Family Internet Safety Guide

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3Family Internet Safety Guide ❘ Summer 2010 ❘3

The Family Internet Safety Guide is a

product of the

Available on-line atwww.pgcitizen.caGeneral Inquiries

250-562-2441

PublisherHugh Nicholson

Associate Editor Mick Kearns

Reader SalesColleen Sparrow

AdvertisingLu Verticchio

Creative Colleen McComb

Please Recycle

inside...introduction...3the family code...4Pine Centre safety awareness...6the internet...8 uses of internet...8 - 12

- searching for information...8- how do i know it is true...9- blogs...10- chat rooms & social

networks...11- paedophilia...11- undesirable sites...11- copy & paste...12

cyber bullying...1310 recommendations

for adults...14it takes a community...15 community policing...16tweens - value yourself...18

Pine Centre and the Citizenworking together to keepyour children safeIn today's world of instant information theInternet is a hot spot that attracts all ages.The Prince George Citizen newspaper staff andespecially publisher, Hugh Nicholson, sees theimportance of having parents take note ofadvice and guidelines placed in the FamilyInternet Safety Guide to promote safety whileusing the Internet as well as touching onissues at school and in the community wherechildren may also be vulnerable.Nicholson keeps up with the informationindustry and found the Internet in the Familysafety guide on the World Association ofNewspapers website."With all of the publicity surrounding somevery tragic events like abductions that havehappened in Vancouver, for example, where an18-year-old was abducted by someone shehad met online and her body was later found,as a parent we all have concerns about whatour children are doing on the Internet, who iswatching them, quite frankly and some of thebad things that have happened as a result ofInternet use," said Nicholson.

Cont’d on page 4

❘ Family Internet Safety Guide ❘ Summer 2010

Reprinted in cooperation with the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers.© WAN-IFRA (2009-2010) All rights reserved.

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Cont’d from page 3"As part of our role as a newspaper we wanted to

present this to the community with much-appreciat-ed cooperation from School District 57 andSuperintendent Brian Pepper, the RCMP and theirCommunity Policing division and our sponsors thePine Centre Mall and their general manager, SonyaHunt. Working together we were able to put this out.We're excited about this publication. We think that ifparents take the time to sit down and review it withtheir children we will all be smarter consumers of theInternet and hopefully our children will be a little bitsafer as well."Social networking is now an Internet activity thatcomes with consequences if not managed properly,exposure to inappropriate materials and Internetpredators are all part of an online user's world andthis guide will address many of the issues that comewith Internet use."We need to be aware there may be predators online- paedophiles or people who are looking to do harmto our family members by using the Internet to gainour confidence," said Nicholson. "I think there are is a

lot of content on the Internet and much of it is unreg-ulated so I think we definitely want to protect ourchildren from things like pornographic sites, fromsites that are preaching hate and racism and thisguide explains how we can safe guard our kids."This guide will be distributed to every Grade 5 and 6student in School District 57 before school is out forthe summer."Our resources were limited so we knew we could notdistribute 15,000 guides so we spoke to the officialsat School District 57 and they recommended Grade 5and 6 students as the key demographic and wedecided to offer the hard copy of the guide to them,"said Nicholson. "Having said that, we will have a PDFversion of the publication, which will be available onour website for anyone to print off if they wish and touse as a reference."The Prince George Citizen community newspapertakes its obligation seriously to not only inform read-ers but to hopefully educate them as well, Nicholsonadded."I think this publication is a good example of us fulfill-ing that mandate," Nicholson.

While there is material adults wouldprefer children not see, websites theynot visit, information they not shareand people they not contact, some-times simply giving them a no for an answer is not enough to suppress their curiosity.

A family code discussed and agreed upon byconsensus is the best way to include childrenin establishing a set of rules about the use ofthe Internet in the home. Getting theminvolved in developing this code will helpthem better understand the Internet and feelmore responsible when surfing. Althoughthere is not a singular code that will apply toevery family, here are some ideas that may beuseful in creating one:

before devising a code:• Keep the computer in a common room in

the house, such as a family room, where anadult can supervise children when they areusing the Internet. It is not recommended forthe computer to be kept in a private area, suchas a bedroom.

