RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN

Listcrime is a one-stop-shop for reliable, up-to-date information about cyber crime, we at Listcrime.com want to give home users and small businesses the advice they need to use the Internet safely. For the most part, references within this web page appear as links to the actual site that the information came from. I revert to customary referencing when citing non-WWW based sources. A bibliography of any sources not linked will appears at the end of this web page.

While the Internet can be a unique educational and recreational resource for children, it is important that they are educated about how to safely and responsibly use this powerful tool. Personal computers are no longer the only method used for accessing the Internet. The speed and anonymity of cyber attacks makes distinguishing among the actions of terrorists, criminals, and nation states difficult, a task which often occurs only after the fact, if at all.

 

Children can go online from personal computers at home, a friend’s house, in school, a library, club, or cafe. Many game consoles can be connected to the Internet and used for chatting and other online interaction. It is also possible to access the Internet on mobile devices such as cellular telephones and other handheld devices. In other words children don’t have to be in the company of responsible adults to use the Internet. Several issues have received particular attention with respect to protecting children online. Parents and teachers should be aware of cyber stalking and the threats that online predators pose to children's physical safety; harmful or inappropriate content (most often characterized as pornographic, excessively violent or simply 'adult'); privacy invasions that result from the collection of personally identifiable information about individual children; and commercialism and aggressive marketing targeted directly at children.

Social networking sites like www.myspace.com and www.facebook.com can be fun to use as well as an effective way for young people to link up with friends and people who have similar interests. As with many online environments, there are some risks involved in interacting with others and putting personal information online. Such risks can include cyber bullying, exposure to anti-social or illegal material, and being targeted by sex offenders or others who may wish to cause harm.


As many of these sites are used by young people, parents can help minimize such risks by getting involved in their child's online life and providing a tool box of strategies to help them stay safe while having fun online. Another issue related to the presence of children on the Internet is the potential misuse of this tool. Whether the consequences are intentional or unintentional, the Internet can open a dangerous window of accessibility for children who are unaware of the consequences of irresponsible use. For this reason, it is essential that teachers and parents consider how to educate children about the consequences associated with misusing the Internet.

Tips for parents and teachers:

  • Make sure your children don't spend all of their time on the computer.
  • Make sure your children know not to share personal information, like their name, address or telephone number, with anyone online.
  • Teach your children to never open, read or respond to messages from a cyber bully
  • Supervise the types of photos your teen is posting online
  • Discourage the use of web cams
  • Know your child's online activities and friends: Be familiar with each of your children's passwords, screen names, and all account information.
  • People, not computers, should be their best friends and companions.
  • Keep the computer in a family room, kitchen or living room, not in your children's bedroom.
  • Learn enough about computers so you can enjoy them together with your kids.
  • Keep the lines of communication open: Spend time on the Internet alongside your child and establish an atmosphere of trust
  • Watch your children when they're online and see where they go.
  • Supervise computer use and other Internet-enabled devices, and keep your child's computer in an open area of your home
  • Make sure that your children feel comfortable coming to you with questions.
  • Monitor other points of Internet access including your child's cell phone, iPhone, PDA and access they have to computers at school and friend's homes.
  • Keep kids out of chat rooms or IRCs, unless they are monitored
  • Instruct your child never to plan a face-to-face meeting: Online 'friends' may not be who they say they are. Children should also be advised to come to you if anyone makes them feel scared, uncomfortable, confused, or asks for any personal or identifiable information or suggests meeting them.
  • Encourage discussions between you and your children about what they enjoy online.
  • Discuss these rules, get your children to agree to adhere to them and post them near the computer as a reminder.
  • Be sure your children use privacy settings to restrict access to and limit who can view their profiles: Social networking sites provide a variety of privacy settings that limit who can view the child's profile.
  • Help them find a balance between computing and other activities.
  • Search blog sites children visit to see what information they are posting
  • Remember to monitor their compliance with these rules, especially when it comes to the amount of time your children spend on the computer.
  • Teach your children how to protect personal information posted online and to follow the same rules with respect to the personal information of others
  • Get to know their "online friends" just as you get to know all of their other friends.

Parental controls are provided by most ISPs, or are sold as separate software. Remember that no software can substitute for parental supervision. Talk to your kids about safe computing practices, as well as the things they're seeing and doing online.

Recommended Links:

Department of Justice for Kids & Youth
This page provides information for children, parents, and teachers on protecting children from cyber-stalkers and safe-guarding their privacy, as well as information on hacking, plagiarism, downloading software, and copying copyrighted materials.

Enough Is Enough(EIE)
A non-partisan, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, emerged in 1994 as the national leader on the front lines to make the Internet safer for children and families. Since then, EIE has pioneered and led the effort to confront online pornography, child pornography, child stalking and sexual predation with innovative initiatives and effective communications.

Family Guide Book
This is a useful site for parents, teachers, and librarians who are interested in learning about the benefits and risks that the Internet holds for children.

FedStats: Federal Government Kids' Page
This site has links to all of the US government statistical agencies' kids' pages. Particularly notable are the FBI pages for kids, youth and teachers.

