Community: Internet Safety Information

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Internet Safety Parent Information at ELanCo

Much thanks to our organizers and the presenters at our presentation on internet safety May 2^nd, 2006. Our esteemed presenters, Pastor Bob McMichael, Chief of New Holland Police, John Yost, and Lancaster County Assistant District Attorney, Jeff Conrad, presented the following topics:

• risks of online internet usage
• characteristics of online predators
• characteristics of victims
• real life scenarios, national and local
• ways to prevent being a victim
• safeguards to help keep kids from breaking the law online

Links and Resources from the presentation and other sources:

What is so attractive to kids on the internet? The social aspect of it. These are some of the websites that provide a social network that students can use to connect to others.

• http://www.myspace.com/
• http://www.friendster.com/
• http://www.livejournal.com/
• http://www.xanga.com/
• http://www.piczo.com/

General Information about Internet Safety

• Many schools have been putting up safety tips on their websites. Here is an example of one.
• http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/internetParents Guide to the Internet
• http://xblock.isafe.org - this site has tutorials aimed at children
• http://www.fbi.gov/publications/pguide/pguidee.htm A Parent's Guide to Internet Safety. From the Federal Bureau of Investigation Crimes Against Children Program.
• http://www.alliancecom.net/internet_lingo.php U no how kdz talk ol? Learn some of the language of the internet.
• http://www.missingkids.org National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
• http://www.safeteens.com Teen Safety on the Information Highway by Larry Magid is a publication of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
• http://www.cme.org Center for Media Education
• http://www.parentsoup.com/onlineguide/
• http://www.smartparent.com
• http://www.netparents.org
• http://www.komando.com/kimskidscontract.html Ten Commandments for Kids Online.
• http://www.familyguidebook.com
• http://www.webawareness.org
• http://www.icra.org/ Internet Content Rating Association
• http://www.safekids.com/ Your family's guide to making the Internet and Technology fun, safe and productive.

Terms and Concepts

• Phone chat - Phones can be used just like computers to chat or "text" with other students.
• Podcasting - In its basic form, podcasting starts with recording voice and/or music digitally, and creating audio files that can be sent to others over the internet.
• Music sharing - There are legitimate and illegitimate sites for the sharing of music over the internet. Parents of children can be held liable for incorrect use of copyrighted material. Example music sharing sites are: BearShare, LimeWire, Morpheus, Kazaa, eMule, and Grokster.
• Online gambling - Some children are showing signs of technology-based addictions such as with gaming, shopping, social networking, gambling, auctions, and simple surfing.
• Cell phone cameras - Using phones for taking pictures is becoming popular. These pictures are easily loaded onto the internet and/or shared with others over the phone.
• Toothing - Using devices that connect to computers wirelessly is called 'toothing'. A 'bluetooth' device can scan the area for someone else's cell phone, and can request connection without knowing the phone number of the target phone. Learn more about it at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toothing
• Blogging - Students can journal, almost directly, onto a website, to be viewed by any visitor. Learn a lot by browsing http://www.blogger.com/, an example site.

Safety software and Services

Some internet providers offer filtering services. Another technique is to buy software that will be on your own computer to filter content. Shop around at some of these sites:

• http://www.netnanny.com
• http://www.cybersitter.com/
• http://www.simguard.net
• http://www.cyberangels.org/ This organization's mission is to function as a "virtual 411" safety destination, and to address the concerns of parents, the needs of children, on-line abuse and cyber crime, while supporting the right of free speech.
• http://www.netmom.com/

Student Tips about Internet Safety

Digital Bullying

Tips on responding to a threat:

• Immediately find an adult
• Do not reply to the threat - Do not engage the bully or perpetrator. Many people make this mistake and end up in more trouble themselves.
• Keep records - Take screen shots, print IM transcripts.
• http://www.jdennis.net/DeadAIM/about.php - AIM logger that can sometimes track what went on AOL instant messenger.
• Alert your Internet Service Provider (ISP).
• If possible - block the senderŐs address.
• Alert authorities.

Protecting Yourself

• Never give out your address, phone number, or full name to ANYONE.
• If anyone ever says things that make you uncomfortable, leave the site immediately or log off the Internet.
• Always ask your parents before downloading anything or before filling out anything online.
• Never agree to meet someone in person without talking to your parents first.
• There are places on the Internet that are for adults only. If you happen to be at one of these sites, leave at once. Be sure to let your parents know what happened.

Sites that Address Bullying and Socially Damaging Behaviors

• http://www.cyberbully.org Mobilizing educators, parents, students, and others to combat online social cruelty.
• http://www.getnetwise.org
• http://www.stopcyberbullying.org
• http://www.wiresafety.org
• http://www.plainfieldnjk12.org/CyberBullying/CyberBullying.htm
• http://www.internetsuperheroes.org/cyberbullying Delivering smart, safe and responsible surfing messages to children, teens, schools and parents, online and offline.
• http://www.netsmartz.org An interactive, educational safety resource from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children¨ (NCMEC) and Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) for children aged 5 to 17, parents, guardians, educators, and law enforcement that uses age-appropriate, 3-D activities to teach children how to stay safer on the Internet. Read an overview of NetSmartz age-appropriate materials for each age group.
• http://www.haltabuse.org
• http://www.wiredsafety.org/ Provides help, information and education to Internet and mobile device users of all ages. They handle cases of cyberabuse ranging from identity and credential theft, online fraud and cyberstalking, to hacking and malicious code attacks.