• Print the family code and post it near thecomputer as a reminder to children and friendswho visit about the conditions of use the chil-dren themselves contributed to producing.

• Realize the best way to understand howchildren use the Internet is for adults to use itthemselves.

• Propose rules for three aspects of the situa-tion: how to use the Internet, personal safetyand what to do when faced with unexpectedand undesirable circumstances online.

Cont’d on page 5

The familycode

4 ❘ Family Internet Safety Guide ❘ Summer 2010

▼ introduction

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The familycode

▼ the family code

Cont’d from page 4

here is an example of a family code as agreedupon by consensus:

1. The computer should be kept in a common roomand nowhere else.

2.Visiting pornographic, racist or hate sites is notallowed.

3.The use of aggression or threats in e-mail, chat linesor in any other form of Internet communication will notbe tolerated.

4.Visiting private chat rooms that may be unsafe is notallowed. A family discussion should be held before any-one joins a new forum.

5. No one should use the Internet for more than cer-tain amount of hours at a time; the amount of time maydepend on a child’s age.

6. Purchasing articles online or subscribing to a servicenot previously discussed with the family is not allowed.

7. Personal information such as one’s name, age, sex,home address, telephone number, etc. should not begiven out in a forum, chat room, MSN or e-mail.

8. No one should arrange a face-to-face meeting with“friends”known through the Internet without parentalpermission and supervision.

9. No one should respond to messages that areunknown, aggressive, insulting, unwanted or Spam. Inthese cases, a child should always inform an adult.

10. Everyone should share with a household adult anydoubt, concern, problem, distress or uncomfortable situ-ation related to using the Internet.

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The new general managerfor the Pine Centre Mall,Sonya Hunt, quickly settledinto her job.

Right away, she noticed that the mallhad become a place where unaccompa-nied children and young teens werespending long hours. That didn’t seemright to her and she reacted with genuine

concern for their safety and well-being.The result was the development of a Codeof Conduct respecting the way people areto behave while on Pine Centre Mall prop-erty. Those policies came into effect April1, 2010.

One rule is that no children undertwelve years of age are permitted in themall unless accompanied by a parent orlegal guardian. Hunt believes that aware-ness of children’s safety should be para-mount. That’s why she agreed to sponsora publication on this subject.

“No supervision is provided by themall," said Hunt. "Children need to knowto ask for help if needed. Our security staffare in uniform and there is also help avail-able through the Customer Service Centreat the main entrance (outside Coles book-store).”

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Cont’d on page 7

safety awarenessfor your tween

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7Family Internet Safety Guide ❘ Summer 2010 ❘

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The sad reality is that youngsters are highly vulnera-ble to bullying, abuse or abduction when left unat-tended. Predators may be in the mall watching for chil-dren who are on their own. Parents need to talk to chil-dren and young teens about the dangers of becominginvolved with people promoting the use of drugs orbecoming involved in gangs or illegal activity likestealing.

The mall exists as a place of business. It is also whereyoung people can come to have fun with friends. PineCentre is a great place to find out about and try on thelatest fashions. Stores in the mall regularly featureproducts advertised on television, in magazines and innewspapers. The very latest technology is intriguing toeveryone.

“The Pine Centre Mall is for everyone," said Hunt."We want to encourage young people to enjoy comingto the mall, but we want them to be safe.”

She has ideas for connecting with young people bydeveloping a presence through social media likeFacebook and Twitter. The mall’s website www.pine-centremall.com will feature Back-To-School promotionslater in the summer.

She is also keen about the Youth AmbassadorProgram currently under development. Expected to be

in place by the fall, this program will involve ways foryoung people to give input to mall promotions,

building the mall’s social media pages, oppor-tunities for mentorship with mer-

chants and learning about business.Likely there will be fun activities like handing out

balloons, wearing the mall mascot costume, assistingshoppers with directions, and helping promoteupcoming special events.

