To protect our children, we teach them about stranger danger and how to call 911; we talk to them about playground safety and set strict rules for when they’re ready to gain more independence. The Web and schools, however, have increasingly become places where children’s safety and security can be threatened, and this is alarming to parents and kids alike. Adopt the following rules to help keep your child safe online and at school:
Online
Children are learning as early as toddlerhood how to operate tablets, laptops and smartphones. These mobile devices serve as entertainment and learning tools for our kids, but they’re also gateways to the Web, where predators lurk and prey on unsuspecting children. From sexual predators to identity thieves and cyber bullies, online dangers are pervasive. Without identity theft protection and Internet security practices in place, your children could have their identities stolen, which exploits clean credit histories and destroys future credit. Victims can even experience complications with applying to college and securing a job.
Protect your children when they sit at a computer with the following safety and security solutions:
- Be protective and overly cautious of your child’s social security number
- Create complex passwords or install password managers such as Kaspersky Password Manager or RoboForm
- Install software that tracks IM conversations and emails and blocks inappropriate and unsafe content
- Keep electronics in your view and monitor your child’s online activity
- Speak openly with your child about pornography, cyber stalking and bullying, and how to protect personal information
- Use privacy settings on social networking sites effectively
At School
Schools are no longer safe havens for children to learn and play. In a single moment, a school can quickly change from a learning institution to an unfathomable massacre. The Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy in Newtown, Conn., forced communities to focus on school safety and security. Parents can feel helpless when their child walks into school doors and out of sight.
Here are some things you can do:
- Learn about your school’s safety procedures and emergency response plans
- Ask your child if he or she knows where to go and what to do during a threatening event
- Ask your child about safety drills and if they clearly understand the steps to be taken
- Know where to meet your child during an emergency
- Create dialogue with your child about any fears or feelings they may have about school violence, guns and mental health
- Be an advocate for the program Alert Lockdown Inform Counter Escape (A.L.I.C.E.), which teaches students to fight back by throwing things at an attacker, according to TIME magazine’s Healthland.
- Make sure your child knows that telling an adult about alarming rumors or peers who make threats is not tattling; it’s the right thing to do
- Voice any concerns, ideas on how to reduce risks or questions to school authorities and the school district
Try not to instill fear in your child; explain that school shootings are rare and unusual occurrences. Your child’s safety requires education and preparation.
This is a guest post Belinda Brighton.
Dedicated mom, writer and art therapist, Belinda believes sharing her love of family, art and the environment is what makes her a better writer and a great mom to her two sons, Michael and Patrick.