Laurel County School District Internet Safety a guide for parents Presented by: The Laurel County Technology Department Title I Parent & Community Involvement

Laurel County School District

Internet Safetya guide for parents

Presented by: The Laurel County

Technology Department

Title I Parent & Community Involvement

Title IV Safe & Drug-free Schools & Communities

Program


Disclaimer:

The Laurel County School District does not guarantee that following these suggestions will provide complete online safety. A certain level of risk exists with all internet use. These guidelines may reduce risks, but the school district accepts no responsibility for a child’s use of the internet outside of school property.


The school district accepts only limited responsibility for student use of the internet on school property, in accordance with school district policies.


The internet is a useful resource for learning, and it also plays a large role in the social life of most children.

Being comfortable with computers is a skill that

every child will need as they continue their education and seek to enter the work force.


It has many benefits, but it can be abused.


Unsafe Communities

• Harm communities (suicide)

• Find acceptance from like-minded peers…cutting, anorexia, passing out, etc…

• Hate groups


Sexually Related Risks• Pornography

–Accidentally accessing–Intentionally accessing

–Sexual Activity–Being groomed by adult predators–Seeking sexual hookups with other

teens or adults.


• Child pornography has become a multi-billion dollar commercial enterprise and is among the fastest growing businesses on the Internet (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, March 15, 2006)

http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/200602/tows_past_20060215.jhtml


• The largest group of viewers of Internet porn is children between 12 and 17 (Family Safe Media, Dec. 15, 2005)


• 1 in 10 youth ages 8-18 discovered that someone they were communicating with online was an adult pretending to be much younger. (Polly Klaas Foundation, December 21, 2005)


• One third of youth ages 8-18 have talked about meeting someone that they have only met through the Internet (Polly Klass Foundation, December 21, 2005)


Sexual Harassment

• Being victimized by or engaging in

• Displaying sexual exploits

• Posting or sending provocative explicit images.


Chat Room/Messaging Safety Tips…

• Place the computer in a main living space so the monitor faces OUTWARD so there is no secrecy.

• This is the MOST valuable thing to do for online safety


Learn to chat yourself so that you understand what it is that your child is doing.


• Stress to your child that they need to tell you if they get any weird or upsetting messages while chatting…emphasize that you will not be angry nor will you ban them from the internet.


• Set strict time limits for internet chat use and enforce them.

• Internet addiction is a real thing!


Chat Sites

• www.chat-avenue.com

• http://messenger.yahoo.com/chat.php

• http://www.icq.com/icqchat/

• http://www.aim.com/chats.adp?aolp=


Addictive access and multi-tasking

• Social networking addiction

• Gaming addiction


PEW Internet Project

• 55% of online teens use social networks and 55% have created online profiles;

• Older girls predominate


MySpace

• Dominates the social networking world

• 85% of teens use or update MySpace profile most often

• http://www.myspace.com/


• Emphasize that people in chat rooms are ALWAYS strangers, no matter how often you chat to them, and no matter how well you think you know them, and that while they may be good or bad people, they are still strangers.


• Emphasize…NEVER tell a person online your real name, your school, phone number, or the town in which you live.

• Do not give ANY personal information out at all.


• Do not permit your child to be left alone in cyberspace for long periods of time. Make sure chat time occurs when YOU are around in the house so you can check on them regularly.


• Stress to your child to behave politely and respectfully at all times while chatting online with strangers.


• One third of Internet users ages 10-17 were exposed to unwanted sexual material, a 50% increase in the past five years (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, August 2006).


Cyber Bullying

Wiredkids Quiz

http://www.wiredkids.org/wiredkids_org.html


Cyber Bullying

• Posting or sending cruel or harmful text or images using any form of digital communication devices.

• Breaking into an email account and sending embarassing material to others


Cyber Bullying

• Sending cruel, threatening or vicious messages

• Creating websites which ridicule others

• Posting pictures of classmates online and asking others to rate them


Cyber Bullying

• Engaging someone in Instant Messaging and tricking them into revealing personal information and forwarding that to others

• Locker room pictures taken with phone camera and sending it to others


Cyber Threat

• A cyber threat is online material that threatens or raises concerns about violence against others, suicide, or other self-harm.


• Direct threats: actual threats to hurt someone or commit suicide.

• Distressing material provides clues that the person is emotionally upset and may be considering hurting someone hurting him or herself or committing suicide.


I SAFE America

• 58% of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online

• 53% of kids admit having said something mean or hurtful things to another online


• 42% of kids have been bullied while online

• 58% of kids have not told their parents or any adult about something mean or hurtful that had happened to them online


Cyber Bullying

• www.bullying.org

• www.cyberbullying.ca


Security Concerns

• Infecting a computer with malware

• Identity theft

• Ebay-buying and selling & your kids


What Can I Do As A Parent?

Why parents are out of the loop...

Why parents are out of the loop…


Check your History

Checking History

Settings for History


Check your child’s cell phone

• http://www.cingular.com/learn/messaging-internet/messaging/using-text-messaging.jsp



• Set up different login accounts with different restriction levels

• Internet Proxy Filtering Software (ie…)– NetMop– CYBERSitter– SnoopStick (from CYBERsitter)-- SnoopStick is

a USB flash drive type device that allows you to monitor what your kids, employees, or anyone using your computer is doing while on the Internet. And, you can monitor them live, in real time, from anywhere in the world.


Filtering Software

• http://www.chatchecker.com//chatchecker/vendorcybersafety.asp

• • http://www.snoopstick.com/• • http://www.cybersitter.com/• • http://www.netmop.com/•

http://www.chatchecker.com/chatchecker/vendorcybersafety.asp





Educate Your Child on the Dangers that Exist Online


Documents

Laurel County School District Internet Safety a guide for parents Presented by: The Laurel County Technology Department Title I Parent & Community Involvement