Cont’d from page 6

▼ safety awareness for your tween

Sonya Hunt would like parents tomake sure their children follow theseinstructions for being safe while visitingthe mall:

1) always go with a friend

2) carry a cell phone

3) arrange a set time and place to be pickedup by your parent or guardian

4) never leave the mall with a stranger

5) if you sense that you are in danger, immediately seek out a security guard, customer service representative or any mallmerchant and ask for help.

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searching for informationMany adolescents use the Internet as a source of

information when preparing a school project. Becauseof the abundance of information online, young peoplemight feel they can find all the information they needfrom a single source. However, sifting through millionsof web pages is not an easy task.

Having access to an almost unlimited source of infor-mation does not mean children know how to use it.Learning how to search for what they need is one ofthe most important challenges the Internet poses foryoung people.

how can we help children in their search forinformation on the internet?

• Help them choose a search engine. It is importantto select a search engine that will direct children to theinformation they need. The most popular is Google butit is not the only one.

• Help them know what questions to ask. Searchengines are not as effective if a user uses only oneword in a search, especially if the word is ambiguouswith respect to the information being sought. Clearlydefining a question or search criteria is the first step toa successful search.

• Help them be specific. The more specific a child canbe in his search, the more effective the search.Sometimes being specific requires entering a keyphrase instead of a key word. If the search for a wordor a phrase leads to very few or too many results,

rephrase the inquiry.• Help them define the language. A search can be

conducted by searching sites in various languages. If achild is searching for information in English, he willhave to be sure to note this preference. Specifying thelanguage will help narrow the results.

• Help them determine their priorities. Whena search engine returns the results of asearch, a list of pages is displayed. The firstsite listed does not mean that information isthe most reliable. If possible, it is helpful for achild to try to find out why the results pagesare listed in a particular order. Is it becausethe creator of the page paid a fee for thisadvantage? Is it because the particularpage has had the highest number oflinks attached to it? Is it because ofthe number of visits to that specificsite? The answers to thesequestions may also helpin the search.

• Help them use morethan one Web page. Oneof the most effectiveways to conduct a reli-able search is to seekinformation in morethan one place. Thishelps guarantee varietyand plurality in the dataprovided.

Every Internet user is different, lives in aparticular and distinct context and undergoesa variety of experiences that will in partdetermine their use of new technology.

It is important to remember the positivepotential and the rich content the Internetprovides users. Before discussing the risksassociated with the Internet, let’s remembersome of its benefits:

the internet• Provides faster and smoother communication.• Brings together people of different societies.• Promotes multicultural exchange among users.• Presents an array of information.• Facilitates and expands research possibilities.• Provides instant access to information.• Promotes higher interactivity between users andtechnology.• Fosters creativity through the production of blogsand personal web pages.• Enhances sociability by allowing a child to chat withothers and play fun games.• Introduces new topics of conversation betweenadults and children.While keeping in mind the variety of content the

Internet offers and its usefulness in everyday life, wemust also consider ways to avoid some of the risks andtake more advantage of its potential. One such way isfor children and adults to use the Internet together.

the

internet

uses of internet


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uses of internet

Most children using the Internetgive credibility to the informationprovided. They search for data, pre-pare homework, ask questions andwrite down the responses withoutactually analyzing the source ofthe information.

Children need to learn just asthey would not ask advice fromsomeone they did not trust in reallife, they should treat the Internetwith similar caution. While it wouldbe useful to know who’s who onthe Internet and who is actuallyanswering their questions, it is notalways obvious if what they arereading on the Internet is reliable.There various ways they can check.

• Use more than one source ofinformation. Compare books,newspapers, specialized periodi-cals and different web sites on theInternet. If a site is inconsistentwith another one, children willrealize that the information on oneof them is inaccurate.

• Differentiate between facts andopinions. If a site provides opin-ions, children should look for othermethods of exploring the factsthat may support the opinions,whether through other web pagesor other sources.

• Analyze how much researchhas been done by a websitebefore the information was provid-ed. Scope out the site to learn howoften data is updated.

