Evidence Based Posting # 2- May 7th

Dangers of the Internet and Safety


Teaching students’ about the dangers of the Internet is important. Though the internet is a valuable tool for life, it is also a very destructive tool when used inappropriately. Today, student’s are faced with online bullying from their peers, identity theft, online predators, pornography, and games that have sexually explicit content. In our schools there is increasing online bullying that is taking place. Predators are always waiting for children in chat rooms. Through identity theft student’s are loosing their personal information because they are knowingly placing it out on the internet. Computer games are graphically staturated with sex and student’s are stumbling into adult pornographic sites when incorrectly spelling words at search engines. What is really frightening is that anyone using the internet can give false information. For example, people lie about their age and sex. Student’s must never place personal information out on the web where people can access, view and abuse it. Student’s usually do not heed the warning signs until they are in a dangerous situation.

In Teaching with the Internet K-12: New Literacies for New Times in Chapter 2, page 69, Deborah and Donald Leu and Coiro mention steps to ensure students’ safety on the internet. “These steps are “(1.)Building awareness of the risks and benefits of Internet Use, (2.) Building and updating your school’s Acceptable Use Policy, (3) Using Internet filtering tools, (4) Encouraging students to obtain an Internet Driver’s License, (5) Having students use the Back Button when they feel uncomfortable, and (6) Using search engines designed for children.”[1]
Besides schools teaching student’s about internet safety, schools also need to teach and inform parents. Equipping parents with knowledge about the dangers that their children could be faced with and giving them resources to fight back with makes them powerful. In student’s homes’ parent’s should keep the computer in an open area, for example the living room, where they can view and monitor computer usage and see what sites their child/ren is surfing on the internet. Some ways that parents can be actively involved is by book marking and blocking sites, use filtering software, reading and screening their child/rens emails, and contacting the school or the police when inappropriate emails are sent by other students as forms of harassment or threats. Everyone needs to be accountable.

In Teaching with the Internet K-12: New Literacies for New Times in Chapter 2, page 73, Deborah and Donald Leu and Coiro mention that “despite intensive efforts, it is impossible to completely protect children from viewing inappropriate sites. Thus in the long run, it is best to educate children, parents and guardians, and teachers about how to use the Internet safely.”[2] Listed below are a few example of websites that are helpful resources: http://www.netsmartz.org/, http://www.ou.edu/oupd/kidsafe/inet.htm,
http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/net_safety.html, and
http://www.kidscomjr.com/games/safety/safety.html.

In the Article called “Internet Safety” written by Steven Dowshen “he explains how student’s can incorrectly misspell words and get taken to adult websites. Dowshen also lists several things that parents should do in the home when children are on the computer. By taking an active role in your child's Internet activities, you'll be ensuring that he or she can benefit from the wealth of valuable information the Internet has to offer, without being exposed to any potential dangers.”[3] When parents are involved, children are safe.





[1] Leu, Donald and Deborah and Coiro, Julie Teaching with the Internet K-12: New Literacies for New
Times Chapter 2, page 69
[2] Ibid Chapter 2, page 73

3. http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/net_safety.html
Updated and reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD Date reviewed: April 2005