Parents a key factor in keeping kids safe on the Internet

Mothers will always worry about their children, but now Rosa Guarneros has one more thing to fret about: a brand new Gateway laptop in the family's living room.

Guarneros and her husband bought the computer so their children, Flor, a student at Elgin Community College, and Abrahan, a sophomore at South Elgin High School, could do their schoolwork more easily.

Before, for example, Flor would trek to the public library about 1.5 miles from their Elgin home.

Life will certainly be easier for her children, Guarneros said. The family will also be able to better keep in touch with friends and relatives in Mexico, with whom they have already exchanged e-mails.

But Guarneros is also worried about the dangers posed by sexual predators on the Internet. "It really worries me that they might become friends with unknown, dangerous people," she said. "There are adults who chat for hours and have that problem, and even more young people."

Parents must openly talk to their children about how to behave online and how to protect themselves when they use social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook and chat rooms, said Phil Morris, manager of technology for the Kane County Regional Office of Education. He gives school presentations about how to keep kids safe on the Internet.

"A lot of parents know about the technology, but they don't know what the technology is doing," he said. "It's not that MySpace is bad, but you have to make sure you know what your child is doing on MySpace."

Parents must regularly monitor the content of their children's profiles and blogs, and ensure that their access is set to "private" so they cannot be viewed by strangers, Morris said.

The anonymity of the Internet gives children and teens a false sense of safety, he said.

"They are sharing a lot of personal information when they truly don't know if the person is real on the other end," he said.

Parents should also be aware that bullying can take place via the Internet, said Crissa Almughrabi, Fresh Start coordinator at South Elgin High School.

"Just the other day, a boy hurt a girl's feelings by using inappropriate language and calling her names (on MySpace)," she said. "I pulled him out of class. He couldn't believe I knew."

The dangers posed by the Internet are a concern for all parents, but a particular source of anxiety for Spanish speakers, who might not fully understand what goes on online due to the language barrier, she said.

Many of the school's Spanish-speaking families don't have a computer at home, she said, but their kids are using the Internet at school, the library and friends' homes, Almughrabi said. "I believe we need to do more to get the information out," she said.

Eric Salcedo, community outreach liaison for the Attorney General's office, speaks to schools, youth groups, churches and community agencies about keeping kids safe on the Internet. Statistics show that one in three youth online are either solicited for sex or approached inappropriately, he said.

Parents must allow their children to confide in them without fear of retribution, Salcedo said. Sometimes kids slip up and send personal information or photos to the wrong person, who then pressures them for more with the threat of exposing them to their friends or parents, he explained.

"(Kids) must feel comfortable enough to go to their parents or another trusted person about this," Salcedo said.

For his part, Abrahan said he doesn't use social networking sites or chat online, preferring to use the computer to e-mail and download music. "MySpace is old," he said. "It's not as popular as it used to be two years ago."

No matter, said his mother. She will keep talking to him and his sister about being safe on the Internet.

And just in case, she will occasionally look over their shoulders.

If you go

Upcoming Internet safety presentations

• Jan. 17, Larkin High School, 1475 Larkin Avenue, Elgin; (847) 888-5200

• Feb. 5 Elgin High School, 1200 Maroon Drive, Elgin; (847) 888-5100

• Feb. 19 Bartlett High School, 701 Schick Road, Bartlett; (630) 372-4700

• April 1 Streamwood High School, 701 W. Schaumburg Road, Streamwood; (630) 213- 5500

All run from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Internet safety tips

• Keep the computer in an open area of your home.

• Post clear rules, such as: tell my parents if anyone asks me my name, my address, or to meet me in person.

• Let children show you what they can do online, and visit their favorite sites.

• Talk to children about not responding to offensive or dangerous e-mail, chat, or other communications. Do not delete such e-mails - save them, turn off the monitor, and contact local law enforcement.

• Look into safeguarding programs your online service provider might offer, like monitoring or filtering capabilities.

• Internet accounts should be in a parent's name, with parents having the primary screen name and passwords.

• Children's screen names should not identify that the user is a child.

Source: www.netsmartz.org

Safe blogging tips

• Be as anonymous as possible

• Set your profile to private

• Avoid in-person meetings, and bring friends along otherwise

• Think before posting -- people can share what you send them

• Check comments regularly

Source: www.safeteens.org

Internet safety sites

www.playitcybersafe.com

www.getnetwise.com

www.ikeepsafe.org

www.missingkids.com

www.safekids.com