• Check the site’s links. Whenchildren use the Internet, they

may hop from one site to thenext, using various links.Becoming familiar with thelinks provided on a site canbe a good way to evaluatea site’s credibility. Learningwhich other sites are rec-ommended and to whichsites users are referred canbe an indicator of the relia-bility of the informationprovided.

• Think about the organi-zations and institutions of

everyday life that are reliablewhen providing information and

search their sites. If we trust themin the real world, it is possible wecan also trust their information onthe Internet.

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uses of internet

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blogsBlogs are like online diaries where kids, teens and

adults can write about many subjects. However, theyare not private and, in most cases, anyone can viewthem. Blogs can also be a way for people to connectover common interests, keep up-to-date on whatfriends are doing and learn about other places or cul-tures. At the same time, blogs may pose a danger toyoung people who use such places as an intimatediaries or stumble upon a blog with inappropriatecontent.

here are some things toremember about blogs

• Use blog-sorting websites, which either filter badblogs or highlight good ones.

• Some bloggers post their full name, school, homeaddress and/or phone number. Don't do it. This isdangerous because strangers could then easily findyour child.

• Be suspicious as people who post comments orrequest your child as a friend on a blog service suchas Myspace or Facebook might not be telling thetruth about who they are.

• Users should be cautious about posting photos totheir blogs because people could confront them inpublic or use their photos inappropriately.

• Many blog services have safety or privacy fea-tures. Users should activate such settings to keeptheir private information within a more privatedomain. For example, profiles should be visible onlyto their accepted friends.

• Get the conversation started early. Parents shouldencourage children to routinely tell them if they havea cool new blog because many youth think their par-ents will make them delete if they find out about it.

• Parents might create their own family blogs andask the child for help.


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uses of internet

pedophilia• Chat rooms are a main concern of adults with regard to paedophilia.Adults should explain to children not all forums are safe and stress the needto let adults know which chat rooms they use.• Check with an Internet service provider about the different ways to blockaccess to unsafe chat rooms from children.• Ask the Internet service provider to recommend appropriate forums foryoung people.• Do not allow children to disclose their personal information on theInternet. If they have already done so, explain why they should never do thisagain and follow up with the information provided above.• Ask about and take interest in both online and real-life friends. Adultsshould get to know and be aware of the people with whom children arecommunicating online.• Explain to children online friends are strangers in the real world. Let chil-dren know if they are willing to meet their online friends in person, an adultshould accompany them.

• Encourage children to tell adults if they encounterany e-mail or sites that make them feel bad oruncomfortable and make clear tothem an adult can help solve theproblem.

Chat rooms are digital spaceswhere people who may not per-sonally know each other caninteract, discuss and talk.

Chat rooms often have specificthemes including ones designedfor youth and teens.

However, participants may lieabout their age and may actuallybe adult predators who couldendanger real youth partaking inthe group. It is common for suchpeople to eventually admit tolying about their age and youthshould take this as a precautionthat they are dealing with anadult and cease communicationwith them. Chat rooms shouldnot be a place to foster new rela-tions with strangers who maynot always be who they say theyare.Here are some tips on how tobe active and safe in a chatroom

• Parents should remind chil-dren to not give out any privateinformation such as addresses,telephone numbers or photos.

• Parents should talk with theirchildren about the chat roomsand social networks they like.

• Youth and teens should stayin chat rooms and social net-works within their age range

• Participants should cut off allcommunication with anyone in achat group who makes an inap-propriate comment or revealsthey have lied about anything.

• Youth and teenagers shoulduse chat rooms only to talk toreal life friends and family.

chat rooms andsocial networks

pornographyWhen children use the Internet, there are an unlim-

ited number of sites available but some are risky orinappropriate. Pornographic sites and paedophiliacpages are just two examples of Internet use that canhave a negative effect on children. The first measureadults can take is to install blocking and filtering soft-ware to prevent access to these sites. But there arealso other alternatives:

• Do not allow children to use their personal e-mailto subscribe to services, publications or informationon the Internet.

• Always use a family e-mail address.• Build a family code agreed upon by consensus

with the children, and explain unauthorized content,such as pornography, etc.

