Especially for Young People and Their Parents
ONLINE SAFETY RULES AND SUGGESTIONS
Know The Rules (PDF)
“Teenagers, 12–19, especially GIRLS, are the most victimized segment of the population in the United States.” See also other publications from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Safety on the Web and Other Safety Issues
From the Children's Library, Lower Level, 350 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC.
CyberTipline
“The Congressionally mandated CyberTipline is a reporting mechanism for cases of child sexual exploitation including child pornography, online enticement of children for sex acts, molestation of children outside the family, sex tourism of children, child victims of prostitution, and unsolicited obscene material sent to a child. Reports may be made 24-hours per day, 7 days per week online or by calling 1-800-843-5678.”
Netsafe
This site, developed by the Illinois Library Association, is a resource on how to use the Internet safely.
Publications of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
A number of publications available from the NCMEC.
Keeping Your Kids Internet Safe and Smart
“At Common Sense Media, we believe in media sanity, not censorship. And since we can't always cover our kids' eyes, we have to teach them how to see. The information here will help your kids stay Internet safe and smart. Click on the links below to find out what every parent should know about how our kids use the Internet.”
Web Wise Kids
“Web Wise Kids is committed to preparing children, teens, and adults to make wise choices when using the Internet.”
BlogSafety.com
“BlogSafety is a not-for-profit project that derives funding from social networking sites, including those affected by this legislation.”—Larry Magid
Online Safety Guide
From GetNetWise.
Family Contract for Online Safety
From GetNetWise.
Bullies and Bullying
From ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom. See also Bullying, Bullying.org: Where You are Not Alone, Cyberbullying, Braving Bullies (for Children, Teens, and Adults), Safety Resources for Young People, and Stop Cyberbullying ("A social network to discuss cyberbullying, identifying resources and solutions to address this epidemic of online cruelty.")
Consumer Reports' (CR) Latest Tests of Filtering Software (May 2005)
"Show that while Internet blockers have gotten better at blocking pornography, the best also tend to block many sites they shouldn't. In addition, Consumer Reports found the software to be less effective at blocking sites promoting hatred, illegal drugs or violence. The June issue includes ratings of 11 popular filtering software products and advice for concerned parents who are trying to better protect their children online. . . . Filters kept out most, but not all, of the pornography. The worst performer blocked 88 percent, enough to serve as an obstacle, but not impervious to a persistent teen. — Information sites can be snubbed, too. The best porn blockers were heavy-handed against sites about health issues, sex education, civil rights and politics."
Internet Safety Pledges
From Netsmartz.
NetSmartz
"The NetSmartz Workshop® is an educational resource for children aged 5 to 17, parents, and teachers on how to stay safer on the Internet. Since the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) was first established in 1984, it has worked to make children safer. In 1994, long before this nation realized that the Internet might pose a threat to the safety of its youngest users, NCMEC released a brochure titled Child Safety on the Information Highway, providing families with a roadmap to stay safer in cyberspace. Later, when cases of online child enticement garnered front-page news nationwide, NCMEC's brochure, Teen Safety on the Information Highway, became the first publication of its kind to try to prepare teens for the risks they face online. Every year more and more children of all ages go online to study, have fun, and communicate with the world at large. Just as the numbers of kids online have grown, so have the dangers they face."
Reporting Trouble
From GetNetWise. “On a playground, being teased by another child is far less serious than receiving a sexual advance from a stranger. On the Internet, receiving junk e-mail is far less serious than being enticed by a stranger in a chat room. It’s important not to overreact. But how do we recognize when a problem is serious, or when it’s simply part of being online?”
Internet-Related Safety Tips for Teens
From the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Internet Safety Tips for Kids
From the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Surfing the Net with Kids
“Welcome to my vision of what’s wonderful on the Web. Welcome parents, kids, teens, grandparents, teachers, librarians and the incurably curious.” Barbara J. Feldman is a “syndicated newspaper columnist, mother, wife and Net surfer supreme (not listed in order of importance, of course).” She recommends sites for kids and families in “millions of newspapers each week.”
