Stats on Internet Safety

As we say in education, knowledge is power.  Understanding some of the statistics in internet safety may help us understand the issue more deeply and find solutions in the process.  Check out this link for some great statistics on this issue.

http://www.internetsafety101.org/predatorstatistics.htm

Some of these statistics are alarming.  We often talk about the dangers of to our students as being substance abuse, sexual promiscuity, driving, etc. but we often ignore the dangers online.  From these statistics we learn that sexual solicitations of youth occur most in chatrooms, instant messaging, and gaming devices.  These are three places our students hang out most online.  It is vital that we monitor their use of technology to ensure that they are safe.  We must be vigilant as parents!  Please continue to monitor your children and talk to them about the dangers of the web.

What Parents Can Do At Home

Here are 10 Things you can do to ensure your child is safe on the net at home (Taken from Net Nanny)

1. First educate yourself, then your child.

   Banning a child from certain sites may only motivate them to spend more time on them, whereas educating your child on how to keep safe will give them the tools they need to navigate their online world without being hurt; from not posting personal information to a site to understanding that people they are talking to may not actually be who they are. If the parents know the dangers themselves, this sets an example to the child to understand them as well.

2. Teach children the obvious identity rules.

   Tell your children NOT to put photos of themselves on the Internet or to give out their names, addresses, phone numbers, schools, or other personal information online.

3. Install an Internet filter or family safety software.

   Family safety software is becoming extremely advanced and an effective way to filter dangerous content. Additionally, this software usually comes with tools like time management, remote monitoring and reporting, and keystroke recognition, giving families greater peace of mind and manageability.

4. Know the dangers associated with sites your children frequent.

   An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Whether it's MySpace, Facebook or another social networking site, by knowing what people are doing on your children's favorite sites that could put them in harm's way, parents can educate their children and show them the warning signs of potentially dangerous situations.

5. Teach children what to do if they encounter pornography on a home or public computer, such as at a school or a library.

   In a similar fashion to the fire warning of "stop, drop and roll," you can teach children to quickly turn off power to the computer monitor and go to get an adult. This can prevent a child from attempting to stop the situation by clicking more buttons (and thereby spreading the attack and being exposed to more porn).

6. Manage your children's time on the Internet.

   Scheduling times when a child can be on the Internet and the amount they can be online ensures that you know when they are on the Internet and how long. By not allowing them to have free reign reduces their chances of being exposed to inappropriate content.

7. Set specific Internet guidelines for your children to live by and consistently enforce consequences, if they are not being followed.

   Giving your children specific guidelines to follow will ensure they know where they stand when it comes to how they use the Internet as well as the consequences when they breach the rules. If a parent enforces consequences consistently, their children will be more likely to follow the rules.

8. Keep computers out of children's bedrooms and in open areas.

   With PCs in the open, children will be less inclined to view and access material that may not be acceptable.

9. Create a relationship with your children that is conducive to open communication.

   Open communication and trust is extremely valuable. By letting children know what is expected from them and that their safety is a top priority, they will feel that if something happens --whether they are approached by a cyber stranger or bully or receive an inappropriate e-mail - they can approach a parent to resolve the issue without feeling they are in trouble.

10. Understand Internet Privacy Policies as they apply to your child.

    According to the FTC (http://www.ftc.gov/privacy/privacyinitiatives/childrens.html), parents should be aware of the following as it pertains to protecting their childrens' privacy on the web:

Source:  https://www.netnanny.com/learn_center/safety_tips/

Teaching Digital Citizenship At Our Schools

Digital Citizenship is defined as the norms of appropriate responsible behavior in regards to technology use.  In schools, we try to make our students digital citizens, teaching them the importance of responsibility when using technology.

The video above is a great resource for parents to help them understand this concept.  The US Department of Education states that students must be, "active, creative, knowledgable, and ethical participants in our globally networked society."  The keyword here for me is ethical.  As a school and as parents, we are responsible for helping children understand right from wrong.  They can't do this on their own.

Through our Acceptable Use of Technology Policy, educating in the classroom, in assemblies, and in continuous learning environments, we are committed to helping our students become responsible digital citizens of the future.

Check this out for more:
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/film-festival-digital-citizenship

The History of Internet Safety

Internet safety laws have been in existence since the mid 1990's.  Since the inception of the internet, a lot has changed.  As is the case with many parenting tactics, how we monitor our children is a hotly debated issue.  Children are exposed to many dangers online such as bullying, sexual images, sexual messages, predators, and images, videos, links that can be harmful or inappropriate for children underage.  The problem the internet poses is that there is really no way to age-restrict content.  If it is on the web, you can access it no matter your age.

The good news is that practicing internet safety, informing parents and students is working!  Check out this Slideshare from Anne Collier for a brief history including data and statistics to support it.

http://www.slideshare.net/ConnectSafely/legal-panel

The Importance of Internet Safety for Students

Providing internet safety for our students is a constant challenge at home and in our schools.   Our surveys reveal that nearly all of our students have access to the internet at home.  The internet can be a great tool for learning but it can also be a dangerous place to navigate, frightening and confusing many parents.  Parents are often left wondering what they need to do to monitor their children, how the best way to do this is, and to what extent.  This leaves many teachers, parents, and administrators throwing our hands in the air, frustrated.  We need to continue to have a conversation about the importance of this issue, finding the best way to keep our students safe.

This blog will help to educate our parents on how to keep their children safe, yet also raise questions and issues as to how we continue to do this in our school.  It is the job of the school to empower parents at home, giving them the tools they need to ensure cyber safety at home.