meeting people online - national crime prevention...
TRANSCRIPT
Meeting People Online• As a general rule, children should never plan to meet
anybody in person whom they have encountered online.
Explain that people met online may not be who they
say they are.
• When face-to-face meetings seem appropriate—the
person is a student from a nearby school, for
example—the meeting should be arranged only with
your approval. It should be in a safe public place, and
you or another responsible adult should be present.
• Children should never give out personal information
over the Internet. They should use an online name (not
their real name) and never reveal their address,
telephone number, or any identifying information.
• No pictures, letters, or telephone calls should be
exchanged with online acquaintances without your
approval. Monitor such communications.
• If online acquaintances send your children email that
makes them uncomfortable or that they know is
obscene, they should inform you at once. The same
applies to information they see on message boards or
chat rooms.
Making Online Purchases• Children need to learn to be savvy consumers. The term
“free” doesn’t always mean free. Con artists use the term
to attract more business. The children should ask you
before signing up for anything over the Internet, even
when signing up does not require a credit card number.
• Encourage an attitude of healthy skepticism toward
websites that offer prizes or giveaways. Chances are,
all the child has “won” is the opportunity to buy
something he or she didn’t want in the first place.
• Establish explicit rules for getting clearance for online
purchases, including documentation to be kept.
Following Links• Consider using a family-safe or child-safe search engine
or a filter, blocking, or ratings system. Some services
have a “kids only” section so you can be sure the
children won’t have access to questionable material.
• Encourage your children to ask you to check out new
sites with them.
• Be responsive and nonjudgmental if they tell you about
an inappropriate site they found accidentally.
The Internet can be a wonderful toolfor children and youth
• Homework: Kids can use the most current news,
encyclopedias, and other source materials to find
information for research projects.
• Communication: Kids can use email and public
message boards to keep in touch with family and
friends.
• Entertainment and education: Kids can use the Internet
to make a virtual visit to a museum, take a college
course, play games, etc.
But the Internet can also be dangerous. Here are some
things families can do to encourage today’s computer-
savvy young people to be computer-safe.
Using the Computer Is a Family Affair• Agree on a list of rules and post it by the computer. The
rules should cover how long children can spend on the
Internet, how late they can surf the Web, what they may
and may not visit on the Web, and whether or not they
are allowed to make purchases over the Web. Have
everyone in the household sign an Internet pledge (see
www.safekids.com/kidsrules.htm).
• Talk to your kids. Keep the lines of communication
open, and never blame the victim! If a child tells you
about an upsetting event experienced online, don’t
blame him or her. How you react will affect how much
he or she shares with you in the future.
Nat
iona
l Cri
me
Pre
vent
ion
Co
unci
l10
00 C
onn
ectic
ut A
venu
e, N
W •
13t
h F
loo
r •
Was
hing
ton,
DC
2003
6 •
ww
w.n
cpc.
org
You
have
lot
s of
cho
ices
for
buy
ing
pres
crip
tion
dru
gs t
hese
day
s. A
mon
g th
em
are
onlin
e ph
arm
acie
s. M
any
onlin
e ph
arm
acie
s of
fer
grea
ter
conv
enie
nce
and
low
er p
rice
s th
an t
he c
orne
r dr
ugst
ore,
but
if y
ou d
on’t
kno
w f
or s
ure
if t
he s
ell-
er y
ou’re
deal
ing
with
is le
gitim
ate,
you
may
be
at r
isk
of r
ecei
ving
pro
duct
sth
at
are
cont
amin
ated
, cou
nter
feit
, or
not
appr
oved
by
the
FDA
—or
you
may
pay
and
rece
ive
noth
ing
at a
ll.
Cou
nter
feit
dr
ugs
can
be
dang
erou
s to
yo
ur
heal
th.
Cou
nter
feit
m
edic
ine
may
be
inef
fect
ive
or
caus
e se
riou
s si
de e
ffec
ts s
uch
as a
n al
lerg
ic r
eact
ion.
