Keeping
children safe on the Internet is everyone's job! Parents need to stay in close
touch with their kids as they explore the Internet. Teachers need to help
students use the Internet appropriately and safely. Community groups, including
libraries, after-school programs, and others should help educate the public
about safe surfing. Kids and teens need to learn to take responsibility for
their own behavior -- with guidance from their families and communities.
It's not at all uncommon for kids to know more about the Internet and computers
than their parents or teachers. If that's the case in your home or classroom,
don't despair. You can use this as an opportunity to turn the tables by having
your child teach you a thing or two about the Internet. Ask her where she likes
to go on the Internet and what she thinks you might enjoy on the Net. Get your
child to talk with you about what's good and not so good about his Internet
experience. Also, no matter how Web-literate your kid is, you should still
provide guidance. You can't automate good parenting!
A little perspective….
Just as adults need to help kids stay safe, they also need to learn not to
overreact when they find out a child or teenager has been exposed to
inappropriate material or strayed from a rule. Whatever you do, don't blame or
punish your child if he tells you about an uncomfortable online encounter. Your
best strategy is to work with him, so you both can learn from what happened and
figure out how to keep it from happening again.
The challenges posed by the Internet can be positive. Learning to make good
choices on the Internet can serve young people well by helping them to think
critically about the choices they will face. Today it's the Internet; tomorrow
it may be deciding whether it's safe to get into the car of someone a teen
meets at a party. Later it will be deciding whether a commercial offer really
is "too good to be true" or whether it really makes sense to vote for
a certain candidate or follow a spiritual guru. Learning how to make good
choices is a skill that will last a lifetime.
So how do we recognize when a problem
is serious, or when it's simply part of being online?
1. Identify the problem.
It's not always easy to tell the difference between what is illegal or a
serious danger and what is offensive or annoying. We may run across illegal
materials, such as child pornography, or dangerous activities, such as luring,
when an adult lures a child into meeting face-to-face, or cyberstalking,
harassing online through e-mail, chat, etc.
Other things we encounter, such as sexually explicit materials, might be
inappropriate for children but not illegal. Some things are just annoying and
frustrating, such as spam - that unsolicited "junk" e-mail we get in
our in-boxes. Below is some guidance on what action to take.
2. Who should you contact for help?
Once they have identified a serious problem, parents are often confused about
who to turn to for help. Even though the criminal can't be seen and the crime
happens over computer and phone wires, it is important to remember that most
crimes on the Internet can be handled like crimes in the real world. If there
is an immediate personal threat of harm to your child, call 911, as with
similar emergencies offline.
· Contact your state police.
There is no national agency that deals with every type of Internet crime, so
local law enforcement is generally your best resource.
Select your home state for more information on how to contact your state
police:
Your local police can help you determine your legal rights and
responsibilities, since laws for protecting children and families vary from state
to state. Your local police can also help you identify and contact national
child advocacy groups that may have expertise in dealing with specific types of
crimes.
· Contact federal law enforcement.
Many times Internet crimes fall under federal jurisdiction. In a situation that
is not an emergency in which you encounter some criminal activity that might
involve your child, consider contacting law enforcement agencies at the federal
level.
Here are two examples: For child-luring - when, through contact online, an
adult tries to "lure" a child to meet face-to-face - you can contact
the Federal Bureau of Investigation. If you encounter child pornography -
sexually explicit material involving minors - call the US Customs Service at
1-800-BE-ALERT or send an e-mail to them at: icpicc@customs.treas.gov.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Downloading or making a copy of child pornography for any reason - even to
provide it as evidence to law enforcement - is a crime in the
3. Teach your child how to avoid
trouble in the future.
Whatever you do, don't blame or punish your child if he or she tells you about
an uncomfortable online encounter. Your best strategy is to work with your
child or teen to learn from what happened and keep it from happening again. The
best way of preventing crime on the Internet is education and awareness. Kids
must learn to make safe choices and recognize online trouble for themselves.
Explain to your child or teen that people can lie about their identities on the
Internet, and that online "buddies" should not be treated like
friends that we know and trust in the real world. Kids should know that
revealing any personal information - like hometown, name of their school, names
of family members - can be dangerous. Most importantly, get involved in their
online experiences and make surfing the Internet a family activity. There is no
substitute for parental guidance!
For more tips about online safely and other tips for parents, go to the
Source: Get Net Wise online safety guide: http://www.getnetwise.org