• Search for web pages adults and children can viewtogether.

• Check with the Internet service provider about theavailability of blocking and filtering software for unde-sirable content.

• Go beyond websites and be aware of unwanted e-mails and spam as well since they too may containunwanted pornographic messages.

• Explain to children the need to delete these typesof messages before reading them. Never answer thesemessages.

• Encourage children to tell household adults if theyencounter any e-mail or site that makes them feel bador uncomfortable. Make clear to them an adult canhelp solve the problem.

undesired sites


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Copy and paste are two wordsthat seem to be popular with chil-dren who use the Internet to dohomework. Some children may finda text on a site and copy and pasteit directly into their own school-work.

Some children may think everypiece of information available onthe Internet can be copied and usedliterally, without quoting the source.Children should be taught themeaning of plagiarism – takingsomeone else’s ideas and present-ing them as one’s own – as soon asthey start using the Internet to dohomework.

When a student takes a docu-ment from a website and duplicatesit word for word, without referenceto the author or the source, a parentor teacher may believe the studentis the author.The problem of plagia-rism is then compounded with astudent’s inability to develop criticalthinking skills.The ability to thinkcritically about a text is diminished ifa student simply copies and pastesa document as it appears.

How can we explain this to chil-dren?

• It is valuable and correct to usetexts and sources provided on theInternet, provided these sources arequoted and properly referenced.

• Children should be encouragedto write information taken from theInternet in their own words, insteadof copying a text just as it is. In thiscase, it is important they cite thewebsites used.

• Children should read and rereadinformation from the Internet sever-al times before using it in order tocheck its reliability.

• Adults should help children seekinformation on different websites.

• Most importantly, adults shouldteach children how to evaluatewebsites, which questions to askabout a text and how to analyze theresults.

• Adults should recommend thewebsites of recognizable institu-tions which provide reputable infor-mation.

• Children should be reminded ateacher could detect easily a textcopied from a web site because ifmany students refer to the samesite, the work they present is oftenidentical.

• Using several sources, analyzingthem, quoting and rewriting theinformation in one’s own words isalways the best approach.

copy andpaste

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uses of internet

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Positive uses for communications technology makeour lives convenient. Cell phones and computersallow us to stay in touch. That same convenience canalso be abused by those intent on creating mischief,causing annoyance or making threats.

Cyber bullying can cause misery. It is easy toassume the recipient could just avoid opening anymessage from a meanie. But the way social networkslike Facebook and Twitter work, 'friend requests' tendto be accepted and results in postings which every-one can see. People need to be reminded that any-body who becomes annoying can be deleted fromthe 'friends' list so that person’s messages no longercome through.

Local businessman Gary Townsend understandsmodern communications technology and how it canbe used and abused. Once he became aware of theproblems young people were having, he decided totake a proactive approach. He developed workshopson the subject of cyber bullying for parents, teensand younger children. The workshops will be offeredagain in the fall. Call 250-613-9326 or e-mail him [email protected] for more information.

tips for children• Use street smarts when communicating on the

computer. Don’t share personal information withstrangers. Think of an alias to use online instead ofyour real name and identity so you can control whoknows it’s you.

• Go on the internet for a purpose; don’t 'wander

aimlessly' in cyberspace. Just like thereal world, there are dangers in thevirtual world, too.

• Have a variety of things to do duringthe day. Sitting at a computer screen forhours detracts from having a balanced life.That’s like working but not getting paid!

• Don’t provoke fights. You can ignore threatsand mean comments. Consider the source and don’tacknowledge rude people.

tips for parents• Monitor your child’s computer use. Set up the

computer in a common area like the family room.• Check your child’s call log and text messages to

see who is contacting them.• There is no need for children to use cell phones

overnight. Set that rule from the beginning and pre-vent chatting and texting from interfering with sleep.

• Don’t assume a child is capable of making deci-sions which are best for him or her.

For every good use of technology, there is alwaysan evil one.

