A Fleming Parent’s Guide
to Child Safety on the
Internet
Adapted by Kam Purewal
June 24,2010
Based on: Responding to Cyberbullying:
A Guide for School Communities by VSB
&
Original PowerPoint by Brian Metcalfe
February 25, 2003
What do Children do Online?
1.
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Research for school projects
Visit Websites- (eg.You Tube)
Send and Receive Email
Use Social Networking Sites (Facebook)
Instant Messaging (eg.MSN)
Visit Chat Rooms
Play online games
1. What are Websites?
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A Website is a page or pages with
information, pictures, video’s and links to
download games, music and software
You Tube is a website anyone can use to
view and post video clips
Be aware the video clips on You Tube can
be funny, educational, violent or
inappropriate
Always monitor what your child is
watching or posting on You tube
2. What is E-mail?
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Electronic mail (e-mail)
People can instantly send and receive
information, pictures, and videos to
anyone in the world
Know all your child’s email addresses and
passwords –ensure they use strong
usernames and passwords
Remind them not to give out personal
information online or open emails from
strangers (your identity can be stolen)
3. What are Social Networking
Sites?
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Social Networking sites, such as Facebook,
allow people to create profiles to connect
with friends and post information, pictures
and video’s about themselves.
Strangers can locate and contact peoples
personal information- (Be aware of
cyberbullying and identity theft)
Monitor what your child is posting on their
site and who they accept as friends
Children should never join a site without
reading the privacy policy
4. What is Instant Messaging?
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Instant Messaging or (IM), such as MSN,
is a popular way for people to chat with
friends in real time over the internet
People create contact lists of friends to
chat with and block people they don’t
know or don’t want to communicate with
Review your child’s contact list with them
They should never fill out a personal
profile online, anyone can view it
5. What are Chat Rooms?
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Chat rooms are virtual rooms where
people from anywhere in the world can
exchange information and ideas
People type messages back and forth to
someone else with instant responses
Anyone can log into a chat room and
see what others are saying
Don’t allow children to visit chat rooms.
Adults can pose as children to get their
personal information and contact them
6. What are Online Games?
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Online games allow people to play games
with friends or strangers anywhere in the
world
Some games allow players to create the
characters and the setting of the game
Playing online games can increase chances
of internet addiction
Monitor what games your child is playing
and if they are appropriate
Advice for Parents
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Educate yourself
Centralize location of computer
Monitor your child’s internet use
Install filtering software
Establish ground rules and age
appropriate consequences
VSB Policy ( consequences at school)
Be aware children can access the
internet on mobile devices
Ground Rules
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Explain to children that talking to
someone on the Internet is like talking to
a stranger
Never give out personal information about
themselves like name, address, school,
sports team, phone number etc.
Ask them to inform you immediately if
they are asked for personal information
Never meet with someone from
whom they have received e-mail
Sample Internet Filters
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Cyber Patrol
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Net Nanny
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Cyber Sitter
http://www.cyberpatrol.com
• A utility that allows parents to
manage computer use in their household
http://www.netnanny.com
• A utility that allows parents to see and control
access to websites and block sites they deem
inappropriate
http://www.cybersitter.com
• Gives parents the ability to limit their
children’s access to the Internet
Guidelines for Parents
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A computer is not a babysitter – take
interest in what your child is doing on-line.
Establish rules for going on-line – when,
where and how long they can go on the
Internet every day.
Keep the computer in a common room,
easy to monitor- not in the bedroom
Never let children send their photograph
or a video of themselves unless it is a
friend of the family or relative -with your
permission
Guidelines for Parents (Cont…)
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Tell your child they can talk to you
about what they are doing on-line,
and if anything makes them feel
uncomfortable or scared.
They should never use inappropriate
language or bully anyone on-line.
Students negative on-line behaviour
can have in school consequences based on the school code and VSB
policy
Guidelines for Parents (Cont…)
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Teach your children that when they are in
cyberspace, everyone is a stranger.
Post Internet safety rules in a visible
location. (see handout)
Monitor your child’s access on the
computer and mobile devices (cell phones,
iphones) these include web sites,
e-mail, chat lines and instant messaging.
Children should use strong passwords and
usernames that don’t hold personal
information
Parent Web Sites
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http://www.cyberangels.org
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http://www.getnetwise.org
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http://www.safekids.com
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http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca
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http://www.wisekids.org
Web Sites Worth Visiting
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“Young Canadians In A Wired World”
http://www.cfc-efc.ca/docs/mnet/00002_en.htm
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“Illegal & Offensive Content on the Internet”
http://www.connect.gc.ca/cyberwise/
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Child Find Manitoba & Cybertip!ca
http://www.cybertip.ca/
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Greenway School – Internet Safety
http://www.wsd1.org/greenway/safety.htm
Handouts
&
Work Cited
1. Internet Safety Power point by
Brian Metcalfe. Feb.23, 2003
2. Responding to Cyberbullying:
A guide for School
Communities by VSB Jan.
2009. 2nd Edition.