Prevent Child Abuse Vermont is proud to announce TECHNICOOL, a Technology Safety Program.  Designed for Vermont children and teens grades 4-8, and their parents, teachers and caregivers, Technicool looks at common concerns surrounding the internet and technology.  This program encourages safe online behavior by addressing the risks inherent to these powerful new technologies and provides participants with resources to protect themselves. 

                Stories about the dangers of these technologies have dominated headlines in recent years.  Through presentations, case studies and activities, Technicool helps participants to separate hype from reality and suggests simple steps to minimize risks.

Some of the topics addressed include:

·         Cyber-bullying and Online Predators

·         Social Networking Sites (MySpace and Facebook)

·         E-mail and Instant Messaging

·         Blogging and Chatting

·         Cell Phones and Text Messaging

·         Photo and Video Sharing

·         Online Gaming

·         And many more!

If you are interested in hearing more about Technicool or scheduling a training in your area, please call:

1-800-CHILDREN

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Top 10 Things Adults Can Do To Protect Children When Using the Internet or other Technology

1. Supervise, supervise, supervise!  Just as we would want to physically know where our children are and what they are doing, we need to know where they are going on the internet and who they are meeting there.  The safest thing to do is use the internet with your child and REPORT suspicious activity to www.cybertipline.com.

2. Create family/classroom/center rules together about technology usage.  What’s allowed and what’s not allowed?  Review them with your children every few months and see if anything should be changed.  Children sometimes hear about new tricks or dangers online before adults do.

3. Talk frequently about messages that young people are receiving from different kinds of media (music, television, magazines, internet).  Counteract these messages with what YOU want them to know about different issues.

4. Keep the computer in a common room.  Children who have computers with internet access in their bedrooms are much more likely to find trouble online.

5. Become a tech-savvy adult!  Look for community classes on computers and software (often given at public libraries or schools for free – see resource list in this packet).  Or, enlist your child as your teacher!  Adults are often intimidated by how much they do not know about computers, but our children need us to learn in order to better protect them.

6. Look into filtering and monitoring software.  These can help ensure that your child does not inadvertently run into pornography while doing a search on the internet.  However, these software programs are not a substitute for adult supervision of internet activities.  Very sophisticated young people can find ways around even the best filtering and monitoring software.

7. Check your computer’s website history and cookie files.  See instructions on pages 14-15.  This will tell you what websites have been visited in the recent past.  However, many children and adolescents know how to clear a browser history or delete records of certain websites.  Fewer children will clear cookie files.

8. Explain to your child that once they have put something out on the internet, there’s no way to ever “take it back.”  Even e-mails that they write, intending to be private, could be posted all over school the next day.  It’s best to never write something online that they wouldn’t want the whole world to see or know about them.

9. “It’s not spying if it’s out there for the world to see.”  “Google” your child now and then.  Let your child know you’d like to see their online profile if they have one.  Perhaps tomorrow?  This can give them a chance to take a look at their profile and think about its content.  Checking up a child online for their safety is very different from snooping in their room for their private diary.

10.   Recognize that it is our responsibility to ensure our children’s safety, both online and “in real life.”  If your child refuses to disclose information about their internet use or you feel that they might be in danger, it is up to you to find out what is going on.   If you are concerned about a child’s internet activities, you are not alone.  Please consult a professional who can help you and your child.  You can call 1-800-CHILDREN for support and resources, or look at the Helpful Resources page at the back of this packet.