From the Fremont County Attorney
Back to school time is here, along with the parent and student worries about classes, grades, sports, popularity, activities and so on. In the past 20 years, another worry has arisen – Is my child being safe on the Web?
The Fremont County Attorney website (www.co.fremont.ia.us, click on link to Attorney) has a site link for parents concerned about cyber safety for their children. Margaret Johnson, Fremont County Attorney, recently completed the National Computer Forensics Institute training for prosecutors and is assisting with this year’s Protect Our Children Conference. Johnson describes the growing concern that children often are involved in online activities that are dangerous.
“Sexting is a relatively recent activity that can be extremely dangerous,” Johnson states. “The term refers to youth sending sexually explicit photos of themselves to friends or even to people they don’t know. Once that photo is sent out, the sender loses complete control of where the photo goes, who sees it, where it is posted, even whether it is reproduced and sold as child pornography.”
In June 2009, a survey was conducted by Cox Communications in partnership with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and John Walsh. The survey found that among United States teens ages 13 to 18, one in five had engaged in sexting and over one third had a friend who had sent or received a sext message. Among those engaging in sexting, ten percent had sent sexts to people they did not know.
The County Attorney website includes a link to the CyberTipline provided by the Center for Missing and Exploited Children. That site has extensive information for parents and for teens and children on Cyber Safety. One listed program “Think Before You Post” provides valuable safety information to teens, especially those who actively participate with social networks, chat rooms and instant messaging.
Due to the “hit and run” nature of the internet, tracking down predators can be difficult. Internet users, especially children and teens, need to know when and how to report inappropriate internet activity. CyberTipline provides a quick and easy guide of what should be reported and how to report. “Parents should read the tips and discuss CyberSafety with their children,” Johnson adds.
Parents, children, teens, grandparents, anyone with a question or concern about Cyber Safety in Fremont County may call Margaret Johnson at 374-2751 or the Sheriff’s Office at 374-2424 for further information.
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From the Fremont County Attorney
Back to school time is here, along with the parent and student worries about classes, grades, sports, popularity, activities and so on. In the past 20 years, another worry has arisen – Is my child being safe on the Web?
The Fremont County Attorney website (www.co.fremont.ia.us, click on link to Attorney) has a site link for parents concerned about cyber safety for their children. Margaret Johnson, Fremont County Attorney, recently completed the National Computer Forensics Institute training for prosecutors and is assisting with this year’s Protect Our Children Conference. Johnson describes the growing concern that children often are involved in online activities that are dangerous.
“Sexting is a relatively recent activity that can be extremely dangerous,” Johnson states. “The term refers to youth sending sexually explicit photos of themselves to friends or even to people they don’t know. Once that photo is sent out, the sender loses complete control of where the photo goes, who sees it, where it is posted, even whether it is reproduced and sold as child pornography.”
In June 2009, a survey was conducted by Cox Communications in partnership with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and John Walsh. The survey found that among United States teens ages 13 to 18, one in five had engaged in sexting and over one third had a friend who had sent or received a sext message. Among those engaging in sexting, ten percent had sent sexts to people they did not know.
The County Attorney website includes a link to the CyberTipline provided by the Center for Missing and Exploited Children. That site has extensive information for parents and for teens and children on Cyber Safety. One listed program “Think Before You Post” provides valuable safety information to teens, especially those who actively participate with social networks, chat rooms and instant messaging.
Due to the “hit and run” nature of the internet, tracking down predators can be difficult. Internet users, especially children and teens, need to know when and how to report inappropriate internet activity. CyberTipline provides a quick and easy guide of what should be reported and how to report. “Parents should read the tips and discuss CyberSafety with their children,” Johnson adds.
Parents, children, teens, grandparents, anyone with a question or concern about Cyber Safety in Fremont County may call Margaret Johnson at 374-2751 or the Sheriff’s Office at 374-2424 for further information.
