91猫先生

From the Desk of Bobby Brasher, Dean of Students & Campus Safety:

Keeping our children safe has become more challenging than in the past years.聽 The internet has changed the way we live in all areas.聽 Not all of these are good.聽 As Dean of Students and Campus Safety, I have seen firsthand the many dangers students face with their newly acquired devices.聽 At 91猫先生, we are choosing to Speak True to our students, to inform them of the dangers of misuse of the internet whenever possible, and help guide their thinking on what they should and shouldn鈥檛 allow to come into their minds and hearts.聽 However, we know that our role as a school is a supportive one, so we want to put some help in your hands too.聽 We want to highlight a few things for you to consider making a priority in your own home regarding your child鈥檚 safety on the internet.

According to the FBI, there are an estimated 50,000 predators online at any given moment, all looking for potential victims.聽 We need to remember that being online gives our children the exposure to predators and the ability to be contacted by them.聽 This is not only with the home computer but also with games and smart phones.聽 Just as in real world interactions, a predator will try to build a relationship with a potential victim.聽 They may pretend to be a teenage boy or girl of similar age to the child they are approaching.聽 Online predators are usually very good at communicating with teens in a manner that makes them feel comfortable.聽 A predator will many times try to probe an area of conflict with the teen鈥檚 parents to build trust with them.聽 Their goal is to disrupt communications with parents and the teen.聽 A major goal is so the teen will not share about their new 鈥渋nternet friend鈥�.聽 As parents we need to know what our kids are doing online as much as possible.

More FBI Stats:

• 1 in 7 kids ages 10-17 have been solicited online
• 70% of the solicitation happen on a home computer with the remaining ones happening at a friend鈥檚 home
• 49% of these children did not report this in the fear of their computer or device being taken away

As we go into spring and summer, here are a few internet safety tips:

• Do not allow children internet access in their bedroom. Make sure they are in a family room with high traffic providing accountability.
• Limit internet time; don鈥檛 allow them hour after hour of free surfing time.
• Check history and parental controls often.
• Make sure your child knows that anything or any picture posted online can never be completely deleted.
• MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD UNDERSTANDS THAT SHE OR HE SHOULD NEVER EVER MEET SOMEONE IN PERSON THAT THEY MET ONLINE WITHOUT YOU BEING PRESENT.

Remember 鈥淭hink Safe鈥�!