The Children's Internet Protection Act
See this site for precise wording of the Act.

The Children’s Partnership
The Children’s Partnership is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan child advocacy organization with offices in Santa Monica, CA and Washington, D.C.

We undertake research, analysis, and advocacy to place the needs of America’s over 70 million children and youth, particularly the undeserved, at the forefront of emerging policy debates.

Internet Public Library Youth Division
This site provides links to help kids learn about "stranger danger" and how to stay safe while surfing the Web.

Media Awareness Network
On this site, parents, teachers, and librarians can find practical information and hands-on activities to help give kids the "cyber smarts" they need to make wise and safe online decisions.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Interactive site by NCMEC for kids, teens and adults. Provides links to web sites that can provide more information about how to protect your kids online.

National School Board Association
This site provides an overview of children's online safety issues.

National Counseling and Abuse Organizations

Title: National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information
URL:http:ncadistore.samhsa.gov
Description: This is a national resource center for professionals and the public seeking information on child maltreatment. The clearinghouse collects, stores, organizes, and disseminates information on such topics as policy and legislation, identification and investigation, treatment, prevention, research, public awareness, training and education, and public and private programs. Their web site has a searchable database of all clearinghouse information, a treatment directory, and a prevention database.
Address:
330 C Street, SW
Washington, DC 20447-0001
Telephone: 703-385-7565 1-800-394-3366

Title: The Child Welfare Information Gateway
URL: www.childwelfare.gov
Description: This is a nonprofit organization advocating for all victims of crime. They educate child victims about their rights and the recent provisions that have been established to protect them.

Title: Child help USA®
URL: www.childhelpusa.org
Description: This organization is dedicated to meeting the physical, emotional, educational, and spiritual needs of abused and neglected children. It does this by focusing its efforts and resources on treatment, prevention, and research. Child help's comprehensive programs and services include the Child help's USA National Child Abuse Hotline; residential treatment facilities (villages) for severely abused children; child advocacy centers that reduce the trauma of child abuse victims during the interview and examination process; group homes; foster-family selection, training and certification; Head Start programs for at-risk children; child-abuse prevention programs; and community outreach.
Address:
15757 North 78th Street
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260-1629
Telephone: 480-922-8212 1-800-4-A-CHILD® (child abuse hotline)

 

Web Sites

Title: Play It Cyber Safe
URL: www.playitcybersafe.com
Description: The goal of this web site is to empower children, parents, and teachers to prevent cyber crime through knowledge of the law, their rights, and how to avoid misuse of the Internet.

Title: The Children's Partnership
URL: www.childrenspartnership.org
Description: This site contains general information on current child-related topics including the use of technology. Some of the information is available in multiple languages.

Title: CyberNetiquette Comix™
URL: disney.go.com/cybersafety/index.html
Description: In this series of comics, children learn about proper Internet ethics and the importance of keeping private information private. Join classic Disney characters for adventure, fun, and online awareness tips.

Title: CyberSmart!
URL: www.cybersmart.org
Description: The CyberSmart! School Program develops curricula and training programs for professional development designed to help educators empower students to take full advantage of computers and the Internet. The site contains Internet safety information for students, parents, and educators, and includes lesson plans, activity sheets, downloadable posters, and safety tips.

Title: CyberTipline
URL: www.cybertipline.com
Description: The CyberTipline handles leads from individuals reporting the sexual exploitation of children including child pornography, online enticement of children, child prostitution, child sex tourism, misleading domain names and child sexual molestation (not in the family).

Title: Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
URL: www.ftc.gov/infosecurity
Description: The Federal Trade Commission's security information web site contains online safety resources for consumers and business alike. The site is easy to navigate and features "Dewie the Turtle," a colorful cartoon mascot for the FTC's initiative. The web site also includes numerous consumer education publications in both English and Spanish.

Title: GetNetWise
URL: www.getnetwise.com
Description: This site is a resource for parents to educate themselves and their children about how to use the Internet safely. They provide information on filtering software and recommend safe web sites for children of all ages.

Title: Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces (ICAC)
URL: www.icactraining.org
Description: Through funding from the Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention a national network of 45 Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces has been established to coordinate investigations of computer facilitated crimes against children. In January of 2003 the ICAC Training & Technical Assistance program was established to enhance their effectiveness of the ICAC Task Force program by providing training and technical assistance to federal, state, and local law-enforcement agencies working to reduce the victimization of children by individuals and businesses who seek to exploit them through the use of computer and electronic technology.

Title: Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA)
URL: www.icra.org
Description: This site contains information and downloads on the content rating system.

Title: Internet Keep Safe Coalition
URL: www.ikeepsafe.org
Description: The Internet Keep Safe Coalitionsm group teaches basic rules of Internet safety to children and parents, reaching them online and in school. Governors and/or first spouses formed this coalition in partnership with a growing list of crime prevention organizations, law-enforcement agencies, foundations, and corporate sponsors. The iKeepSafe.orgsm web site uses an animated icon/mascot named Faux Paw the Techno Catsm to teach children the importance of protecting personal information and avoiding inappropriate places on the Internet.

