A Fleming Parent’s Guide to Child Safety on the Internet

A Fleming Parent’s Guideto Child Safety on the Internet Adapted by Kam Purewal June 24,2010 Based on: Responding to Cyberbullying: A Guide for School Communities by VSB & Original PowerPoint by Brian Metcalfe February 25, 2003

What do Children do Online? • Research for school projects • Visit Websites- (eg.You Tube) • Send and Receive Email • Use Social Networking Sites (Facebook) • Instant Messaging (eg.MSN) • Visit Chat Rooms • Play online games

1. What are Websites? • A Website is a page or pages with information, pictures, video’s and links to download games, music and software • You Tube is a website anyone can use to view and post video clips • Be aware the video clips on You Tube can be funny, educational, violent or inappropriate • Always monitor what your child is watching or posting on You tube

2. What is E-mail? • Electronic mail (e-mail) • People can instantly send and receive information, pictures, and videos to anyone in the world • Know all your child’s email addresses and passwords –ensure they use strong usernames and passwords • Remind them not to give out personal information online or open emails from strangers (your identity can be stolen)

3. What are Social Networking Sites? • Social Networking sites, such as Facebook, allow people to create profiles to connect with friends and post information, pictures and video’s about themselves. • Strangers can locate and contact peoples personal information- (Be aware of cyberbullying and identity theft) • Monitor what your child is posting on their site and who they accept as friends • Children should never join a site without reading the privacy policy

4. What is Instant Messaging? • Instant Messaging or (IM), such as MSN, is a popular way for people to chat with friends in real time over the internet • People create contact lists of friends to chat with and block people they don’t know or don’t want to communicate with • Review your child’s contact list with them • They should never fill out a personal profile online, anyone can view it

5. What are Chat Rooms? • Chat rooms are virtual rooms where people from anywhere in the world can exchange information and ideas • People type messages back and forth to someone else with instant responses • Anyone can log into a chat room and see what others are saying • Don’t allow children to visit chat rooms. Adults can pose as children to get their personal information and contact them

6. What are Online Games? • Online games allow people to play games with friends or strangers anywhere in the world • Some games allow players to create the characters and the setting of the game • Playing online games can increase chances of internet addiction • Monitor what games your child is playing and if they are appropriate

Advice for Parents • Educate yourself • Centralize location of computer • Monitor your child’s internet use • Install filtering software • Establish ground rules and age appropriate consequences • VSB Policy ( consequences at school) • Be aware children can access the internet on mobile devices

Ground Rules • Explain to children that talking to someone on the Internet is like talking to a stranger • Never give out personal information about themselves like name, address, school, sports team, phone number etc. • Ask them to inform you immediately if they are asked for personal information • Never meet with someone fromwhom they have received e-mail

Sample Internet Filters • Cyber Patrolhttp://www.cyberpatrol.com • A utility that allows parents tomanage computer use in their household • Net Nannyhttp://www.netnanny.com • A utility that allows parents to see and control access to websites and block sites they deem inappropriate • Cyber Sitterhttp://www.cybersitter.com • Gives parents the ability to limit their children’s access to the Internet

Guidelines for Parents • A computer is not a babysitter – take interest in what your child is doing on-line. • Establish rules for going on-line – when, where and how long they can go on the Internet every day. • Keep the computer in a common room, easy to monitor- not in the bedroom • Never let children send their photograph or a video of themselves unless it is a friend of the family or relative -with your permission

Guidelines for Parents(Cont…) • Tell your child they can talk to you about what they are doing on-line, and if anything makes them feel uncomfortable or scared. • They should never use inappropriate language or bully anyone on-line. • Students negative on-line behaviour can have in school consequences -based on the school code and VSB policy

Guidelines for Parents(Cont…) • Teach your children that when they are in cyberspace, everyone is a stranger. • Post Internet safety rules in a visible location. (see handout) • Monitor your child’s access on the computer and mobile devices (cell phones, iphones) these include web sites, e-mail, chat lines and instant messaging. • Children should use strong passwords and usernames that don’t hold personal information

Parent Web Sites • http://www.cyberangels.org • http://www.getnetwise.org • http://www.safekids.com • http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca • http://www.wisekids.org

Web Sites Worth Visiting • “Young Canadians In A Wired World” http://www.cfc-efc.ca/docs/mnet/00002_en.htm • “Illegal & Offensive Content on the Internet”http://www.connect.gc.ca/cyberwise/ • Child Find Manitoba & Cybertip!ca http://www.cybertip.ca/ • Greenway School – Internet Safety http://www.wsd1.org/greenway/safety.htm

Handouts & Questions ?

Work Cited Internet Safety Power point by Brian Metcalfe. Feb.23, 2003 Responding to Cyberbullying: A guide for School Communities by VSB Jan. 2009. 2nd Edition.

A Fleming Parent’s Guide to Child Safety on the Internet