As the school year rapidly comes to a close, teachers and parents should consider the fact that children and teens will soon have plenty of time on their hands — frequently unsupervised. They will have ample opportunity to explore many nooks and crannies of cyberspace. How can the adults in children’s lives make sure their online activities are safe and responsible?
Parents and teachers know how to keep children safe and encourage responsible action in the “real world.” When children are young, we keep them in safe places, ensure they are under the care of responsible adults, watch over them carefully when in more public places, and provide simple guidelines that lay the groundwork for safe and responsible behavior.
As young people grow, we provide greater freedoms - and more guidance on expectations for behavior. By the time they are teens, they will be going many places on their own. But parents still remain engaged by asking, “Where will you be going? Who will you be with? What will you be doing?”
To keep young people safe online requires applying these same approaches. Keep them safe when they are younger. Empower them to make safe and responsible choices as they grow. Research has demonstrated that teens whose parents are actively and positively involved in their online activities engage in less risk-taking online behavior.
To protect children at home (in the summer or any time) requires that parents effectively establish safe “fenced online play yards” and impart simple protective strategies. The online risks faced by children and teens include:
a) Spending too much time online;
b) posting or sending material that could damage their reputation or place them at risk;
c) receiving or sending hurtful messages;
d) accidentally accessing damaging material; and
e) being profiled and targeted through certain types of advertising. See Common Sense Media’s article “Mediating Media Exposure” .
Helpful family safety features are now available for parents to establish an electronically fenced online play yard. These include features like Vista and Symantec Family Safety features and the controls in Internet-accessible gaming devices. The key features of these family safety controls are:
a) white lists that allow parents to determine the specific sites their child can access;
b) controls for who their child can communicate with;
c) time limitations; and
d) retention of history file.
These features are far more robust than filtering software, which seeks to block access to inappropriate sites (although blocking is also a component of these features).
Key safety guidelines for children include:
a) staying on the sites that have been selected;
b) keeping their activities in balance;
c) thinking before they post;
d) handling hurtful online situations with the help of a caring adult, if possible;
e) seeking adult help if inappropriate material accidentally appears; and
f) paying attention to when sites seek to advertise to them. See Common Sense Media’s tips on “Selling to Kids“.
The most effective risk prevention approaches for teens is to utilize a “social norms approach.” If students know other young people are not engaging in risky behavior they are much less likely to do so. Research has shown that the majority of teens are making good choices online and effectively responding to negative situations. They have no desire to connect with online “creeps.” By identifying and promoting the healthy, protective behaviors that are the actual norms for young people online we can help more young people engage in these safe and responsible behaviors.
The foundation for safe and responsible online behavior for teens is three-fold:
1) Think before you post. Teens must understand the Internet law of predictable consequences. The more embarrassing or damaging the material they post, the more likely it will become very public and be seen by people who will judge them badly.
2) Keep your life in balance. Time spent online or using screens should not take the place of the other things that keep their life in balance - like getting together with friends and physical activities, preferably outside.
3) Connect safely. Take time to get to know people online, remembering that it is possible to create false profiles or impressions. Know how to effectively respond to hurtful messages or situations and do not cause harm to others.
The most effective instructional approach to use with teens is to ask them to discuss their personal guidelines for their online activities - first in small groups and then in a large group. This allows the more savvy students, who tend to make good choices online, to play a leadership role. Other students who may not have thought the issues through will be far more inclined to follow the sage guidance of their peers than any adult delivered guidance.
I recently used this technique with a group of teens at a teen conference. Small groups came up with sound guidance that I was able to deepen by asking further questions within the larger group discussion. Another adult reported to me that on the way out of the room she overheard one teen say to another, “Wow, there are some things I need to fix with my profile.” Addressing these issues through this kind of positive peer influence is powerfully effective.
Summertime or any time — empower your children/students to move safely and act wisely in cyberspace.
Nancy Willard, MS., J.D, is the Director of the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use. She has a background in work with at risk youth and law and has focused on issues of youth risk online and effective Internet use management in schools for over 12 years.
May 15th, 2009 at 8:35 am
Very nice article on summertime internet safety. I am the safety supervisor for the Baldwin County (Alabama) school system, may I have your premission to copy your article and send to educators and parents?
May 21st, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Please do. It may be easier for you to just link to our article? Let us know how we can help. Thanks for your interest.
June 11th, 2009 at 10:08 am
I work for Childhelp and conduct child abuse prevention training for educators - may I have permission to copy this article, to share with training participants?
July 16th, 2009 at 9:11 am
Sure, please do, thanks.