51% of children over the age of 11 own a mobile phone. Whether you use your mobile phone to speak to your family or to text your friends, a mobile phone can be for keeping in touch and helping you to stay safe.  It is important that you should know how you can avoid problems and know what you should do to get help if you need it.

Crime and Mobile Phones

Every day mobile phones are stolen and quite often they are stolen from young people by young people. Your mobile phone is expensive and you should take extra care to be more alert to the dangers around you.

If you are unfortunate enough to have your mobile phone stolen, you should call your mobile phone operator immediately so that they can cancel your number.  This will stop calls being made from your phone even if the SIM card is changed. You should also report it to the police.

How to stay safe;

• Never leave you mobile unattended.
•  Keep your mobile away from others valuables like your purse or wallet. This way, if  someone takes your money, you will still have your mobile to call for help.  
• Use your mobile security PIN so that if someone steals your phone, they'll have difficulty in using it.
• Keep a record of your IMEI number.  This is a 15 digit serial number which can be found on a label,  usually behind the battery. You can key in *#06# and the IMEI number will come up on your screen.  The number is unique to your mobile phone and will help to identify your phone if it is stolen. 
• Be careful by using your phone in well lit, safe areas where you can be aware of what is going on around you.
• Never give your number out to somebody you do not know.

Bullying
 
Some bullies may use mobile phones to send threatening and unpleasant text and picture messages. This is unacceptable, you should never reply to messages of this type.

• Keep a note of the time and date of the message or call an
• Tell a parent, teacher, trusted adult or the police
• Only give your mobile phone number to trusted friends and relatives.
• Further advice can be obtained from your mobile phone network provider.
     

Don't forget that it is illegal to make calls or send messages of this type.  The law says:

"a person who sends by means of a public electronic communication network, a message or other matter that is grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character, or sends by those means, for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety to another, a message that he knows to be false or persistently makes use of a public communications network, shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or a fine or both." 
 

Downloads

Downloads are sometimes called reverse-billed text message services. 
This is where you are being charged for receiving text messages on your mobile phone rather than paying to send them. They are often advertised in newspapers and magazines, or on websites, and typically offer ring tones, wallpapers, or football goal alerts.

Before you request a download you should check

• The cost of the messages you will receive
• Check the small print; you may be agreeing to receive more than one message.
• Check your mobile is compatible with the type of download you want.
•  To stop receiving messages send the word STOP to the short code number. It does not matter if you use capital letters or not. It is important that you only send the word STOP. Any other word, phrase or characters may not work.

If sending the word STOP does not work, you should contact ICSTIS which will be able to find out why the command has not worked. If necessary, they could take action against the company responsible.