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07/11/03 - Safe Surfing Tips for Parents

Parents can find out at Cumbria County Council libraries next week how to protect their children from harmful material or dangerous contacts on the Internet. Events are being held at Whitehaven and Barrow for Parents Online Safety Week, November 10-14, and information is available from all libraries.    

Councillor Tim Heslop, Cumbria County Council Cabinet member with responsibility for libraries, said:   

"The Internet is great fun and can be a real help with homework. However, there can be safety issues when children go online. This week is an opportunity for parents to find out how to protect their children when using the Internet."   

At Whitehaven, free drop-in sessions are being held in the children’s area of the Daniel Hay Library to allow parents a chance to find out more while visiting the library with their children. They are taking place on: 

  • Tuesday November 11, betweeen 3.30pm and 6pm   
  • Wednesday November 12 between 10.30am and 12.30pm, coinciding with a drop-in children’s activity for under-fives. 
  • Thursday November 13 between 5.30pm and 7pm.   

At BarrowLibrary there is a free event for all parents who want to catch up with their kids and learn how to use the Internet and e-mail or who want to find out more about safe surfing for all the family. It is on Monday November 10 between 1.30pm and 2.30pm. Advance booking is required.   

Information is available on request at any county library and parents can also follow a link from www.cumbria.gov.uk/libraries-archives/libraries, the county council libraries website, to parentsonline.gov.uk for lots more detailed help. 

Parents Online says that children tend to use the Internet differently from adults, and more for entertainment and chatting. But the dangers include pornography, paedophiles, fraud and bullying.   

Its advice to parents is to find out how their child uses the Internet and how they communicate; to use the controls which already exist on their computer; to keep any firewall programmes updated; to teach their children the rules for safe surfing.