At TechEd 2005, I attended a superb session about Internet safety for children. The presenter was Laura Chappell, who is a high tech crime investigator. She actively works in the field and does presentations around the nation. She highly encouraged everyone in the room to share the knowledge, notes, web URLs and resources. She wants anyone who is willing and able to take the materials and present them in their own communities. Here are my notes from the session- included are statistics, terminology, profiles, tips, and many resources for more information and what sites to check to see if your child's name is online.
Internet Safety for Kids
Presented by Laura Chappell
General Statistics and Info
- 1 in 5 kids are sexually solicited over the Internet (this stat is 5 years old... ratio is undoubtedly higher now).
- 11-14 year olds are the most often targeted group.
- There are sex offenders that target as young as 3-4 year olds.
- Twice as many victims are girls than boys.
- Child Exploitation Tracking System (CETS) is a global tracking system that helps connect cases and information.
The Ideal Victim
- Is 11-14 years old
- Has no or little parent involvement
- Has a computer in their bedroom
- Has the ability to sneek out of their home or bedroom
- Has no definite bedtime
Child Sex Offender Terminology
- Traveler - manipulate or coerce kids to meet in person; travel anywhere to get child.
- Collectors - collects child pornography
- Manufactures - creates child pornography on any medium type
- Chatters - presents themselves as trustworthy individuals in chat sessions
The Six Steps to Luring
- Befriending (hey I am just like you)
- Making the offer (let's talk on the phone; let's meet in person)
- Incriminating evidence (gifts; trinkets)
- Contact - Honeymoon phase
- Guilt and threats as coercion (if you tell anyone I will tell your parents/friends what you have done)
- The truth emerges (the child is recovered and law enforcement comes in)
Befriending Techniques
- Portray same age, same likes, same dislikes
- Share secrets
- Chat room discussions
- Email
- Telephone
- Web cams (don't give your child a web cam!)
Chat FYI's
- "ASL" or "ALS" typed in a chat session means Age, Sex & Location. More Online Lingo
- Common practice is to use their age number in their user ID
- 1 in 5 boys have 5 log in names online
Monitoring and Restriction Options for Kid's Computers
- Internet Explorer Content Advisor.
- NetNanny, CyberSitter, CyberPatrol, CyberSentinel, FilterPak, CyberSnoop, etc... Note: Many predators and kids know how to get around these applications.
- Single password for the computer (meaning the child does not have their own user account).
- Monitor the browser cache and history. Note: Predators will tell kids how to clear the cache and history.
- Be careful about your child's trust and violating it.
- In some states it is illegal to install spyware on your kids computer.
General Internet Safety Tips for Parents
- Place the computer in a central location.
- Learn who your kids are chatting with online... take and apply the "don't talk to strangers" rule to online conversations.
- Define your personal standard regarding your child's privacy
- Become familiar with chatting and search tools used by your kids
Advice for Parents
- Know who is at risk.
- Set up an agreement with the child over computer usage.
- Don't rely solely on software to block sites or content.
- Tell kids that reporting suspicious behavior will not restrict or reduce their online computer time.
- Be aware of restrictions at other computer locations.
- Look for suspicious behavior - a cleared cache, history; quickly switching application windows when you approach.
- Monitor Internet use in a variety of ways.
- Know that restricting communications to a list of friends is not all you need to do or always safe.
Online Resources