Social media decoding dictionary launched for concerned parents

Updated

Parents concerned their children are offering to GNOC and give away their ASL will be able to decode social media using a language guide launched by government.

The dictionary translates "popular teen chat acronyms", including get naked on cam (GNOC) and age, sex, location (ASL) often used by children using anonymous chat rooms to disclose their personal details.

The tool will help eagle-eyed parents spot when their child issues a P999, also known as a parent alert, or a CD9 (Code 9), to make their online friends aware their parents are around.

Many of the terms deal with the issue of online sexual relationships online, including examples such as IWSN (I want sex now), and LMIRL (let's meet in real life).

Other definitions include zerg (to gang up on someone), POS (parents over shoulder) and 420 (marijuana).

The guide is part of Parent Info, an online service announced today by the Department for Education, which aims to provide tips on navigating teenage life and give adults the confidence to talk about sensitive topics with their children.

Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities Nicky Morgan said it was crucial that parents were educated on how to keep their children safe online.

She said: "The internet is an incredibly powerful tool, which is changing the way our children learn and stay in touch. But we must also make sure we do everything we can to help them stay safe online.

"As a parent myself, I understand how important it is to know your child is safe and that's why this new online service is so important. I hope all schools take advantage of this new resource, which addresses fundamental issues like cyber bullying and body confidence - so that they can help protect their children in this digital age.

"Cyber bullying, which is now more common than face-to-face bullying, is just one of the areas that Parent Info tackles."

The website has been developed by the National Crime Agency's Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) and The Parent Zone, founded in 2005 to provide support to parents.

Its newsfeed, including regular articles, will be integrated into school websites, and can also be accessed at www.parentinfo.org.

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