DAVIDSON—How safe is the Internet?
It’s a question on the mind’s of most parents whose kids use of and knowledge of social media far exceeds their own.
To help adults guide and monitor children as they navigate the World Wide Web, Davidson’s School Community Council (SCC) has engaged staff sergeant Ron Weir, provincial co-ordinator for Regina Police Service’s Internet Child Exploitation Unit to provide a 90-minute Internet Child Exploitation Awareness presentation to the community tomorrow.
This community presentation, which is geared to adults, follows a Feb. 13 presentation Craik RCMP gave to Davidson School students in grades 6 to 12.
The SCC arranged for the RCMP to talk to students to help educate them on the incredible risks associated with using the Internet incorrectly, says SCC member Marcia McIvor.
Some risks include meeting strangers in chat rooms, bullying, sending personal pictures assuming that the recipient won’t forward them or post them elsewhere, identity theft, and learning to accept the fact that once something is posted online, it is there forever.
“Some of these examples have occurred in Davidson and have resulted in kids being embarrassed and hurt,” she said.
The SCC arranged for tomorrow’s community presentation to help make adults aware of the dangers of the Internet.
“By attending this session, adults will be in a better position to understand how their kids and grandkids are exposed to potential risks because of the internet and how to safeguard against those risks,” McIvor said.