TALLAHASSEE, FL - As Florida schools let out for the holidays,
Attorney General Bill McCollum today issued an advisory encouraging
parents to talk to their children about cybersafety. During the holiday
break, children have more leisure time and often spend more time on the
internet. The Attorney General emphasized the importance of taking a
proactive approach to teaching children safe internet use and encouraged
parents to become familiar with the websites their children visit and
programs they use.
''Education and communication are vital to keeping our kids safe
and minimizing the risks they face while surfing the internet,'' said
Attorney General Bill McCollum. ''Parents should talk to their children about steps they can take to protect themselves and their friends from online predators. I encourage parents to visit our SafeSurf website for information on how to better protect their children and to ensure a safer holiday season online.''
For tips on safe internet surfing, parents, students and educators
are encouraged to visit the Attorney General?’s cybersafety website at
http://www.safeflorida.net/safesurf to obtain valuable information about
staying safe while online. The SafeSurf children?’s page includes
several entertaining and educational games that teach internet safety.
The teen SafeSurf page offers tips on safeguarding personal information
and avoiding dangerous situations. It also has a link to stories from
teenagers who were victimized on the internet and a link to the CyberCrime
Unit?’s MySpace page. The web page for adults offers a guide to popular
internet language used in chat rooms and gives safety advice on how to
monitor your children?’s online activities. Parents should also become
familiar with sites their children visit or programs they are using.
The Attorney General also compiled the following list of internet safety
tips for parents to share with their children:
?· Children should always be cautious when chatting online with someone
they do not know in real life;
?· Never give out or post personal information like last name, address
and date of birth;
?· Never post photos or use screen names which may reveal personal
information such as age or school name, or ones that may be considered
provocative or seductive;
?· Children should never make plans to meet someone who they have only
met online without a parent present; and
?· Always report any inappropriate chatting or sexual solicitations
received online.
By Bob Iocca
Attorney General Bill McCollum today issued an advisory encouraging
parents to talk to their children about cybersafety. During the holiday
break, children have more leisure time and often spend more time on the
internet. The Attorney General emphasized the importance of taking a
proactive approach to teaching children safe internet use and encouraged
parents to become familiar with the websites their children visit and
programs they use.
''Education and communication are vital to keeping our kids safe
and minimizing the risks they face while surfing the internet,'' said
Attorney General Bill McCollum. ''Parents should talk to their children about steps they can take to protect themselves and their friends from online predators. I encourage parents to visit our SafeSurf website for information on how to better protect their children and to ensure a safer holiday season online.''
For tips on safe internet surfing, parents, students and educators
are encouraged to visit the Attorney General?’s cybersafety website at
http://www.safeflorida.net/safesurf to obtain valuable information about
staying safe while online. The SafeSurf children?’s page includes
several entertaining and educational games that teach internet safety.
The teen SafeSurf page offers tips on safeguarding personal information
and avoiding dangerous situations. It also has a link to stories from
teenagers who were victimized on the internet and a link to the CyberCrime
Unit?’s MySpace page. The web page for adults offers a guide to popular
internet language used in chat rooms and gives safety advice on how to
monitor your children?’s online activities. Parents should also become
familiar with sites their children visit or programs they are using.
The Attorney General also compiled the following list of internet safety
tips for parents to share with their children:
?· Children should always be cautious when chatting online with someone
they do not know in real life;
?· Never give out or post personal information like last name, address
and date of birth;
?· Never post photos or use screen names which may reveal personal
information such as age or school name, or ones that may be considered
provocative or seductive;
?· Children should never make plans to meet someone who they have only
met online without a parent present; and
?· Always report any inappropriate chatting or sexual solicitations
received online.
By Bob Iocca
