That will be the message at a free interactive presentation police will give to parents and young people at Bathurst PCYC next week as part of Safer Internet Day.

PCYC NSW and the NSW Police Youth and Crime Prevention Command are hosting the presentations across 64 PCYCs across the state.

The presentations will focus on the 2019 theme “Together for a better internet”, which encourages individuals to develop four critical skills: respect, responsibility, reasoning and resilience.

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“This issue is relevant for young people, parents and the community alike,” PCYC NSW CEO Dominic Teakle said.

“PCYC sits at the heart of most NSW communities, so we believe it is our responsibility to ensure we provide cyber education to empower young people to combat issues around cyberbullying, sharing information online, particularly images that may be compromising, and developing respectful and safe relationships. 

“There is no doubt that technology has transformed our lives and while it has many benefits, there are those that use it for criminal and harmful purposes.

“It is critical to have open and honest discussions with young people about the internet, particularly social media use. This session is designed to educate our children with the right information so they can stay safe online and offline.”

The NSW Police Youth and Crime Prevention Command has a reminder to everyone planning to socialise or conduct transactions online.

“It is important to be cautious at all times,” said acting Superintendent Mark Wall of the Youth and Crime Prevention Command with NSW Police.

“We urge all online users to have strong security measures in place, with a password containing letters, numbers and symbols, and make sure all your software is up to date.

“Avoid giving out personal details when possible and ensure that you have a secure connection before conducting any online transactions.

“It is important to remind your friends and family that before posting images and information online, it is almost impossible to remove them.”

Safer Internet Day is observed globally in 130 countries.

The free Safer Internet Day interactive presentation at PCYC Bathurst will be held next Tuesday, February 5 at 7pm.

For more information, call 6331 2191.