Searching the Internet Effectively
According to Librarians’ Index to the Internet, “In eight steps, the author of this site introduces readers to basic Internet search tools, discusses how to use them effectively, and provides tips for evaluating results. Updated infrequently (it’s a resource for a continuing education class), but the simple design of this tutorial makes this resource well worth it even when the links need sprucing up. From Alistair Smith, who teaches library science at the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.”
Netsmartz Workshop
From the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Netsmartz Workshop presents a variety of interactive training tools to teach online safety.
Cyber Tipline
From the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Cyber Tipline handles leads from individuals reporting the sexual exploitation of children.
Child Safety on the Information Highway (PDF)
PDF file from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Additional information.
Seguridad infantil en la autopista de la información (PDF)
PDF file from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Additional information.
Teen Safety on the Information Highway
By Larry Magid. Revised 2004. From the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Additional information.
Seguridad para los Jóvenes en la autopista de la información (PDF)
PDF file from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Additional information.
Publications on Internet Safety and Other Topics
A list of publications from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Guidelines for Parents
By safekids.com. For parents of pre-teen children.
Guidelines for Parents
By Lawrence J. Magid. For parents of teens.
My Rules for Online Safety
From the Eugene School District 4-J.
Notes, Advice and Warnings for Kids on the Web
By Stephen Savitzky.
Assessing Internet Access (PDF)
By Nancy Kranich, ALA President, 2000–2001, Media Studies Journal, Fall 2000, 42–45. “Both children and adults need to learn the critical skills that will help them make good judgments about material on the Internet and elsewhere.” (To print the article, set Adobe Reader to print pages 53–56.)
Rules for Online Safety
By safekids.com. Adapted from the brochure “Child Safety on the Information Highway” by Lawrence J. Magid.
Safekids.com
By Lawrence J. Magid. For parents and kids.
Safeteens.com
By Lawrence J. Magid. For parents and teens.
Yahooligans Rules for Online Safety
Adapted from material by Lawrence J. Magid. Also includes other resources.
Connect for Kids
"Connect for Kids, an award-winning multimedia project, helps adults make their communities better places for families and children. The Web site offers a place on the Internet for adults—parents, grandparents, educators, policymakers and others—who want to become more active citizens, from volunteering to voting with kids in mind."
DESIGNED-FOR-YOUNG PEOPLE SEARCH ENGINES
TekMom's Search Tools for Students
ADDITIONAL ALA WEB SITES FOR PARENTS, YOUNG PEOPLE, AND LIBRARIANS
Great Web Sites for Kids
A cybercollection of links to Web sites for fun and learning. Recommended and organized by topic by children’s librarians. Sponsored by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association.
The Librarian's Guide to Great Web Sites for Kids
This brochure, from ALA's Association for Library Service to Children, offers tips and guidelines that will help children, parents, and caregivers safely enjoy the benefits of the Internet. It includes special sites for parents and caregivers, suggested family Internet safety guidelines, suggested rules and Netiquette for children when using the Internet, and definitions of Internet terminology. Please feel free to download this piece and distribute it at your library. Sharing this brochure with your patrons is a proactive way to assist in the positive, safe use of the Internet by children at your library.
The Libraries and the Internet Toolkit
The American Library Association (ALA) has produced this "toolkit" to assist librarians in managing the Internet and educating their public about how to use it effectively. ALA encourages all libraries to implement policies that protect both children and public access to information and to take an active role in educating their communities about this important resource. Includes sections entitled Tips for Parents and Online Resources for Parents and Children.
KCTools
It will help you become more comfortable with the research process. In KCTools you'll find help with four basic phases of the research process. It begins with "I wonder" and asks you to think about your question or topic and how to seek further advice on the Internet.
Kids Connect @ The Library: Tips for Parents
See Great Web Sites for Kids, a list of resources. Sponsored by the ALA Association for Library Service to Children.
The Librarian’s Guide to Cyberspace for Parents and Kids (PDF)
ALA’s popular brochure with an introduction to the Internet for parents, safety tips, recommended Web sites and more.
Libraries, Children, and the Internet
Questions and answers about children’s online access from the American Library Association.
Resources for Children and Families
A list of resources. Sponsored by the ALA Association for Library Service to Children.
School Libraries & You
A Web site of the American Association of School Librarians. To help parents and children learn to use the Internet together.
