Behind the Headlines

I attended the Michigan CSI (Cyber Safety Initiative) presentation at Bedford High School Tuesday night with a story on the event in yesterday’s MEN.

I wanted to add a few things to the story.

First here are some warning signs for parents when it comes to their child’s Internet usage:
1. You child spends large amounts of time on-line, especially at night.
2. You find pornography on your child’s computer.
3. You child receives phone calls from people you don’t know or is making calls, sometimes long distances, to numbers you don’t recognize.
4. You child receives mail, gifts or packages from someone you don’t know.
5. You child turns the computer monitor off or quickly changes the screen on the monitor whne you come in to the room.
6. You child becomes withdrawn from the family.
7. You child is using an online account belonging to someone else.
8. While online, your child is using a microphone or Webcam you didn’t know he/she had.

If you notice any of these signs, the following are some safety tips for parents:
Create clear and simple ground rules for children to follow.
Place a computer with Internet access in a location that is visible to other members of the family and NOT IN THE CHILD’S BEDROOM.
Explain to your children that they should never give out identifying information- name, address, school name, telephone number- in any public forum such as a chat room or bulletin board.
Discuss the importance of telling you or a trusted adult if something ever makes your child or teen feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused while online.
Become familiar with blocking and monitoring programs.
Get to know the Internet and any services your children use.

Some Web sites that might be helpful are:
http://www.netlingo.com/top20teens.cfm - This Web site has the top 20 acronyms every parent should know when it comes to message boards or instant messaging.

There is a wealth of information on the Michigan Attorney General’s Web site regarding the CSI program. The Web site is www.michigan.gov/ag.