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A Note from Nancy - Internet Safety Tips

INTERNET SAFETY

Eight-seven percent of teens use the Internet on a regular basis, and according to the Department of Justice, one in five children between the ages of 10 and 17 received a sexual solicitation or approach online last year.  With so many threats out there, Congress must send a message that we, as a society, will not stand for anything less than a safe Internet. 

I introduced the Effective Child Pornography Prosecution Act (H.R. 4120), which I am pleased to announce passed the House of Representatives with unanimous support on November 14, 2007.  This bill will close a jurisdictional loophole that allowed a Kansas man who was convicted of possessing child pornography to escape punishment.

In 2005, a northeast Kansas man, William Schaefer, was found guilty of both “knowingly receiving” and “knowingly possessing” child pornography that had been “transported in interstate commerce, by any means including by computer.” 

Sadly, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned this decision, and the offender was not prosecuted to fullest extent of the law.  The Court ruled that just because images are obtained on the Internet does not mean they were transmitted across state lines. 

The Court essentially asked Congress to clarify its intent that the Internet is in fact interstate commerce.  The Effective Child Pornography Prosecution Act of 2007 will close the jurisdictional loophole that allowed a guilty man to escape punishment. 

As concerned citizens and parents we must do all we can to keep our children safe.  That means we must make a commitment to being tough on crime – to make sure that those who violate the law are fully prosecuted – to ensure that the law is so clear that it deters such heinous crimes from happening.

PARENTS’ TOOLKIT

As a parent, I also know how hard it is to keep up with new developments in technology that change the way our kids communicate.  I hope you will find the following resources helpful.

TIPS FOR STAYING SAFE ONLINE:
 
FOR KIDS                       
1.    Don’t share personal information, like your address or phone number, without your parent’s permission and check with your parents before emailing or posting a picture.
2.    Tell your parents if you come into contact with someone who makes you nervous.
3.    Assume that strangers you meet online aren’t telling the truth, even if they say they are.
4.    Never meet an online friend in person without asking a parent first.
5.    Show your parents which websites you enjoy visiting and tell them about strangers you meet online.

FOR PARENTS   
1.    Keep your computer in a common room.
2.    Install the latest anti-virus and spyware programs and stay informed by visiting websites to learn more about how to protect your children.
3.    Establish rules about risky behavior like posting photos, giving out personal information, or agreeing to meet an online friend.
4.    Talk to your kids about what they’re using the Internet for and let them know to be wary of what they read and who they meet.
5.    Record their names and passwords, and remind kids to protect them.

 
LINKS FOR PARENTS:

  • OnGuardOnline. This website compiles helpful tips from the federal government and technology industry to help prevent online child exploitation, guard against internet fraud, and protect your identity online.
  • GetNetwise.  GetNetwise is a project created by the Internet Education Foundation (IEF) to ensure parents have the resources they need to make informed decisions about their family's use of the Internet. 
  • National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.  The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing and assisting the victims of child abduction and child exploitation. The organization's website serves as a clearinghouse of useful information for the prevention of online child exploitation.
  • Safe Surf .  Safe Surf is working to create an Internet Rating Standard to allow web browsers to detect the content of a website before displaying it.
  • Netsmartz®. Netsmartz offers children and teens, age-appropriate materials and games that teach them about the dangers lurking on the Internet and how to be safe. Resources for parents, guardians, educators and law enforcement provide tools for helping children identify the dangers they may face online.
  • The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children jointly published the Parents Guide to Online Safety based on actual investigations involving child victims.
  • The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Cyber Tip Line to report child sexual exploitation on the Internet.
  • i-SAFE, a non-profit foundation endorsed by the U.S. Congress, incorporates classroom curriculum with dynamic community outreach to empower students, teachers, parents, law enforcement, and concerned adults to make the Internet a safer place.
  • The Kansas Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs provides free internet training presentations to kids, teens, and adults across the state. For more information or to schedule a training session, contact Wendy Coonrod at 785.234.5601 or by email at WendyCoonrod@bgctopeka.org.

The Kansas Attorney General’s office also provides a wide array of resources including:

Please Note:  These are tips and suggestions that the Office of Representative Nancy Boyda has compiled from a variety of websites and other materials.  This list isn’t fully inclusive and should not stop families from taking additional steps they feel to be important to keep their children safe.