Protecting Children ONLINE The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has compiled an informational flyer for parents with guidelines on how to help protect your children online. Click on the image at right to download and print the NCMEC flyer.

Also, the Amherst Task Force for Health Community*Healthy Youth has created a postcard to emphasize the importance of developing positive assets in our children to help counter the constant barrage of media and Internet influences in their daily lives. Click on the image below to download and print the Amherst Task Force postcard.

   





Promote good cyber citizenship Technology is advancing at a rapid rate. Our children are able to access a wealth of information at the touch of a button [in fact, the word “Google” has become a verb]; “visit” different parts of the world without leaving their room; participate in instructional programs via webcasts, podcasts and virtual environments; and communicate in real time with others living many hundreds of miles away, developing contacts through social networking sites. It is without question that the worldwide web and web 2.0 present many novel and interesting learning opportunities for all of us.

While exciting, it is prudent to recognize that these tools also come with challenges. We encourage parents to become familiar with the sites your children are accessing. While many of us have long known about MySpace and Facebook, have we taken the time to familiarize ourselves with YouTube, Twitter, and Plurk?  Do you know how to check an internet browser for the websites most recently visited by your children? Have you considered the advantages and disadvantages of filtering or monitoring software for your home computer? Have you investigated the features available on your child’s cell phone? Many of the newest models enable students to snap and share photographs, send text messages, and connect to the internet.

There are many resources available should you wish to learn more. We have listed a few for your reference:
                

• www.isafe.org
• www.commonsensemedia.org
• www.NetSmartz411.org
• www.NetSmartz.org
• www.NetSmartzkids.org
• www.SafeKids.com
• www.GetNetWise.org
• www.stopcyberbullying.org

By partnering together, we are confident we can empower our children and young adults with the tools they need to be safe online. Encourage them to think before they post, to critically analyze what they read for accuracy, to be vigilant when sharing personal information, and to trust their intuition and seek the guidance of a parent or other adult when they receive a communication that is inappropriate or causes them to feel apprehensive. We can teach our young people the tools they need to ensure their personal safety and to promote good cyber citizenship.