It is always a good idea to consider the source ifsomebody behaves in a cruel way. Insecure andunhappy people sometimes attempt to feel betterabout themselves by putting others down. That isno way to be a friend. Our grandmothers were rightwhen they used the old adage,“If you would have afriend, then be one!”

tips for avoiding and preventing

cyber bullying


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1. Spend time with children online.As with other media, the bestway for an adult to know howchildren use the Internet is touse it along with them.Thisallows an adult to understandwhat children do when they surfthe Internet, to know theirfavourite online sites and the waythey use the Internet.The key to thisshared navigation is dialogue.

2. Create an Internet Family Codetogether.Encourage a discussion with children about writ-ing a family code together and about the use of theInternet, such as the amount of time per day, author-ized content and sites that may be visited; rules aboutchat rooms, etc.

3. Encourage children to discusswhat is bothering them with adults. Children unintentionally may find bothersome sites onthe Internet. Explain to them they should not feel theyare alone when confronted with a message or a webpage that makes them feel badly. Let them know theywill feel better if they share this information with thefamily.

4. Keep the computer in a shared area of the house. When children use the computer alone in their bed-rooms, it is more difficult for adults to share experiencewith them. Keep the computer in a family room.

5. Place the laptop in a common room as well.Some families use a laptop and in this case as well it’simportant that it is kept in a common room. If childrenbring a laptop to their bedroom, they will be using italone without an adult present.

6. Explain to children the importance of not giving out personal data.Many children provide personal data via the Internetnot only to new friends but also to sites from whichthey want to receive information. Adults should makeit clear that children should not give out their personaldata under any circumstances. If they would like tosubscribe to a website, it is better to create a familyaccount to receive the information or any messages.

7. Use more than a single web page as asource when doing homework. Internet is one of the sources children habitually use to

do homework. Adults should explain to children thevalue of visiting more than one web site when con-ducting a search for information, of using pages withdifferent viewpoints and of citing the sources used.

8. Ask about chat room activity. Children and adolescents love chatting and this is amain activity for them on the Internet. Adults shouldensure the chat rooms they use are safe and shouldparticipate in them if necessary. Adults should alsoknow which friends are chatting with their children.

9. Collaborate with an Internet Serviceprovider. Check with an Internet Service provider to learn aboutthe tools available to protect young children whilethey are using the Internet. Call and ask providers toinstall these devices.

10. Filter use. Although dialogue, communication and agreement byconsensus are the most important tools for learningabout how children use the Internet, filters or otherprotection systems are also valuable. Find out the bestoptions in addition to what is offered by an Internetservice provider.The World Association of Newspapers thanks RoxanaMorduchowicz, Argentina Media Education and thesetrustworthy organizations and publications for theirideas: OFCOM Report. Media Literacy. London. 2006;Parent Resource Center – iKeepSafe Coalition, 2008,ikeepsafe.org/PRC/, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, TeenSafety on the Internet, www.pamf.org/teen/life/risktak-ing/internet.html

10 recommendations foradults


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THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP

The Prince George Native Friendship Centre 1600 T HIRD A VENUE , P RINCE G EORGE , BC 250 564-3568 www.pgnfc.com

00668729 The Prince George Native Friendship Centre has grown and continues to be one of the largest and busiest com - munity service delivery agencies in Prince George. Our clientele of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples have supported the Centre’s program offerings for the last 40 years. The Friendship Centre provides culturally appropriate pro - gramming to meet the com - munity’s unique and diverse needs. We offer a wide variety of services, which include edu - cational, cultural, employment, health, and social programs.

MEDICINE WHEEL Safety plans are important tools for chil - dren. A safety plan sets out possible

actions you can take to increase your safety and the safety of your children.

They can help you prepare for the possibility of further violence. There are many different aspects of safety planning. The safety plans are presented using the medicine wheel teachings. You can explore safety-planning techniques across a range of elements. Most safety plans deal only with how to escape in a crisis and get to someplace safe. In addi - tion to physical safety planning,

the safety plans also deal with the emotional, mental and spiritual

aspects of being and keeping safe.

