Whilst it may be tempting to use a false name and address when setting up your Admin account (to maintain your privacy and keep your personal details out of the reach of undesirables) the downsides are:-

• It is against the registration rules. In past years there have been cases in which domain name owners have been forced to provide accurate contact information at short notice, or risk losing their domains.
• You may miss out on important changes that could affect your domain name. e.g. if you don't supply a real .email" address, you won.t be alerted to renew your domain name registration.
• If someone complains to ICANN about false details for global domains in the WHOIS database ICANN are within their rights to cancel the domain name registration with no come back.
• You cannot be contacted for legal challenges and therefore run the risk of losing your domain name by default if you do not respond to a complaint against the domain.

The details displayed in the WHOIS database are those of the owners of the domain name. It is a requirement for both UK and global domains to supply details to the WHOIS database. For terms and conditions relating to the information recorded visit http://www.lcn.com/help/faq.asp?id=24

For people with a .uk domain name, Nominet UK have a WHOIS search facility so you can check your domain details. Visit www.nominet.org.uk

As the summer holidays draw to an end this means many children will soon come face to face with those bullies once again.

It is not always easy to tell if your child is being bullied. Some symptoms to look out for are:

• Your child getting upset at the thought of going to school
• Your child saying he feels too 'unwell' to attend school every day
• A change in the usual behaviour pattern of your child - he/she may become very quiet, resentful or be more demanding of your time.
• Unexplained cuts and bruises

There are many websites that offer advice to Parents, Victims and Teachers:


Childline - ChildLine is the UK's free, 24-hour helpline for children in distress or danger. Trained volunteer counsellors comfort, advise and protect children and young people who may feel they have nowhere else to turn. Last year more than 31,000 children and young people called ChildLine about bullying. The site offers advice and a wide range of resources to Children, Teenagers and Parents.

Bullying.co.uk - Bullying Online is the nation’s best known online charity dealing with school bullying. They have had more than 1.3 million unique visitors since they launched in 1999. The charity gives parents and children practical advice to help them resolve bullying problems through tried and tested means which they know are successful from the vast amount of positive feedback they receive.

Direct.gov.uk - Directgov brings together the widest range of public service information and services online. Produced by the Central Office of Information, Directgov provides information from across UK Government departments. They offer advice to parents on how to identify bullying and how to combat it.

Parentscentre.gov.uk - ParentsCentre is an official Department for Education and Skills (DfES) website for parents and carers. They aim to act as a reference book about the education system and a provider of information about the myriad issues relevant to you and your child. They offer advice to Parents on the signs to look out for and what you should do if your child is being bullied.

A new form of bulling has also begun that Parents should also be aware of:

Cyberbullying

Mobiles and the Internet have provided bullies with another means to attack their victims through 'cyberbullying'. Unlike other forms of bullying, cyberbullying can follow children and young people into their homes and outside school.

What are the forms of Cyberbullying?

• Text message bullying involves sending unwelcome texts that are threatening or cause discomfort.
• Picture/video-clip bullying via mobile phone cameras is used to make the person being bullied feel threatened or embarrassed, with images usually sent to other people. 'Happy slapping' involves filming and sharing physical attacks.
• Phone call bullying via mobile phone uses silent calls or abusive messages. Sometimes the bullied person's phone is stolen and used to harass others, who then think the phone owner is responsible. As with all mobile phone bullying, the perpetrators often disguise their numbers, sometimes using someone else's phone to avoid being identified.
• Email bullying uses email to send bullying or threatening messages, often using a pseudonym for anonymity or using someone else's name to pin the blame on them.
• Chat room bullying involves sending menacing or upsetting responses to children or young people when they are in a web-based chat room.
• Instant messaging (IM) bullying is an Internet-based form of bullying where children and young people are sent unpleasant messages as they conduct real-time conversations online.
• Website bullying includes the use of defamatory blogs (web logs), personal websites and online personal polling sites. There has also been a significant increase in social networking sites for young people, which can provide new opportunities for cyberbullying.
  

*Please Note: LCN are not responsible for the content of external websites.