What are the possible risks associated with the use of webcams?

As with the internet today, some webcam sites may contain, or have links to, inappropriate or adult material. Although this should be address clearly before entering the site, teachers were strongly advised to view any webcam sites or listings before allowing pupils to do so.

One of the greatest risks associated with streaming webcams is one-to-one chat, which serves as an extension to chat rooms. While it’s extremely unlikely that students will use webcams for chatting where setting was organized videoconferencing activities for educational purposes, it is possible that they may use them outside of school and so should be alerted to the possible dangers ahead.

We have to keep in mind also that as webcams provide a real time view, there is no way you can control what students are viewing upon surfing the net. While in some cases where it’s likely to be fairly safe – for example, a webcam view of weather activity - in others, such as views of a busy shopping area, this may present more of a risk, particularly where people might be seen.

The risks of chat rooms are greatly reported – you can never be sure who you are really chatting with, and chat can sometimes become inappropriate too. Pedophiles are also known to use the anonymity offered by chat to ‘groom’ young adults, with the intention of developing friendships in the online world with the eventual aim of persuading them into sexual activities. It is also possible that webcams could be used as a stage in this grooming process, with young adults being encouraged to ‘meet’ using a webcam, and then coerced into inappropriate or abusive activities.

It is advisable for children and young adults to only chat over a webcam with people that they only know and trust in the real world, under adult supervision as much as possible.