Published: July 19, 2008 08:00 pm      

Safety Net

Parents, educators and others work to protect children while they're online

TRAVERSE CITY -- The family computer sits in a public spot in Melissa Fournier's house, so she sees everything her children view online.

They are limited to an average of 30 minutes of "screen time" a day which includes both the computer and television. And Fournier and her husband installed filters to block pop-up advertisements they don't want their children, ages 6 and 9, to see.

"I don't let them go on it alone," said Fournier, of Traverse City. "Parents are really the best Internet filter there is."

Times certainly have changed. Today's parents, many of whom grew up before the birth of the Internet, have to contend with new technology their own children are embracing -- everything from iPods to e-mail.

Schools now provide Internet connections in classrooms, and children are logging on at even younger ages, using the Web for both homework and entertainment.

But as it advances and more children sign on, the dangers they face also rise.

Traverse City Area Public Schools will introduce online safety programs to second- and third-graders next year in light of the trends.

The lessons will be age-appropriate so children become aware and not frightened, said Todd Neibauer, the district's technology director.

"Those students are forming their online behaviors," Neibauer said. "You don't want to give them stuff that's over their head."

The idea even has reached Lansing.

State Rep. David Law, R-Commerce Township, last month sponsored a bill that would require school districts to offer online safety lessons for students at each grade level by fall 2009.

A former assistant prosecutor in Oakland County, Law worked with children's cases, primarily in instances of abuse or neglect.

"I saw the threats that were there, and I realized it's ever-increasing with the Internet," he said. "This isn't a partisan issue. It's an issue about protecting our kids."

Cecily Olsen, 14, said she first logged on before she entered kindergarten.

The idea of online predators is scary, but Cecily, an incoming freshman at Traverse City Central High School, said she still feels safe. She left her name, age and address off her private MySpace.com profile, though, just to be sure.

"There are people out there who can hurt you," she said. "I'm a little concerned, but not too bad."

Grand Traverse County sheriff's Detective Todd Heller said he receives about three calls a week from parents concerned about a child's online activity. Only about two a month result in investigations.

Often, e-mails or other messages are deleted before detectives can make a case, said Heller, who works with a statewide Internet crimes task force.

He said adults need to keep up as technology changes so they know what their children are doing.

"A lot of kids don't understand what's out there," he said. "Law enforcement can only do so much. Parents are the first line of defense."

When parents aren't around, as sometimes happens in the public computer lab at the Traverse Area District Library, staff typically seat children near their desk, said Linda Smith, public computing center coordinator.

All computers are equipped with filters, although anyone 17 or older can have them removed. Although rare, anyone who views inappropriate material is asked to leave, she said.

But no filter is perfect.

"The Internet is so dynamic, it's constantly changing," Smith said. "The dangers are different now."

Stay safe

One of the most basic Internet safety tips is to not post personal information online, including on social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace, Grand Traverse County sheriff's Detective Todd Heller said.

Also, he added, use caution when chatting online, especially with strangers; just because they say they're 15 doesn't mean they are.

Parents should be involved when their children create profiles on social networking pages and know when they are updated, he said.

"A lot of kids will get upset: 'You don't trust me,'" Heller said. "(What) I always tell parents is, 'I trust you. What I don't trust are the people on the other end.'"

For more information, visit NetSmartz, affiliated with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, at www.netsmartz.org.