|
October 24, 2002
Central Utah Correspondent Sam Penrod reporting
A program
that started here in Utah to teach children about the dangers
of the Internet is going nationwide. The i-SAFE program is
taking Internet safety to school classrooms and using well
known celebrities in a new video.
This group
of eighth graders uses the Internet almost every day in many
of their classes.
"All
their tests are online. All of their reviews are online. My
class basically is online," says Jr. high school teacher
Leland Moon.
But with
pornography, gambling and in some cases, child predators targeting
children, police say it's important that kids know how to
stay away.
"We
tell them, 'Don't give out too much personal information.
That could be as simple as the screen name you use in a chat
room,'" says Lt. Darren Falslev with the American Fork
Police Department.
The American Fork Police Department has been involved in teaching
kids about the dangers of the Internet for several years.
Detective Rick Bockman is assigned as a consultant with i-SAFE,
a campaign sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The program is being released this week in American Fork,
where part of this new video was shot and is headed for classrooms
across the U.S.
"As parents, we're kind of naive. We're behind the kids
as far as the technology goes, and until we catch up, we turn
them loose on the computer and let them have a chance to learn
on their own and figure they are safe, but they are not,"
says Bockman.
The i-SAFE
program is giving students a new perspective to surfing the
Internet
"Anyone could be a predator," says eighth grade
student Jerron.
"It tells you what to watch out for and how to prevent,
and what to do if it happens," says eighth grade student
Skyler.
And with the Internet becoming such a useful tool in learning,
police hope they can keep children away from the growing dangers
that are also popping up online.
|
