Internet crimes are on the rise with the onset of today’s modern technology with access to the world wide web.
With these changes come new types of crime. The Rockingham Police Department would like to help parents keep their children safe while using internet services. Hopefully by alerting parents and kids to possible crimes and online predators we can achieve this goal.
On this page you will find useful tools and tips to assist you and your children, as well as links to other governmental websites and agencies. There are pages for the kids and questionnaires to help you become aware of possible safety issues. Parents need to remain diligent and fully aware of who their children are chatting with online at all times. While the internet chat rooms have become the new form of acceptable social networking with teens and preteens, it is also an online predator’s invitation into your home and your family.
Here are some tips:
-Where is your child’s computer located? In their room? The computer should be placed in a common room in the home and supervised at all times.
-Do you know your child’s passwords to all internet access accounts? You should always know their passwords. It is not an invasion of their privacy but a protection of their childhood that you should know. Also, most sites have age requirements so you should be the person setting up the account for them.
-You should always review the history logs on your computer to see where your child has been on the internet. By clicking on the history (or clock) on your browser you will be able to view all sites visited.
-Familiarize yourself with the shorthand language used in chatrooms and other places on the net. (Examples: ttyl (talk to you later); idk (I don’t know); POS (parent over shoulder); ASL (age sex location); NAZ (name address zip); WYRN (what’s your real name). These are just a few examples. Here is a link to view the Top 50 Acronyms every parent should know: http://www.netlingo.com/top50parents.cfm
