When Children Started School, They Learned.

. .

Don’t talk to strangers Look both ways before you cross the

street Play nicely with other children If something happens that scares you,

seek help from an adult you trust

The Same Principles Apply When They Go

Online

What We’re ALL Concerned About

Are children accessing age-appropriate material online?

Are children learning how to evaluate the information they find online?

Are children interacting only with friends or supportive adults?

Do children know what to do if something troubling happens to them?

But Remember: Schools and Parents Must Work Together

What happens at home? What happens at a friend’s house? Is Internet use monitored? What if a child sees something that

disturbs him? What if a strange adult seeks out a child

online? Are the restrictions at home different from

those at school?

Best Practices for Home Use

Reinforce the “Rules of the Road”– Don’t give out your full name, address or phone

number to a stranger you meet online– Don’t post your personal information in a public

place online– Ask me first if you have questions about this– Tell me if you see something online that upsets

you– Tell me if someone you meet online bothers you

Adapt these rules as your child grows older

Best Practices for Home Use

Monitor your child’s usage– Control the password– Go online with your child– Keep the computer in a “family space”– Consider using monitoring or filtering

controls, recognizing they may not be perfect

– Consider using your service provider’s controls, if available

Good Resources for Parents

GetNetWise (http://www.getnetwise.org) - Comparison of filtering tools

Safekids.com (http://www.safekids.com) Safety Clicks (http://www.safetyclicks.com) - Tips and

info for parents and children Cybersmart (http://www.cybersmart.org) -

Downloadable online safety lessons The Children’s Partnership (

http://www.childrenspartnership.org) - The Parents’ Guide to the Information Superhighway

ChildNet (http://www.childnet-int.org) - Resources in English, Spanish, French and German

Development of These Resources Is Supported

by

BellSouth Foundation

AOL Time Warner Foundation

Microsoft

Sprint

Consortium for School Networking

www.cosn.org

Copyright 2003