Resources for Internet Safety Month

Summer vacation is only days away and children will be faced with more free time than they can imagine. And thanks to the internet, many of our students will be upping their screen time instead of heading outside to play so it’s appropriate that the first month of summer vacation be designated National Internet Safety Month.

As we know the Internet has been a powerful force for good and opens up untold numbers of positive learning opportunities. At the same time, children are particularly vulnerable in using the internet because of an inability to distinguish between real and fantasy, their lack of life experience and in many cases a simple lack of knowledge about the dangers lurking on the Internet and ways to protect themselves.

Of all of the dangers faced by children online, child predators may be the most feared because so many of these stories end badly. Predators build relationships with their victims. This grooming process usually includes several stages (O’Connell, 2004) and may occur very quickly depending on the responses they get from their intended victim.

1. FRIENDSHIP FORMING phase
2. RELATIONSHIP FORMING phase
3. RISK ASSESSMENT phase
4. EXCLUSIVITY phase
5. SEXUAL phase

Remember, these stages could be skipped or the order changed depending on the responses of the potential victim. The What If… Guidebook in the Internet Safety: Protecting Children in an Online World course includes a good example of the grooming process.

Children have access to the Internet in so many places and on so many devices now that we as responsible caring adults need to teach our students how to use the Internet correctly and safely. The good news is that a lot of good people have worked hard to do research, find ways to protect children, built software to monitor and protect children and are teaching adults and children how they can be safe online. Check out the resources in this newsletter for some very cool sites, software and resources to protect your students and children.

A Thin Line
http://www.athinline.org/
A resource for teens to learn about their level of internet sense and how to keep themselves safe.

CommonSense Media
http://www.commonsensemedia.org
Information about modern media literacy for parents, kids and teachers.

Connect Safely
http://www.connectsafely.org/
ConnectSafely is for parents, teens, educators, advocates – everyone engaged in and interested in the impact of the social Web.

Family Online Safety Institute
http://www.fosi.org/
The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) works to make the online world safer for kids and their families.

SpectorPro & eBlaster
http://www.spectorsoft.com/
SpectorPro, eBlaster and eBlaster Mobile allow parents to monitor internet use on computers and cell phones. The company also provides solutions that work for school computers and networks.

NetNanny
http://www.netnanny.com/
Internet filtering for copmputers and cell phones.

My Mobile Watchdog
http://www.mymobilewatchdog.com
Monitor and restrict a child’s cell phone use with this software including web use, camera, contact lists, installed apps and when the phone can be used.

Questions for you this week:

• On what kind of devices do you use the Internet?
• Do you or your school provide instruction on Internet safety to
  children and parents?

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