Keeping safe

• Always look as though you know where you are going, even if you don't!
• Don't use an iPod or a mobile phone as you are walking along.
• Don't be tempted to carry a weapon - this will always count against you in court. Rape alarms are recommended by the police. They are cheap and effective. Buy online.

• Alcohol or drugs make you more vulnerable: travel with friends. Don't take unlicensed minicabs that hang around outside clubs.
• Avoid conflict. There is no shame in refusing to fight or trying to get away.
• When you meet someone, introduce them top a friend before you leave or let someone know you are leaving together.
• Going home with a stranger - get their address before you go and leave it with a friend. If you go to yours tell them you have a flatmate or a friend staying even if you don't.
• Chatrooms and personal ads - people lie! If they are reluctant to give any information, think carefully about meeting them.
• Meet in public. Use a cafe or bar for blind dates. You can get away easily if you are not interested.
• Tell someone you trust. Leave some indication beforehand of where you are going.
• Get in touch. If you experience any kind of homophobic or transphobic incident contact the police or GALOP's helpline 020 7704 2040 as soon as you can.
• Get the evidence. Take photos of injuries or damage. Keep evidence and write down everything you can remember.
• In an emergency, call 999. Make sure you have somewhere safe to go. Get medical attention if you need it.
• GALOP - www.galop.org.uk

• Aways respect others - be careful what you say online and what images you send.

• Think before you send - whatever you send can be made public very quickly and could stay online forever.

• Treat your password like a toothbrush - keep it to yourself. Only give your mobile number or personal website address to trusted friends.

• Block the bully - learn how to block or report someone who is behaving badly.

• Don't retaliate or reply!

• Save the evidence - learn how to keep records of offending messages, pictures or online conversations.

• Make sure you tell:
• an adult you trust or call a helpline like ChildLine on 08001111 in confidence;
• the provider of the service; check the service rpovider's website to see where to report incidents;
• your school - your teacher or the anti-bullying co-ordinator can help you.

• Be aware, your child is as likely to be a cyberbully as to be a target of cyberbullying. Be alert to your child seeming upset after using the internet or their mobile phone. They might be unwilling to talk or be secretive about their online activities and mobile phone use.

• Talk with your children and understand the ways in which they are using the internet and mobile phone. See the seven key messages (above) to get you started.

• Use the tools on the service and turn on in-built internet safety features.

• Remind your child not to retaliate.

• Keep the evidence of offending e-mails. text messages or online conversations.

• Report cyberbullying:
• Contact your child's school if it involves another pupil, so that they can take approopraite action.
• Contact the service provider.
• If the cyberbullying is serious and a potential criminal offence has been committed, you should consider contacting the police.

Harrassment and hate crime

The Association of Chief Police Officers defines a homophobic hate incident as:

    ' Any incident which is perceived to be homophobic by the victim or any other person.'

To be a hate incident or hate crime, and event must be perceived by the victim or any other person, as being:

    '...motivated by prejudice or hate.'

Section 146 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 came into effect in April 2005, empowering courts to impose tougher sentences for offences motivated or aggravated by the victim's sexual orientation in England and Wales.

Families Together London asked the advice of the police on reporting hate crime. If you or your son or daughter is the victim of a hate crime, such as hate mail, verbal abuse, domestic violence, harassment or any other form of abuse, the advice is always to report it. Even if you or your son or daughter decide to take no further action, it helps the police to know where and in what circumstances an incident occurred in case there are other similiar incidents. This helps them to protect other victims.

Ask for the incident to be logged as a homophobic incident, so that it will be followed up by the most appropriate people. Many police forces now have LGBT liaison officers who deal with homophobic offences, support victims and engage in community initiatives. The Met in London has an LGBT officer for every Lomndon borough. You can check out who the LGBT officer for your area is from the Met website - www.met.police.uk.

Where a police officer behaves inappropriately towards an LGBT person, or fails to intervene when they should, get their name or shoulder number and report them.

When it is not possible to report an incident directly...

If for any reason you cannot report a homphobic incident to the police - for example if your son or daughter will not co-operate in reporting the incident or if you fear reprisals within your community - then you can report a hate crime anonymously on the True Vision online reporting system:

www.report-it.org.uk

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