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Learn to Shield Your Child From Cyber Danger

November 11, 1999
Bucks County Courier Times

The Coalition for Healthy Youth will Sponsor a Forum on Internet Safety on Monday night at Newtown Junior High School.

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By Margo Aramian Ragan
Focus on Newtown
news@calkinsnewspapers.com

Where is your child Safer? Alone at the mall or in your own home surfing the Internet?

According to Ken Barnes, Community Policing Coordinator for the Northampton Police Department, the Internet, or more accurately the predators who access the Internet, can pose as much a danger to your child than the danger posed by a stranger face to face.

That's why parents and community leaders in the Newtown area will participate in an Internet Safety forum on Monday night at 7:30 p.m. at Newtown Junior High School. They are inviting the community to join them.

Barnes will be one of the participants in the Forum. "I recognized early on how naive I was about the power of the Internet, and realized that knowledge was going to be key" he said. To that end, last year Barnes produced a 12-minute video entitled Cyber Safety in cooperation with Video Gold Productions in Richboro.

Congressman Jim Greenwood, another scheduled participant in the Forum appeared with Barnes in the video, discussing guidelines for parents to follow "Be a parent first, a friend second, " advised Barnes. "Don't be afraid to check on your children when they are on the Internet. "

The video further provides what Barnes describes as tools and tips so parents can address the issue of cyber safety with confidence. The video is available for groups to View, and can be obtained by called Northampton Police Department, 215-322-6111.

Barnes has also prepared a pamphlet called Parents Guide To Child Safety On The Internet " The pamphlet gives a person the in depth knowledge they need in order to know what their kids are doing," he said. The pamphlet will be distributed at the Forum, and is also available from the Northampton Police Department.

Chuck Favato, computer specialist at Holland Junior High School, will provide technical information at the Forum. Favato will demonstrate on a computer the various methods parents can use to track the sites their child has visited. According to Favato, parents can learn quickly how to find sites on the hard drives, and how to check files and folders.

Based on his knowledge and experience Favato believes one of the potential dangers of the Internet lies with the chat rooms. "Chat rooms can be dangerous," he warned. "Because they have a false sense of security about them. Predators often enter chat rooms, saying they are teens when in reality, they are adults who are skilled in extracting vital information from the unsuspecting young person. "

He cited how a predator can engage a child to talk about sports by asking questions about school, then inquiring whether the child is on a team, and from that, getting the number of the school uniform. "With those questions and answers, a predator has enough information to find the school, the sports schedule, and ultimately; the student, " Favato said.

One of his students confided that a relative was stalked as a result of a chat room friendship. "You wouldn't pick up the telephone and can a stranger long distance to tell him your life story: but all too often, that is what is happening in a chat room, " Favato advised.

Favato has prepared a handout for parents listing general safety rules and chat room etiquette. The handout will be available for distribution at the Forum.

In addition to Barnes and Favato, Congressman Jim Greenwood, Jim Maxwell -Special Agent from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Ted Fritsch, Chief District Attorney of Prosecution will be speakers at the Forum.

Debbie Freedman of Holland and Greg Garber of Newtown are co-chairs of Coalition for Healthy Youth, a committee that was organized by community activists in the Council Rock School District and the sponsor of Monday night's Internet "Safety program.

"We recognized the need to identify at risk behaviors and to educate ourselves about them," Freedman explained. The mother of two children, Matt 14 and Michael 11, who got involved ill the coalition when it was formed two years ago. Initially it targeted alcohol abuse by kids.

Coalition for Healthy Youth follows the format prescribed by "Communities That Care Project, a national research-based program that examines known risk factors that affect youth. "Our state and local government leaders have encouraged our efforts," Freedman said. "Even though the Coalition is not a part of the Council Rock School District, the administration has been extremely supportive and cooperative. "

Last spring the Coalition sponsored a forum on Inhalant Awareness, and the success of that forum has led to their sponsorship of a second one on Internet Safety.

"There used to be a day when you needed only to know the names of the parents of your children's friends, but the Internet has changed all that," explained Freedman.

For information on Coalition for Healthy Youth, call Debbie Freedman at 215-968-8519. Meetings are held at 7 p.m., Northampton Township Building on the fourth Tuesday of the month.