The proverb ‘it takes a village to raise achild' happens to be true. It is also truethat modern parents need some help.

Almost all parents are working and many families endup moving away from their home towns and leavingbehind the support once provided by relatives. In themeantime, modern technology has loomed into chil-dren’s lives. Along with that convenience, opportunityfor interference in their lives can come from unwantedcontact.

Schools are responsible for the safety of their stu-dents while on school property during school hours.This involves taking attendance and checking on anychild who is not at school. Nancy Armstrong, principalat Ron Brent Elementary, describes how the schoolaccounts daily for every child.

“A call is made every morning for any child not atschool if a parent or guardian has not called in," saidArmstrong. "In the rare case that a child skips out ofschool, the police are called if parents cannot be con-tacted.”

In addition, they have youth workers and other staffwho go out and look for children not in attendance.

Presentations are made in classrooms about thebasics. Children are told to walk to and from schoolwith a buddy.They are also instructed to report imme-

diately any strangers they see watching activity aroundthe school.

Teachers are also alert watch for changes in a child’sbehaviour which may signal something is wrong or hashappened to cause upset feelings.

Caution about safety begins early in elementaryschools. School counselor Nancy Alexander runs theC.A.R.E. (Challenge Abuse through Respect Education)program at Ron Brent and Spruceland. Geared forGrades 1 to 3, children are taught the basics aboutwhat to do if feeling unsafe:TALK (say no and tell theperson to go away),WALK (stay out of arm’s reach of astranger), and SQUAWK (just yell!).

Whenever she speaks to pupils in the upper elemen-tary grades, Alexander talks candidly about safety anddeveloping street smarts. Prevention and avoidance ofawkward situations can make the difference in stayingsafe. She emphasizes three points: tell parents orguardians when you are leaving; have a friend walkwith you; don’t be out after dark.

Programs are presented in the classrooms or withsmall groups meeting at school. Content is kept rele-vant to the age group so it is meaningful. Recently, on-air personality Chris Walker, host of the CBC’s Daybreakshow came to Ron Brent school to moderate a discus-sion about safety in the neighbourhood. He broadcastthe discussion from the classroom which made theevent even more interesting for those taking part.

It takes a communityVALERIE GILESSPECIAL TO THE CITIZEN


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The RCMP operates long standing successful pro-grams like D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education)and B.R.A.V.E. (Bully Resistance Anti-Violence Education)to arm youngsters against unsavoury and unlawfulinfluences.

In Prince George, two community policing offices arestaffed to provide information and support. One islocated downtown at 575 Brunswick Avenue and theother is in the Hart area at 3664 West Austin Road.

Drop by to obtain copies of useful pamphlets onsubjects of safety concern.There are also age-appropri-ate workbooks like a safety booklet for children withcomics, pictures to colour, and word games and a book-let on drug facts for young people that informs aboutdangers, positive choices, and lessons about role mod-els and making decisions.

The community policing home page at community-policing.princegeorge.ca/programs.html also has a 20-page bilingual colouring book with exercises to havefun while learning with the Safety Bear mascot.

Police have opportunities to go into schools to makepresentations on subjects like drug abuse, personalsafety and bullying, explained Constable CarissaHornoi, who is in charge of community policing inPrince George.

Modern technology has introduced dangers forunwanted contact through texting and the social net-works on the internet.Young people need to be cau-tious with personal information and who can gainaccess to it. Everyone needs to learn about the privacyand security options available and how to use them.

“Always be concerned and aware of your personalsafety and avoid places where problems are likely tooccur," said Const. Hornoi. "When you are texting, thatmeans you are temporarily unaware of your environ-ment and may not notice activity going on aroundyou.”

Technology, learning at school and education aboutlife in general is an ongoing process.

“This is all part of our social development,” Hornoisaid.“We all have a role in the raising of children in ourcommunity and we all have opportunities to make apositive impact. Business owners actually have poten-tial opportunities for crime prevention by giving goodcustomer service to young people entering their prem-ises and treating them respectfully.”

