Internet Safety for Parents Madison Heights Elementary Technology Night Melanie Lewis, ITRT Amherst County Public Schools Internet Safety for Parents

Internet Safety Internet Safety = Stranger safety General Themes apply No ASL Adult Supervision/involvement Student empowerment to report Internet Safety is a topic that touches all of us. Our rural section of the world used to be fairly safe from predation, but the flattening world effect gives every predator access to our families and our students. This isn’t a big city phenomena. Who’s most at risk?

We All Play a Role Personal Safety We all have students/children § 22.1-70.2 Personal Safety- It is our responsibility to keep ourselves safe on the Internet We all have students/children – just as we’d keep kids safe from physical danger, we need to educate them about virtual danger 22.1-70.2 General Assembly law mandating that Internet Safety be infused throughout the K-12 curriculum.

The Perfect Victim Ideal age: 11-14 No or little parental involvement No definite bedtime Can be away from home without anyone knowing where he/she is Has exclusive use of the computer in a private area We need to be aware of what our students are doing. Even students who don’t fit this profile are vulnerable due to the social aspects of their age group. “Characteristics of a Fictitious Child Victim: Turning a Sex Offender’s Dreams Into His Worst Nightmare” by James F. McLaughlin.

All Children are at Risk Children of all ages have a lack of emotional maturity that can make them more susceptible to manipulation or intimidation. they have a strong desire for attention, validation, and affection a lack of caution or self-preservation. Children are taught to obey adult requests and demands children are naturally curious about sex and other "forbidden" topics. Discuss “open dialog” More Online, Doing More.Washington, DC: The Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2001, page 22.

Do You Know a Numbut? Loses real world contacts More interested in virtual world Uses computer at every chance Minimizes screen when teacher approaches Discuss both physical and psychological aspects of Numbuts

Help from MySpace!

Tips for Kids Keep your Account ID and password private--even from your best friend! Your online service will never ask for them, so neither should anyone else. Use only your D-Name when chatting with your online friends and posting messages. Don't give out personal information about yourself or anyone else. This means no posting of phone numbers, addresses, e-mail addresses, Social Security numbers, passwords, or any other private information. You should not share the name of your school or the name of your school's team. Also, do not ask anyone else to post his or her phone number, address, e-mail address, Social Security number, password, or any other private information. Don't share photos of yourself, your family, or your home with people you meet online.

Tips for Kids Continued Never open and always delete unknown e-mail attachments. They can contain destructive viruses. If a person writes something that is mean or makes you uncomfortable, don't respond. Just log off and tell your parents, who can report it to your online service provider. Remember that nothing you write on the Web is completely private -- including e-mail. So be careful and think about what you type and who you tell. Not everyone is as nice, cute, and funny as they may sound online. Never make plans to meet an online "friend" in person. WHEN IN DOUBT -- always ask your parents for help -- and just LOG OFF if you're not sure! You can always go back online later.

Tips for Parents Communicate, and talk to your child about sexual victimization and potential on-line danger. • Spend time with your children on-line. Have them teach you about their favorite on-line destinations. • Keep the computer in a common room in the house, not in your child's bedroom. It is much more difficult for a computer-sex offender to communicate with a child when the computer screen is visible to a parent or another member of the household. • Utilize parental controls provided by your service provider and/or blocking software. While electronic chat can be a great place for children to make new friends and discuss various topics of interest, it is also prowled by computer-sex offenders. Use of chat rooms, in particular, should be heavily monitored. While parents should utilize these mechanisms, they should not totally rely on them. • Always maintain access to your child's on-line account and randomly check his/her e-mail. Be aware that your child could be contacted through the U.S. Mail. Be up front with your child about your access and reasons why.

Tips for Parents Continued Teach your child the responsible use of the resources on-line. There is much more to the on-line experience than chat rooms. Find out what computer safeguards are utilized by your child's school, the public library, and at the homes of your child's friends. These are all places, outside your normal supervision, where your child could encounter an on-line predator. Understand, even if your child was a willing participant in any form of sexual exploitation, that he/she is not at fault and is the victim. The offender always bears the complete responsibility for his or her actions.

Helpful Websites My favorites: NetSmartz, I-Safe, Resources: Websafety