Internet Safety

According to Infoplease, more than 152 million people – 73% of the U.S. adult population – access the Internet.* Unfortunately, the same technology that allows our children to take advantage of this great resource also makes them vulnerable to exploitation. Is there a method to ensure that our children are safe on the Internet? Only one ... parents.

What's Available on the Internet?

• Educational resources including up-to-the-minute news, important documents and photos. Students can get help with homework through online encyclopedias and other reference materials.
• The ability to connect with places around the world to exchange mail with electronic pen pals and learn about other cultures and traditions.
• Parenting information and opportunities to share ideas with other families.
• Various shareware programs and websites dedicated to amateur programmers and professionals who post their software for download. There are thousands of these programs available, including everything from accounting applications to screensavers.
• Family activities with opportunities to learn and have fun together by exploring common interests.

What Are the Safety Issues?

Websites

Unfortunately, there are many websites available on the Internet that are inappropriate for children. These sites can include explicit pornography or destructive thinking such as sites dedicated to committing suicide or those that contain information on how to commit a crime or an act of destruction, such as making a bomb.

In addition, there are sites related to "hacking," where kids can learn to create computer viruses or attempt to illegally access restricted sites.

Chat Rooms

This is the most dangerous part of the Internet because this is where children are the most vulnerable.

Children can talk to anyone, anywhere in the world, from the privacy of their own home. Through this technology, people you wouldn't ordinarily let your children talk to on the telephone can gain access to your home and your children. Teens are more vulnerable – not less -- than younger children. They are more independent, more curious and more likely to be drawn into an inappropriate relationship.

Newsgroups

An often misunderstood concept and not often thought of as an avenue for inappropriate materials, newsgroups are, in fact, the avenue of communication through which most child pornography is passed.

E-Mail

People can get direct access to children by sending them e-mail. E-mail can contain inappropriate banners, advertisements, etc. Children with their own e-mail account can read, reply and view material sent as an attachment without any filters for content. After viewing an e-mail, they can delete it without a parent ever knowing its content ... or that it ever existed. And they can easily develop a relationship with the originator.

What Can I Do?

You can reduce the risks of these unhealthy intrusions through firsthand education and supervision.

Educate Your Children

Teach them not to respond to – but not to delete – any messages, including e-mail and in chat rooms, that are obscene, threatening, contain vulgar language or that make them feel uncomfortable.

• Encourage them to tell you immediately if they encounter such a message.
• Help them understand that it is not their fault, and that no punishment will follow. The law enforcement community will always look at children as the victims, even if they were willing participants.
• Explain that someone claiming to be a 12-year-old girl could be a 40-year-old man.
• Make up a list of rules to govern your children's conduct on the Internet. Post them near the computer as a reminder. They should view these rules in the same manner that they view the other rules of the household, such as curfews, how to deal with strangers and which television shows and movies they’re allowed to watch and for how long.
• Make sure Internet surfing doesn't interfere with homework, social activities or other interests.

Supervise Their Internet Use

The location of your computer can be an important factor. Put the computer in the living room or a family room area. This arrangement helps you monitor what your children are doing. If at all possible, keep the computer in the front of the house where the most activity is. Keep it out of back room where supervision is limited. Make online exploration a family activity: new inexpensive technology allows for TV-OUT/Tuner cards which allow a computer to display on a typical television.

Get to know the Internet and any services your child uses.

• If you don't know how to log on, get your child to show you.
• Have your child show you what he or she does online.
• Become familiar with what you can do on the Internet.
• Become involved; have your child teach you.
• Set rules for Internet use and post them on or near the computer as a reminder.
• Advise your children of the following:
  • Never give out personal information or provide personal details in online profiles.
  • Never share your password with anyone, even friends.
  • Never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone you have met online. If you’re asked to meet with someone, let an adult know immediately. Remember, sometimes people pretend to be different people online.
  • Never respond to messages that make you feel upset, confused or uncomfortable. You should ignore the sender, end the communication and tell your parent or another trusted adult right away.
  • Never use bad language or send mean messages online
  • Never send your picture or anything else without first asking your parents.
  • Never do anything or say anything online that you wouldn't do in real life.
• Check the sites your children are visiting. All Internet browsers keep information in more than one location that allows a parent to check and view the websites that the children are visiting.

Use Software Controls

Software programs are available to help parents with safe Internet browsing. There are basically two types of programs: those that filter Internet content and those that monitor activity.

Filtering software actually runs in the background and filters Internet content by using several methods. One method monitors websites as the user attempts to access them. It compares the URL or website address (e.g., www.sylvaniapolice.com) with an internal list of acceptable websites. The parent can download a current list of acceptable sites from the software developer.

Another method involves monitoring content for key words or phrases on its "hit" list, which also includes web addresses. If any key words or phrases are detected, or if the web address being accessed is on the list, the page is blocked. Programs such as Net Nanny (www.netnanny.com) and Cybersitter (www.cybersitter.com) are just two examples of this type of software.

Monitoring software does not filter or block Internet websites, but maintains a secure list of websites that have been accessed. The list cannot be accessed or deleted without a password.

Site control software is the most constrictive Internet access software available. Packages such as Chibrow (www.chibrow.com) allow access only to specific approved-for-children websites. The child cannot enter a specific address unless it has been added to the list in the software company’s updates or by the parent, and a password is required.

Children’s search engines are valuable tools, such as www.yahooligans.com, which only display child-approved site links.

Warning Signs

Parents should be on the lookout for:

• A child's excessive use of the Internet or online services, especially late at night.
• Phone calls from strangers.
• Gifts or cards and letters to your child from people you don't know.
• Your child having face-to-face meetings with people you don't know.
• Your child turning off the monitor or quickly changing the screen when you walk into the room.
• Your child becoming withdrawn from the family.
• Your child using an online account paid for by someone else using Internet access you didn’t contract for or pay for. Pedophiles spend a lot of money and go to great lengths to lure their victims into a dangerous situation.

Ensuring Safety on the Internet

Adult intervention is the only way to ensure the safety of our children on the Internet. The Sylvania Police Division recommends making "surfing the net" a family affair. With adult participation, the Internet can open a whole new world for our children to explore without ever leaving the safety of their own home.

Most people have good experiences on the Internet, and we all have a lot to gain from the considerable amount of information available. If your child is confronted with illegal activities or child pornography, contact your local law enforcement agency, or the CyberTipline at www.missingkids.com/cybertip.

For further information on Internet safety, visit our Links page.

* "Population." Infoplease. © 2000–2007 Pearson Education, publishing as Infoplease. 20 Oct. 2008 http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0110379.html.