Title: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
URL: www.missingkids.com
Description: This site provides information on general child safety and Internet safety for children, parents, educators, law enforcement, and the community.

Title: SafeKids.com
URL: www.safekids.com
Description: This site contains information for children, parents, teachers, and officials on Internet safety and Internet family resources.

CoSN Mission
The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) is the country’s premier voice for K-12 education leaders who use technology strategically to improve teaching and learning. CoSN provides products and services to support leadership development, advocacy, coalition building, and awareness of emerging technologies.

Title: SafeTeens.com
URL: www.safeteens.com
Description: This site provides tips, advice, links, and suggestions to help make your family's online experience fun and productive.

Title: Stay Safe Online
URL: staysafeonline.com.html
Description: This interactive cartoon by Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Microsoft® teaches children online safety with a cast of interesting characters. Join Tara Lipinski, Shaquille O'Neal, and several cartoon kids in learning more about the Internet. Interactive quizzes help children practice the safety concepts.

Title: Surf Swell Island: Adventures in Internet Safety
URL: disney.go.com/surfswell/index.html
Description: This quiz-driven adventure activity presents Internet safety material in a series of three games, each featuring a classic Disney character and focusing on an area of concern such as privacy, viruses, or netiquette, guidelines for good behavior on the Internet. A mini-quiz follows each of the three games reinforcing what was presented. The activities are accompanied by a parent's guide, a teacher's guide, and additional Internet safety information for adults.

Title: U.S. Department of Education
URL: www.ed.gov/technology/safety.html
Description: This site contains Internet safety and technology education information for parents and teachers.

Title: Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT)
URL: www.virtualglobaltaskforce.com
Description: The Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT) is an international alliance of law-enforcement agencies working together to make the Internet a safer place. Membership is currently comprised of the Australian High Tech Crime Centre, the National Crime Squad for England and Wales, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Interpol. The mission of the Virtual Global Taskforce is to make the Internet a safer place; to identify, locate, and help children at risk; and to hold perpetrators accountable. The web site acts as a gateway to a wide range of information on how to use the Internet safely and links to a range of support agencies that can advise and support victims of abuse.

Title: FinAid.org
URL: www.finaid.org

Description: This award-winning site has grown into the most comprehensive source of student financial aid information, advice and tools -- on or off the web.

Such as Common Scholarship Scams : Fraudulent scholarships can take many forms; some of the most common types are presented here. If you receive an offer that uses one of these tactics, be suspicious (see our suggestions for protecting yourself from scholarship scams). If you believe the offer is a scam, report it. Sometimes a scam persists for years before people catch on to it. Even when people realize they've been cheated, few are stubborn enough to try to take advantage of guarantees or to file a complaint.

Title: WiredKids.org
URL: www.wiredkids.org
Description: This site contains Internet safety information for children, parents, teachers, and officials. It provides links to child-friendly and other Internet safety sites as well as fun games and activities.

NetSmartz Workshop

Title: NetSmartz Workshop...Keeping Kids Safer on the Internet
URL: www.NetSmartz.org
Description: This National Center for Missing & Exploited Children brochure describes the Internet safety resources available through the NetSmartz Workshop.

Kids.gov - Kids.gov is the official interagency children’s portal to the U.S. government. The site features more than 400 kid-friendly links in one easy-to-find place. The links are safe and age-appropriate. Kids can learn about everything from fighting crime and exploring the world to music and space.

Safety Publications

Title: The Berenstain Bears Lost in CyberSpace
Description: This children's book takes the reader on a cyber adventure with the Berenstain Bear crew. The reader learns about some of the things to watch out for on the Internet. Authored by Stan and Jan Berenstain. Random House. New York.

Title: Child Safety on the Information Highway
Description: This brochure published by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children provides parents with Internet safety information and tips for staying safer online. Authored by Larry Magid, syndicated columnist and broadcaster.

Title: Internet & Computer Ethics for Kids (And Parents and Teachers Who Haven't Got a Clue.)
Description: This book helps children and parents think about some of the ethical issues involved in computer use. Authored by Winn Schwartau, and illustrated by D.L. Busch. Winn Schwartau & Interpact, Inc., Seminole, Florida.

Title: A Parent's Guide to the Internet and How to Protect Your Children in Cyberspace
Description: This book provides parents with the information they need to help keep their children safer online. Safety tips and suggestions for keeping open the lines of communication are provided. Authored by Parry Aftab, Esquire, SC Press, Inc., New York.

Title: The Parents' Guide to the Information Superhighway: Rules and Tools for Families Online
Description: This is a guide for parenting in the age of computers. It provides explanations and safety tips for computer and Internet use. To download a copy of this guide visit the Children's Partnership web site at www.childrenspartnership.org.

Title: Teen Safety on the Information Highway
Description: This brochure published by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children provides parents with Internet safety information and tips for keeping teens safer online. Authored by Larry Magid, syndicated columnist and broadcaster.

 

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