Dru
gs t
hat
are
legi
tim
ate
but
not
corr
ectl
y pr
escr
ibed
(fo
r ex
ampl
e, t
hose
pres
crib
ed
by
an
onlin
e do
ctor
w
ho
has
not
exam
ined
yo
u)
can
also
be
harm
ful
or i
neff
ecti
ve.
Her
e ar
e so
me
tips
for
buy
ing
pres
crip
tion
dru
gs o
nlin
e:
1.
Nev
er p
urch
ase
pres
crip
tion
dru
gs w
itho
ut y
our
doct
or’s
pre
scri
ptio
n.S
ome
onlin
e ph
arm
acie
s w
ill s
ell y
ou d
rugs
wit
hout
one
or
only
req
uire
tha
t yo
u fi
ll
out
a sh
ort
ques
tion
nair
e. T
akin
g dr
ugs
wit
hout
the
adv
ice
of a
hea
lthc
are
prof
essi
onal
may
put
you
at
risk
for
dru
g in
tera
ctio
ns a
nd o
ther
ser
ious
con
-
sequ
ence
s.
2.
Be
fam
iliar
wit
h th
e m
edic
atio
ns y
ou t
ake,
inc
ludi
ng t
he c
olor
, si
ze,
shap
e,
tast
e, a
nd s
ide
effe
cts.
If
you
rece
ive
a co
unte
rfei
t m
edic
atio
n, y
ou m
ay b
e
able
to
iden
tify
it
mor
e ea
sily
.
3.
Mak
e su
re t
he p
acka
ge o
r co
ntai
ner
the
med
icat
ion
com
es i
n ha
s no
t be
en
alte
red
or t
he l
abel
cha
nged
.
4.
Onl
y bu
y pr
escr
iptio
n m
edic
atio
ns fr
om a
lice
nsed
pha
rmac
y, o
nlin
e or
off
line.
To d
eter
min
e if
a w
ebsi
te is
a li
cens
ed p
harm
acy
in g
ood
stan
ding
, ch
eck
with
the
Nat
iona
l Ass
ocia
tion
of B
oard
s of
Pha
rmac
y (w
ww.
nabp
.net
, 847
-698
-622
7).
5.
Do
not
purc
hase
dru
gs f
rom
a f
orei
gn w
ebsi
te.It
may
be
illeg
al t
o im
port
the
drug
s bo
ught
fro
m t
hese
sit
es.
6.
Use
com
mon
sen
se.I
f th
e w
ebsi
te a
dver
tise
s a
drug
as
a “m
irac
le c
ure”
for
a
dise
ase
or p
ushe
s a
drug
that
gua
rant
ees
wei
ght l
oss,
the
clai
ms
are
prob
ably
fals
e.
7.
Rep
ort
any
web
site
for
a p
harm
acy
that
you
thi
nk i
s ill
egal
or
any
drug
you
purc
hase
d th
at y
ou s
uspe
ct i
s co
unte
rfei
t. I
f yo
u bo
ught
the
dru
g by
mai
l,
tele
phon
e, o
r in
per
son,
con
tact
the
FD
A’s
Med
wat
ch p
rogr
am a
t 8
00
-33
2-
10
88
or
at w
ww
.fda
.gov
/med
wat
ch/.
To r
epor
t a
coun
terf
eit
drug
tha
t yo
u
boug
ht o
n th
e In
tern
et, vi
sit
ww
w.f
da.g
ov/o
c/bu
yonl
ine/
buyo
nlin
efor
m.h
tmor
call
the
Med
wat
ch n
umbe
r.
Prot
ectin
gYo
urse
lf Fr
omCo
unte
rfeit
Drug
s
If yo
u do
n’t k
now
for s
ure
if th
e se
ller
you’
re d
ealin
g wi
th is
legi
timat
e, y
ou m
ay b
e at
risk
of re
ceivi
ng p
rodu
cts
that
are
con
tam
inat
ed,
coun
terfe
it, o
r not
appr
oved
by
the
FDA.
®