Dangerous Surfing Conditions
Once upon a time childhood was innocent and carefree. Days were filled with sunshine when children could roam their neighborhoods looking for a ball game with friends, sneaking a ripe peach from a neighbor’s tree, or riding the range on their broom stick horses. The stay at home mother of yesterday could go about her day of laundry, ironing, cleaning and baking without the fear that some psycho would molest her little darling.
However much we might like to believe otherwise, life in the past wasn’t actually the Norman Rockwell painting we may think of. That said — the “psychos” in those days didn’t have 24 hour-a-day access into your home via the Internet.
Growing up in the current electronic age is a double edged sword. Today, Internet skills are as basic to kids as a Big Chief Tablet was to the child of the 1950's. Unfortunately, this product of man’s genius poses a unique threat to children nestled safely in their private homes.
Internet safety survey findings released in April 2007 indicated the following statistics:
- About 4 percent of children surveyed reported that online solicitors requested nude photos of them.
- About 4 percent of children surveyed received aggressive solicitation from adults who attempted to meet the children in person.
- Online harassment and cyber bullying is on the increase.
- There has been an increase in sexual material being presented to children despite the use of internet filtering, blocking and other monitoring software being used by their parents at home.
What you can do to protect your children:
- Place the family computer in a place that is open and easily visible to the parents.
- Do not allow children to have computers in their bedroom.
- Install filtering software that is constantly updated.
- Surf the Internet with your young children.
- Don’t allow young children to have their own e-mail account.
- Allow teens to have their own e-mail accounts, but monitor them with parental control software.
- Discuss Internet safety with your children beginning when they are very young so they learn how to identify predators and cyber bullies.
- Report any illegal content to the authorities.
For information on where to report illegal Web content — go to www.usdoj.gov/criminal/cybercrime/reporting.htm.
For additional information regarding Internet safety — go to OSHA’s Standard Precautions site at www.safety.lovetoknow.com.
