Digital Safety for Children

Everyone is plugged in these days, even the children. Yes, children as young as 6 years of age
have their own cell phones. Parents feel that a cell phone will provide them access to their
child 24/7. Yes, this may be true, but it also places a child in a position to be potentially
exposed to a predator or be bullied by a classmate.

The protection of children is the responsibility of adults!!

It’s important that parents know as much as their children when it comes to technology.
Parents use this as an opportunity to learn something new and brush up on your skills. It’s
important to talk with your children about technology, the good, bad and the ugly. Children are
being bullied through social media and children are downloading apps that parents are not
aware of. This article will offer some tips on keeping your children safe in a technological
society. Technology is not going away, so we have to learn how to keep our children safe while
keeping our sanity at the same time. It’s important that parents always keep the lines of
communication open and build a trusting relationship with their children.

Adapted from the FBI publication, “A Parent’s Guide to Internet Safety”
Make sure Children know:

• Never to chat with someone they do not know, or arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone who contacts them through an app or online service, even if they claim to be another youth or friend of a friend.

• Never to give out identifying information such as name, home address, neighborhood,
  phone number, school information, or extracurricular organizations and activities.

• Never to post public photos of themselves, send photos to someone they do not know, or send explicit/inappropriate photos to a friend or significant other.

• Never to download pictures from someone they do not know, as there is a good chance they could be sexually explicit.

• Never respond to messages or posts that are suggestive, obscene, bullying, or harassing.

For Younger Children:

• Children under eight should have direct supervision while using computers,
  smartphones, and other devices. Know which games, apps, and learning tools have
  communication and chat capabilities.

• Keep children’s personal information off online profiles and talk to them about what
  information is private and should not be shared.

• Parents use your name and email when signing up for games or services. This ensures
  you are the primary contact rather than your child.

• Talk frankly with your children about inappropriate questions and language. Use age-
  appropriate examples and tell them to come to you if anything uncomfortable or
  questionable is said.

Parent Resources:

• There are three apps that parents can download onto their child’s phone that will enable them to monitor not just their child’s web history, but also every text, every phone call and their child’s location.

• Net Nanny allows you to control your child’s internet activity remotely. You can choose specific websites that you want blocked on your child’s phone, you can set it so that you will get a warning if your child types in certain words, such as “suicide.”

• SecureTeen provides you with your child’s call logs, which means you know who your
  child is calling and who’s calling them.

• TeenSafe may be the most advanced of all. Not only does it track text messages and
  calls; it also pinpoints your child’s exact GPS location instantly.
  

Additional information about Digital Safety can be found on the National PTA web site:
www.pta.org; safety; digital safety

Did you know? 9% of all 10 to 17 year olds receive unwanted sexual requests while on the
internet?

In His service,
Virginia

Please feel free to contact Virginia for further information at vbconsulting@bellsouth.net

SEPTEMBER 7, 2018