COUNSELOR'S CORNER

Miss Carey

Many of our children are accessing the internet on their computer, iPods, iPads, cell phones, e-readers, and game consoles. As adults we are responsible for keeping our children safe in many ways. With the increased use of technology I wanted to provide you with some important safety tips for internet use.

There's a wealth of information on the Internet, and it's a great tool," says Ross Ellis, founder and CEO of Love our Children USA, a child abuse prevention organization that is active in Internet safety. "You can't keep kids off the Internet."

Yet the Internet is not the place for an all-access pass. Kids of all ages need parental supervision. A few common-sense tips can help keep your child safe online.

Internet Safety Tips for Kids

I will not give out personal information such as my address, telephone number, parents' work address/telephone number, or the name and location of my school without my parents' permission.

I will tell my parents right away if I come across any information that makes me feel uncomfortable.

I will never agree to get together with someone I "meet" online without first checking with my parents. If my parents agree to the meeting, I will be sure that it is in a public place and bring my mother or father along.

I will never send a person my picture or anything else without first checking with my parents.

I will not respond to any messages that are mean or in any way make me feel uncomfortable. It is not my fault if I get a message like that. If I do I will tell my parents right away so that they can contact the online service.

I will talk with my parents so that we can set up rules for going online. We will decide upon the time of day that I can be online, the length of time I can be online and appropriate areas for me to visit. I will not access other areas or break these rules without their permission.

The above tips are taken from the website below from The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.


Here are some valuable websites:

www.missingkids.com
www.fbi.gov/fun-games/kids/kids-safety
www.safekids.com/kids-rules-for-online-safety
www.fosi.org/downloads/resources/fosi-kids-tips.pdf

The Parsippany-Troy Hills School District is not responsible for the content of any site (links) listed above. These sites are listed as a convenience for our users.