Internet Safety Questions

Here are some things I read and my thoughts about them:

• The FBI has internet safety tips for children that are very clear and easy to understand. This site also has safety tips for avoiding abduction and gun safety. 
• The FBI also has a guide for parents. It is a heavy read and has a very direct, "matter of fact" tone. I think it could act as a great wake up call to parents. 
• Netsmartz.org has a video about teens talking about cyber bullying. It's not as instructional and informative, but it's neat to hear youth talking about the problem.
• This is a good website for scaring people into the reality about cyber bullying,informing parents why kids do it, background on the to motives of cyber bullies, how to identify it, etc. It also suggests Googling yourself to see what others see. I got stuck on this site for quite sometime; it has a lot of good information. I recommend it. 
• Online dating has always freaked me out, but I know it does work. Here is an article about being safe while using online dating services. 
• Here is a clean, well done video. It wasn't that scary which could be good or bad teaching youth.

What were the most important things I learned from the readings?

Internet predators and cyber bullying are very real. The safety measures we need to take are very important. We also need to communicate the dangers of the internet and the expectations we have to keep the rules. 

How will what I have read influence my actions as a parent and/or teacher of children and youth?
My husband and I actually talked about this; thoughts we had were:
-not give our children their own personal computers
-have a time where technology is checked in at night
-let our children have email accounts with the understanding that we will randomly check them
-have a game/adventure night (different from FHE) once a week for  personal interactions
-limit time on the computer

How can I use what I have learned from the reading to have a positive influence on family and friends?
Encouraging my siblings to spend their time on the computer wisely. I also think we can help those we visit teach/home teach to understand the dangers. 

Am I aware of the benefits and dangers children face when online with cyber bullying and online predators? 
Yes. My father gives a talk about internet safety that I have seen a couple times. I have also seen enough TV shows (fictional and not) about sexual predators and those children who don't come home. 
Cyber bullying is something that I am now aware of; I had no idea. Now I know about cyber bullies and how to identify them. 


Do I know how to prevent cyberbullying?
Yes. Talking to my children and teaching them about the warning signs  and what cyberbullying looks like. I would also teach them to tell me immediately and we would take care of the problem together. 

Where can I go for information and resources that can be used to teach internet safety?
Loads of places! Ranging from www.fbi.gov to http://www.stopcyberbullying.org. I would recommend starting there.

What internet safety issues am I likely to face as a teacher and how will I address them?
Children could potentially use computers at school to contact predators or other dangerous cyber friends that they are not allowed to contact at home. Whenever computers are in use by my students for one of my projects in class, I will monitor what they are doing. 
Also, I will always check online material myself before having them access it. 

How can I leverage the power of the Internet so students can learn, but in a safe way?
I could ask my school to purchase filtering software school wide. I could also teach my students some internet safe-searching tips.