Cyber Safety Resources
Internet Safety Resources for Parents and Kids
Educate yourself and your child
by Annie Fox, M.Ed
Our kids are incredibly fortunate to have access to all the educational, entertainment, and social resources offered by today’s digital technology. Like any tool, though, they need to know how to use it appropriately. Your parental guidance is essential for their safety.
Cyber Safety Sites
The excellent educational websites listed below will fill in any gaps you might have about online safety. Use these links to help you educate your kids about the Dos and Don’ts of being online. Don’t assume that they know proper “netiquette”.
Cruel’s Not Cool! a new anti-bullying campaign to engage students, teachers, administrators and parents in a community-wide exploration of our culture of cruelty, why cruel’s not cool, and what each of us can do, moment-by-moment to take back our schools by making them safer, more accepting places for all students all the time. — www.CruelsNotCool.com and on Facebook: facebook.com/CruelsNotCool
Cyberbullying — A well-put together Canadian site that covers everything from the basics to how digital devices are being used to harass and threaten to awareness and prevention tips for parents — www.cyberbullying.ca
Getnet Wise — A public service from Internet industry corporations and public interest orgs to help ensure that families have safe, constructive, and educational or entertaining online experiences — www.getnetwise.org
Online acronyms — to help you decipher online acronyms, for example: ROFL (rolling on the floor laughing), CUL (catch you later), GIWIST (Gee, I wish I said that), Cell phone lingo: f U do not undRstNd DIS sNteNc U nEd 2 Lern txt lingo — cyberbullying.org/cyberbullying-chat-abbreviations.pdf
Safe Teens — a place for teens and parents to learn how to use the Internet safely. No preaching, just good advice — www.Safeteens.com
Wired Safety — www.wiredsafety.org
Create your Own Web Site
These websites are magnets for millions of teens and preteens around the world. (Be aware that some of the content accessible from these sites is definitely not for kids and yet…) Their “terms” policy states that users need to be 14 to register (so younger kids lie). Likewise they state that it’s against their policy for anyone to post material that “exploits people under the age of 18 in a sexual or violent manner, or solicits personal information from anyone under 18.” But it happens all the time because the site has no way of monitoring the content that posted. Please educate yourself so that you can have a meaningful conversation about netiquette with your kids. Don’t let their tech savvy fool you into believing that they understand it all. They are kids and they aren’t even almost aware of the social implications of what they’re doing.
Blog Search — Built-in search engines on blog host sites (so people can find your blog or mention of you on someone else’s blog) — blogsearch.google.com
Teen-Friendly Sites Worth Surfing
Here is just a tiny fraction of some of the positive, educational, and inspiring places for your son or daughter to check out (and for you to explore together).
Connecting Youth Making a Difference Project — www.iearn.org/projects/project_gateway_social.html
Do Something! — Young people changing our world — www.dosomething.org
Earth Force — www.earthforce.org/
Friendship Through Education — www.friendshipthrougheducation.org
Global Junior Challenge Projects — to share the future — www.gjc.it
Global Youth Action Network — www.youthlink.org/gyanv5
Project Plan-it — Youth Service America — www.ysa.org/planit
Teen Angels — A division of wiredsafety.org A site featuring a group of 13-18 year-old volunteers that have been specially trained by the local law enforcement, and many other leading safety experts in all aspects of online safety, privacy, and security — www.teenangels.org
The InSite — My own site for teens. A place for teens and young adults to turn their world around www.TheInSite.org
Voices of Youth — A UNICEF sponsored site — www.unicef.org/voy
What Kids Can Do — Voices and work from the next generation — www.whatkidscando.org
Youth Action Net — Connecting youth to create change — www.youthactionnet.org
Enjoy your surf time!
In friendship,
Annie
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