Sites for Parents and Caregivers
Compiled by the Children and Technology Committee of the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association.
Teen Reading
Teen Hoopla does not exist anymore. This site has information on encouraging teens to read and about ALA's Teen Read Week.
OTHER EDUCATIONAL SITES
AOL's AOL@School
Includes resources for K-12 students.
Between the Lions
A PBS series and Web site of interactive stories and games for kids learning to read and write. The American Library Association, and two of its divisions, the American Association of School Librarians and the Association for Library Service to Children, are founding partners in the Between the Lions series.
Wanting Internet users to be just “one click away” from the resources they need to make informed decisions about their family’s use of the Internet, GetNetWise is a Web-wide partnership organized to help ensure that families have safe, constructive, and educational or entertaining online experiences.
Families Against Internet Censorship
Families Against Internet Censorship opposes government regulation of Internet content to “protect the family.” “[P]arents are the people best suited to decide what their children should and should not see.” A resource for anti-censorship families. Includes a list of families willing to speak out against Internet censorship.
kidSpeak
Kids have First Amendment rights—and kidSPEAK helps kids fight for them!”
NetLingo.com
NetLingo.com is an online dictionary. “If you want to get the most out of the Internet and the World Wide Web you're going to have to understand the language that everyone is using online.”
Web Sites for Kids
“Finding content on the Internet that is educational, entertaining, and appropriate for kids is one of the most important things a Net-wise parent can do. GetNetWise has asked a few of the experts to help get you started. ”
Evaluating Web Sites: WHAT MAKES A WEB SITE GOOD?
From the Multnomah County Library Homework Center. “Here are some questions to ask when you’re looking at a site that will help you decide whether or not it’s good: ”
PRIVACY ISSUES
Teens, Privacy and Online Social Networks: How teens manage their online identities and personal information in the age of MySpace (PDF)
Prepared by the The Pew Internet & American Life Project produces reports that explore the impact of the Internet on families, communities, work and home, daily life, education, health care, and civic and political life.
Privacy Resources for Librarians, Library Users, and Families
Prepared by the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee Privacy Subcommittee.
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
“The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse is a nonprofit consumer education, research, and advocacy program. Our publications empower you to take action to control your personal information by providing practical tips on privacy protection. ”
Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (1974)
“Congress passed the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (also known as the Buckley Amendment) to protect the accuracy and confidentiality of student records; it applies to all schools receiving federal funding. The Act prevents educational institutions from disclosing student records or personally identifiable information to third parties without consent, but does not restrict the collection or use of information by schools. The statute also requires educational institutions to give students and their parents access to school records and an opportunity to challenge the content of records they believe to be inaccurate or misleading.”
Kidz Privacy
Found on the Federal Trade Commission’s Web site, Kidz Privacy has information on privacy for children and adults, including safety tips and resources.
Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
Libraries are an important source of Internet access for children, and librarians are primary navigators of information for both children and parents. Librarians need to understand what the COPPA is and what it means for libraries, children, and parents. Created by the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy.
Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act
From the Center for Democracy & Technology.
Analysis of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act
From the Center for Democracy & Technology.
Parents’ and Teachers’ Guide to Online Privacy (PDF)
“Today, more and more children are using the Internet to access the wealth of knowledge and communication that it offers. Because we understand that protecting children's privacy online is a very important job for parents and teachers, TRUSTe has teamed with Classroom Connect to produce the Parents’ and Teachers’ Guide to Online Privacy.”
NOTE: THE SITES ON THIS PAGE WERE SELECTED BASED ON THE CONNECTION TO CHILDREN, PARENTS, AND LIBRARIES AND THEIR APPROPRIATENESS AT THE TIME OF SELECTION. EXPLORATION OF THE WEB FOR CHILDREN ALWAYS WORKS BEST WHEN GUIDED BY CARING ADULTS. OIF IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT OF THESE SITES.
Links to non-ALA sites have been provided because these sites may have information of interest. Neither the American Library Association nor the Office for Intellectual Freedom necessarily endorses the views expressed or the facts presented on these sites; and furthermore, ALA and OIF do not endorse any commercial products that may be advertised or available on these sites.
Permission is granted to libraries to reproduce this list.
Compiled by the American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom.