Old Bridge Township Public Schools

Technology Department

How to Protect Your Child on the Internet

Introduction

Everyday, millions of people go online to exchange e-mails and instant messages; share in "blogs" or newsgroups; shop, research, or just "surf" the World Wide Web.

Today's families have many venues for accessing the Internet.  Personal computers are only a small portion of the ways we can access the World Wide Web.  Cellular phones, handheld computers, and game consoles can also be used for chatting or online interaction.  Quite simply, our children have many opportunities and do not have to be in the company of an adult to use the Internet.

There are no censors on the Internet.  Anyone in the world--companies, governments, organizations, and individuals can post and retrieve information.  An Internet Service Provider (ISP) can connect you to the World Wide Web; but, your service provider cannot protect you or your children from what they see on the Internet.  It is a personal responsibility to protect your children from the hazards they may encounter there.

The Internet holds tremendous potential for our children.  They can benefit greatly from being online for learning and fun--but they can also be targets of exploitation.  According to a survey¹ conducted by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, in the past year:

• one in five children received a sexual solicitation over the Internet;

• one in four youth had an unwanted exposure to pictures of naked people or people engaged in sexual activity;

• one in seventeen youth were threatened or harassed online;

• only 25 percent of youth who encountered a sexual solicitation told a parent;

• only one third of households with home Internet access reported using filtering or blocking software on their computers;

• only a small fraction of all episodes reported above were reported to authorities--and only eleven percent of parents could name a specific authority to whom they could report an Internet crime;

As an educational tool, the Internet brings the world to your doorstep.  The possibilities for learning are boundless.  However, not everyone who uses the Internet has the best interest of your child at heart.  Therefore, it becomes increasingly important to you to understand the dangers and to keep your child safe while letting them discover and learn online.

We hope that this website will provide you with the information and guidelines you need to keep your child safe on the Internet.

The "Safety on the Information Highway" web pages are offered as a community service of the Technology Department of the Old Bridge Township Public Schools.

Rosanne M. Moran, Supervisor of Technology

rosanne.moran@obps.org

Simon M. Bosco, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools

simon.bosco@obps.org

Source:

¹David Finkelhor, Kimberly J. Mitchell, and Janis Wolak.  Online Victimization:  A Report on the Nation's Youth.  Alexandria, Virginia:  National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, 2000, page ix.