Internet Safety

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Internet Safety
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Internet Safety page.

• Information is the best defense.
• Share it with everyone you know.

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Good Questions!

• Should I let my child use the Internet?
• What can I do if my child is looking at
  inappropriate material?
• Why are children more susceptible to online
  predators?
• What are the risks children face online?
• How can parents keep children safer?

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37 of students say their parents would
disapprove if they knew what they did, where they
go, or with whom they chat on the Internet
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Should I let my child use the Internet?

• Yes, but make sure they know the rules for safe
  surfing.
• Yes, but guide their use and place the computer
  in a public part of the house
• Great resource for facts, research, games, music,
  communication with friends and family.

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What are the risks children face online?

• Exposed to adult material of sexual, racial, or
  extremely bias in nature
• email or correspondence that contains viruses,
  worms, scams, hoaxes, and pranks
• Meeting a sexual predator
• Supply account numbers or personal information to
  the wrong people.
• Bullying

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Rules for Safe Surfing

• Do not respond to or open mail from strangers.
• Monitor your childs chatroom activity.
• Talk to your children about sexual predators and
  potential online dangers.
• Never download anything from an unknown source
• Choose a gender-neutral screen name.
• Never go to private area of chatroom.
• Encourage communication if something happens that
  makes them scared or uncomfortable.

• Keep the computer in a public area of the house.
• Young children should not use chatrooms. Period.
  Young children should also share your e-mail
  address until they are old enough to have their
  own.
• Teach children never to give out personal
  information over the Internet without your
  permission.

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What can I do if my child is looking at
inappropriate material?

• Filtering and monitoring software
• Methods whitelisting, blacklisting, monitoring
  activity, keyword recognition, blocking specific
  functions like e-mail or IM.
• Talk to your children
• Explain the dangers

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Filters and Monitors

• Norton Internet Security
• Net Nanny
• Cybersitter
• CyberPatrol
• ContentProtect 1 ranked (35)

• Eblaster
• Childsafe

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• 70 of Americas 15 to 17 year olds have viewed
  pornography online
• Parents are the first, last and only defense
  between a child and inappropriate online material
  or people.

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Why are Children more susceptible to online
predators?
Young adolescents are the most vulnerable age
group and are at high risk of being approached by
online predators

• Exploring their sexuality
• Moving away from parental control
• Looking for new relationships beyond the family
  unit
• They feel invisible and are likely to take more
  risks online without understanding the
  implications.
• They can be easily tricked by adults (girls 11 to
  14/ 15 min to several weeks)

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There are 125 sexual and violent offenders living
in Johnson County.
http//www.nationalalertregistry.com http//www.i
ndianasheriffs.org
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One in five children/teens under the age of 17
have received unwanted sexual solicitations
online.
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How Do Predators Work?

• Frequent chatrooms, instant messanging, e-mail or
  discussion boards looking for children
• May spend months Grooming the child. Building
  emotional reliance, finding childs interests and
  relating to them.
• May offer material goods to attract children
  offline
• May send money to travel to meet
• Give attention, affection, kindness
• Gradually introduce sexual content
• Learn name, address, school, age, sports, etc.

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CyberBullying50 of kids say they are alone
online most of the time

• For some students home is no longer a refuge from
  pressure at school
• Students feel invisible online and so will
  sometimes bullly and say things they would never
  say face-to-face.
• Students dont have to own their actions, they
  can always say that someone else used their
  password or screen name. Fear of punishment is
  reduced.
• Lack of feedback from technology minimizes
  feelings of empathy or remorse

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• 58 of kids admit that someone has said mean or
  hurtful things to them online.
• 53 of kids admit to having said something mean
  or hurtful to another online
• 42 of kids have been bullied while online

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What does it look like?

• A threatening e-mail
• Nasty instant messaging session
• Repeated notes sent to cell phone
• A website set up to mock others
• Forwarding private messages, pictures, or video
  to others
• Pretending to be someone else and posting harmful
  messages

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Action Steps

• Watch for signs that your child is being bullied.
  (reluctance to use computer or to go to school.)
• Report online harassment and physical threats to
  your Internet Service Provider and local police
• Be aware that mobile phones now can also present
  an opportunity to bully.
• Save any harassing messages and teach kids never
  to reply to them.
• Always encourage kids to tell you if anything
  that makes them uncomfortable happens on the
  Internet.

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Action Steps cont.

• Dont give out private information or your
  password to anyone
• Dont exchange pictures without asking permission
  from parents
• Dont send messages when you are angry
• Online conversations are not private. Others can
  copy, print and share what you say or any
  pictures you post.

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Blogging

• Blogs or weblogs are journals posted on the
  Internet. They are free and can be about anything
  and everything.
• Over 4 million bloggers
• Makes the writer feel like they are anonymous.
• Social event way to reach out and connect and
  share ideas
• Readers can post replies and thoughts

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Promise and Danger of Blogging

• Nurtures important social skills
• Fills a need for self expression
• Builds writing ability
• DANGERS
• Online sexual predators can obtain personal info
  from children which might very well draw a
  roadmap to your house.
• www.xanga.com
• www.myspace.com

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Internet sites for Parents

• www.cox.com/TakeCharge
• www.isafe.org
• www.netsmartz.org

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