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Phone: [PHONE REDACTED] Fax: [PHONE REDACTED] 1402 River View Drive Cody, WY 82414 Internet Safety How can you protect your chil- dren while allowing them to con- nect with friends on social net- working sites? Make your own profile or check safety features of the site Add your children as friends Learn about the site Have children use privacy settings Monitor what other children are say- ing about your child Discuss the risks and future conse- quences of posting revealing or inap- propriate pictures, comments or infor- mation Set Rules Review your child’s site and remove information you consider risky Examine their list of friends and browse their friend’s pages Keep computer in a public area of your home Talk with your child or teen about what information they should and should not share online This brochure contains information which may keep your child or teen safe This information is provided by: Cody Police Department ---PAGE BREAK--- There are many different ways that kids and teens can become a victim thru the internet. Children are ideal victims as they are naturally curious, easily led by adults, have a need for attention and affection and may choose to defy parents. Teens often don’t realize how they could be inadver- tently putting themselves at risk in their pictures. Many teens will post pictures of themselves alone or in a group with friends wearing jerseys from a sports team. Some teens have actually gone into business sell- ing images of sexual acts using webcams. Blogs are a way for teens to express them- selves, often revealing insecurities, feel- ings about their parent/guardians, dreams, expectations, and frustrations. Teens post- ing their personal thoughts and feelings are a goldmine for people looking to “groom” or harm children. Ways to access the web: Instant Messenger (IM) Cellular Phone Web Based Chat Gaming File Sharing Internet Safety Risks for Kids and Teens Online Exposure to Inappropriate Material Sexual Solicitations Harassment and Bullying Theft of Personal Information Note: There are other risks that kids and teens face online that are not listed. You can re- search these online. Who Predators are: The Internet provides predators with signifi- cantly more opportunities to meet children and the ability to remain anonymous. They can communicate with children through chatrooms, instant-messaging programs, social networking sites, message boards and even cell phones. Online predators come from all walks of life. Anyone can pose as a teenager or as a trustwor- thy person and manipulate kids and teens. What you can do to keep your kids and teen safe: 1. Establish rules for Internet use What sites can your child visit? Who can they talk to? How long will they be online? Where can they use the computer? 2. Keep the computer in a common room (not secluded areas like a bedroom or base- ment) 3. Discuss the importance of telling you or a trusted adult if something ever makes your child or teen feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused while online. 4. Communicate Prepare yourself beforehand Talk and be open with your kids and teens Keep your cool. Be cool. En- courage them to confide in you 5. Be informed Learn everything you can about the internet Ask your kids to show you places they go Learn chatroom lingo by going to www.cybertipline.com for a list of acronyms like POS=Parent Over Shoulder Know what other access your child may have including text messaging 6. Consider safeguarding options Check out blocking, filtering and rating applications Learn about the filtering and monitoring software and WHEN TO USE THEM 7. CyberTipline Report incidents of child sexual exploitation to the CyberTipline by calling 1-[PHONE REDACTED] or at www.cybertipline.com or the Cody Police Department at 307- 527-8700