters and internet users are cautioned against the sharing or distribution of personal information, general or specific. like your real name or telephone number - listed or unlisted; and street mailing address - sharing your info may seem harmless....but can  lead to personal embarrassment, theft, harassment or other forms of discomfort extending beyond your life online.. PLEASE, Chat smart. Don't disclose your personal information ....... you would be surprised how easy it is to find out your address and other info...... just try looking for yourself on people search, www.411.com or www.whowhere.com   you may be shocked!!! ~ thanks to cheeta chat for passing on this warning

Be careful when someone offers you something for nothing, such as gifts and money. Be very careful about any offers that involve your coming to a meeting or having someone visit your house.

Remember that people online may not be who they seem. Because you can't see or even hear the person it would be easy for someone to misrepresent him- or herself. Thus, someone indicating that "she" is a "15-year-old-girl" could in reality be an older man.

Be aware that YAHOO  and  most chat servers will NOT release ANY information  about a user with out a SUBPOENA , this means that if you have someone in a room claiming to have taken a handful of pills.. not a damn thing most chat servers can do...... YAHOO HAS NO ONLINE STAFF ... you may fair better on AOL, MSN, and EXCITE.... but better to be concerned about folks BEFORE they have problems. 

Never give out identifying information such as Name, Home Address, School Name, or Telephone Number in a public message such as at a chat room or on bulletin boards. (if your a child. Never send a person a picture of you without first checking with your parent or guardian.)  got a domain?  use a post office box and your computer line number on that info. 

Make liberal use of your ignore button in chat!

Get to know your "online friends" just as you get to know all of your other friends.

much of this material was contributed by readers ~ if you know where they got from, please let us know so we can credit it ~ thankies.