DESPITE being a fact of modern life, the internet can still be a brave new world for many parents and one that their children have grown up with and are adept at using.

But any parents or guardians who do ignore the internet cannot really afford to do so, especially as for many young people it has become one of the primary ways of socialising with their friends.

The problem is that while you might know who your children are playing with in real life, the internet can add a cloak of anonymity and people who interact with your children might not necessarily be who they claim they are.

A new report reveals that 14 per cent of eight and nine-year-olds in Bradford have had contact with strangers online who have asked to meet up with them in real life.

This is obviously a very worrying statistic, as are the figures showing one-in-five year four pupils had seen “rude or embarrassing” images online and 12 per cent complained they had been bullied on the internet.

It is absolutely vital that we arm our children with the knowledge of just what the dangers are of interacting online. There are, sadly, unscrupulous and even evil adults who will try to win the confidence of children with the intention of causing them harm or abusing them in some way.

It is a fine balance to strike between prying into what your children are doing and ensuring they are safe online but it is one which parents, teachers and anyone who has responsibility for young people must achieve if we are to keep them safe from the predatory individuals who haunt the internet.