Hello Everyone,
Evelyn here,
with more "From The Loft To The Streets". Below is a copy of the the most recent news release from the Attorney General Bil McCollum on the new CyperSafety program.
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Office of the Attorney General
Bill McCollum
Attorney General of Florida
PRESS RELEASE
May 21, 2007
McCOLLUM HOSTS CYBERSAFETY PRESENTATION IN LEE COUNTY
~ Attorney General talks about internet safety, SafeSurf initiative ~
TALLAHASSEE, FL – Closely following the statewide launch of a new
cybersafety initiative, Attorney General Bill McCollum today addressed
parents, teachers and students at a countywide internet safety presentation
at Caloosa Elementary School in Lee County. Speaking at the invitation of
the Lee County School Board, Attorney General McCollum emphasized the
growing need for cybersafety education at all levels, from parents in the
home to kids and teachers in Florida schools. He also encouraged audience
members to visit and use his new cybersafety website located at
http://www.safeflorida.net.
“While it is certainly important to have stronger laws against
internet sex predators and child pornography, education for internet users
of all ages is paramount,” said Attorney General McCollum. “Parents and
children alike must be more aware of the dangers often encountered online
and understand and employ basic safety tips for surfing theinternet.”
After Attorney General McCollum spoke with the attendees about the
importance of cybersafety and the potential hazards online, the audience
separated into three groups to receive more in-depth presentations. Members
of the Attorney General’s Child Predator CyberCrime Unit worked with
elementary, middle school and high school students, and adults to focus on
age-appropriate internet safety tips such as the importance of knowing who
children are talking to online before giving out personal information such
as addresses or phone numbers.
The SafeSurf websites, accessible through http://www.safeflorida.net
provide valuable information to adults, teens and younger children about
staying safe while surfing the internet. The SafeSurf children’s page
includes several entertaining and educational games that teach internet
safety, while the SafeSurf teen page offers tips on safeguarding personal
information, avoiding dangerous situations.A teen webpage also displays a
link to the CyberCrime Unit’s MySpace page and stories from teenagers who
were victimized on the internet. The SafeSurf page for adults provides a
guide to popular internet language used in chat rooms and gives safety
advice on how to monitor children’s activities online.
In addition to the new websites, Attorney General McCollum announced
that his office will be presenting CyberSafety programs, similar to the
ones delivered tonight, in schools across the state beginning this fall.
The presentations will enable school children to identify potential
internet threats so they are better able to protect themselves. The
school-based initiative will also include the Internet Student Advisory
Council which matches technology-savvy teenagers with the CyberCrime Unit’s
law enforcement team.
More information about Attorney General McCollum’s cybercrime
initiative is available online at: http://www.safeflorida.net/SafeSurf.
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Evelyn out.
