Virtually every household has a telephone, and many also have Internet access. A 2008 study by the Rochester Institute of Technology showed that kids in kindergarten and first grade regularly use the Internet, with 48 percent of them interacting with other people online. More than half of teenagers reported giving personal information to someone online who they'd never personally met. Youngsters need to learn phone and Internet safety rules as early as possible to prevent problems.
Definition
Phone and Internet safety for kids covers several areas. It means using the phone and computer without disclosing information that could be used negatively by others. It also involves knowing how to draw protective boundaries. Kids should learn they have a right to refuse to communicate with someone if they feel uncomfortable. They should also know how to report persistent inappropriate contact.
Types
Phone safety covers handling of incoming telephone calls. Internet safety encompasses general websites, email correspondence, chat rooms and social networking sites like FaceBook. It also covers games, quizzes and other interactive activities.
Considerations
Kids should guard their private information on the telephone and online. Child Quest International, a child abuse prevention website, advises that kids should never tell callers they are home alone. They should let calls go to the answering machine or say their parents are busy and cannot come to the phone. They should not give out names and addresses on the phone or online or give out their telephone number on the Internet. This includes filling out online surveys or game registration forms. Child Quest warns that kids should never set up a meeting with someone online without discussing it with their parents first.
Prevention
Parents cannot monitor kids on the phone when they're not at home, but they can do role playing exercises. This gives youngsters practice in how to handle pushy callers. Internet use is easier to monitor if kids are only allowed to go online when adults are present. Child Quest International recommends keeping the child's computer in an open area like the living room or family room instead of the bedroom. Position it so the screen is readily visible to anyone walking in the area. This allows for periodic checks of what the child is doing online. Kids should enlist adult help with social networking sites so they can choose appropriate profile information and privacy settings.
Warning
Cyberbullying is an online activity in which some young children and teens are targeted for harassment. It can happen through instant messaging, through chat, email and on social network sites such as FaceBook. It runs the gamut from making fun of the child to enlisting others for cyberattacks and even physical threats. Twenty percent of teens admit to cyberbullying another youngster in some form, according to a survey by the Harris polling firm and the McAfee antivirus company. Kids should be taught to immediately report cyberbullying to a parent if they are victimized. It can lead to physical violence, and even suicide, if it continues, the Cyberbullying.org prevention website warns.
