NCJ Number
200085
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 70 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2003 Pages: 28,30,34
Date Published
April 2003
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article describes the efforts of the Peel Regional Police (Brampton, Ontario, Canada), in partnership with community representatives, in developing a program designed to maximize the protection of children while they are using the Internet.
Abstract
The steering committee was composed of representatives from the police, elected officials, members of local boards of education, members of community organizations, and representatives of the corporate sector. The committee's goals were to teach students the importance of Internet safety; to instruct parents in how to protect children who use the Internet; and to increase public awareness of the issue of Internet safety. A local corporation donated the designs for brochures and posters that contain 12 Internet safety guidelines; this was the core of the information on Internet safety conveyed to the public. A work group composed of members of the boards of education and the Internet safety committee wrote educational programs that consisted of five lesson plans for students in grades 3-5, five lesson plans for grades 6-8, and a four-lesson plan for grades 9-10. The program was piloted in several schools, and modifications were made based on the lessons learned. Youth education officers were given the responsibility for coordinating the instructional program for schools within their assigned zones. The educational package and implementation manual are available to any organization interested in teaching youth about Internet safety. Program achievements are listed.