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It was an event that turned out to be part educational seminar, part wake-up call.
A presentation on Internet safety titled “Keeping Your Kids Safe Online” at East Valley High School earlier this month began with results of a survey of nearly 800 students at the district’s three middle schools regarding Internet use.
It was around this time that parents began to pay attention.
An average of one in four students had been approached by strangers online. Over half – 54 percent – have signed up to social networking sites like My Space and Facebook while nearly half – 49 percent – said their parents never monitor their online sites. A total of 63 percent admitted they do not share passwords or online access with their parents. Another 42 percent say they post personal information on the Internet.
“We need to get the word out that the Internet is not as safe as people think it is,” said Judi Christianson, EVSD spokeswoman. “A lot of parents don’t understand that these issues are out there.”
The 14-question survey, conducted in January at East Valley, Mountain View and Continuous Curriculum middle schools, dealt with issues such as online safety, social networking and cyberbullying. One in four students admitted to using “mean and hurtful comments” toward or about other people.
The good news is that parents can be part of the solution by taking a proactive role in how the Internet is used, said Cari Roderick, EVSD informational technology specialist.
“This data from this survey should start a conversation at home,” Roderick said.
A PowerPoint presentation at the Feb. 27 event described how parents should be aware if their child is spending an unusual amount of time alone on the Internet or is receiving phone calls from strangers. Unexcused absences from school or other activities and withdrawn behavior can also be signs of a child encountering bullying or inappropriate material online.
“There is a lack of knowledge out there,” said Doug Glendenning, a junior at East Valley High School who helped with the presentation. “Parents should be more informed about what their kids are doing online.”
The district has sponsored Internet safety presentations in the past, emphasizing the dangers of online predators, cyberbullying and Deputy Travis Pendell of the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, who has conducted several such discussions, said parents would be wise to follow the guidelines recommended by NetSmartz, an online safety organization.
First, kids should know to tell an adult they trust if anything on the computer makes them feel scared or uncomfortable. Second, children will make sure to ask a parent or guardian before posting any personal information and last, kids will not meet in person with anyone they have first met online.
Pendell advised against using photographs on a social networking profile. He also recommended avoiding use of a real name or anything that ties you to a particular school, church, team or region of the country. Privacy sites or settings are no guarantee of safety, he added.
Poorly chosen material on a social networking site may have long-term repercussions as many employers, colleges and universities are now reviewing such sites as part of the application process. One-third of employers excused potential candidates based on information included online.
“It can make the difference in what college you go to, or if you go,” Glendenning said.
A report in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics showed that 42 percent of children ages 10-17 had encountered inappropriate material online during the course of a year. Internet filtering software like Content Watch (www.contentwatch.com) help block unsuitable sites and keep parents in tune with computer use at home.
“It’s a small investment for protecting your kids,” Pendell said.
While the Internet can also be accessed through cell phones, parents should check with the cellular company to set up a plan that creates safe limits on downloads, online access and texting. Computers at home should always be placed in an open area like the kitchen or family room – never in a child’s room.
Washington State Attorney Rob McKenna continues to emphasize the importance of parents stepping up to protect their kids online. A transcript of McKenna’s advice on computer safety is located at www.atg.wa.gov/askcolumn.aspx.
Setting constructive boundaries can make all the difference, said Audrey Cook, an EVHS student who is working on a survey on online use at the high school level.
“It goes back to the parents and how they teach their kids right from wrong,” Cook said. “It starts at home.”
Want to learn more?
Helpful Web sites for Internet safety include www.FamilyInternetSafety.com, www.safekids.com and www.netsmartz.org. If you witness the transmission or use of child pornography online, call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678, notify www.CyberTipLine.com and alert your online service. To learn more about presentations on Internet safety, call the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office at 477-6044.
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By
Craig Howard
