A report launched this week has recommended the use of a so-called "surfing proficiency test" to help youngsters get more out of the Internet.

The idea is that children will be able to take the test to qualify for unsupervised use of the Internet at school without the need for software filters which may be stopping them from accessing useful information.

Of course it would mean that youngsters would be given some instruction in how to use the most fantastic research tool available while also teaching them about potential dangers of chat rooms.

But what the test, recommended by the Institute for Public Policy Research (www.ippr.org.uk), would fail to address is the familiar problem at home - a lot of parents don't know enough about the Internet to monitor what their children are doing.

Some websites currently trying to address this problem offer advice for the whole family and not just the child.

For parents who want to understand what is so appealing about chat rooms, as well as some of the potential dangers involved, www.chatdanger.com is an invaluable starting place.

This site informs about the dangers without overlooking the fact that chat rooms can be a lot of fun. The site also gives some useful links for further information.

Another source of family-friendly information is www.getnetwise.org which gives advice and contains a good alphabetical glossary to help keep up with the lingo.

But if your family surfing experience does lead you to an illegal site or one with material you find offensive then you can always report them to your Internet Service Provider and the online watchdog the Internet Watch Foundation www.iwf.org.uk.

The foundation website also has a safety guide and information about filters as well as hotline for reporting inappropriate activity.