For parents, police have information to share con-cerning symptoms that your child may have becomeinvolved with the wrong friends – potentially gettinginto trouble. Drop by one of the offices or watch for thecommunity police booth at events like the home show,volunteer fair, youth conferences or the Prince GeorgeExhibition.

Community Policing

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ECE qualified teacher. Enroll your child in a safe, fun, clean creative & educational program now. Real-time webcam! Parents can peek in on their children from any computer! Password Protected! Call now 250-563-2880

PRINCE GEORGE NANNIES AND CAREGIVERS LTD. Full time live-in childcare and eldercare including housekeeping. Call Rebecca 250-612-2995

PROFESSIONAL CHILD MINDING Licensed Family Daycare by the hour. Play dates, emergency care, shopping, appointments. Ages 2 and up. 250-562-6373

TEETER TOTS EARLY LEARNING CENTRE Licensed Group Daycare and After School Care Program. Spaces available, shuttling from three local schools, two classrooms, two playgrounds and an indoor gym. Hours of operation 7am - 6pm. Please contact Theressa at (250) 964-2722 or email: [email protected] for all registration inquiries.

TINKER TOTS FAMILY DAYCARE Pinecone/Westwood Licensed full time daycare and before and after school care. Breakfast, lunch & snacks. Spaces available for ages 1-12. Call today. Open Saturdays. 250-617-3988.

ZIGGY’S BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL CARE Licensed daycare starting for September. Openings for 4 children, kindergarten to grade 5. Take children to school & pick up from school. Lots of activities. 30 years experience. References available. 250-962-6887

after school care, for typical and special needs children. Register now for our full day summer program. Highly qualified staff and 3-1 child staff ratio. Subsidy and other funding options available. For more information call: 250 561-9199

HARMONY DAY CARE Safe and affordable. Spaces available. Licensed group care, two blocks from CNC and Pine Centre. Early Childhood Education from ECE teachers. 2 1/2 to 5 yrs, before & after school care (Westwood School). 250-562-9881 for info

HEART TO HART PRESCHOOL & AFTER SCHOOL CARE We are moving. We will be in Heather Park Elem. School for fall 2010. New 3 1/2 hr morning preschool program to better prepare children for kindergarten. Before & after school care avail. Shuttle service from Glenview school. Structured program lead by ECE. Pre-registration is reccommended. 250-613-6653.

LE COIN DES PETITS PRÉMATERNELLE PRESCHOOL Register your child in this unique French preschool “Le Coin des Petits” for Sept. 2010. This program exists since 1977 and offers a life enriching experience for your child. This French preschool includes a dual track: French program or Immersion and is located beside the beautiful Fort George Park. Info line: 250-561-2565.

PAXTON SHUTTLE SERVICE Accepting applications for private shuttle service to school or home from school or to daycare. Fully licensed and insured. 250-563- 3850. www.paxtonshuttle.ca

PRESCHOOL OF THE ARTS Morning Preschool 9:00am - 11:30am. Two Programs Monday, Wednesday & Friday or Tuesday & Thursday. After school care program ages 6-11; 2:30 - 5:30pm.

B UTTERFLIES AND BLUE JEANS DAYCARE FULLTIME SPACE AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY! $50 off first month. Small licensed daycare in the Heritage/Highglen area is currently accepting children 2 1/2 - 5 yrs. We have a fun, preschool based curriculum, we provide snacks and we play outdoors daily. Well established ECE run daycare. Call Karen for more details 250-981-5581

BUZZY BEE’S CHILD CARE Lower College Heights Daycare. 1 part-time space for 1 and up Tues, Wed and Thursday and 4 and up, full or part-time. Fenced yard, snacks & lunch included. Call Candace 250-964-1151

CHILD CARE RESOURCE & REFERRAL Looking for childcare? CCRR has a database of child care centres that links parents to finding quality child care. Call our office today to receive a referral. Call 250-563-2483 or visit our website www.ccrr.bc.ca and click on Find a Child Care Provider.

CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTRE Has daycare and preschool space available for September 2010. Day care - Monday to Friday 7:30 - 5pm. Preschool Monday/Wednesday classes 9-11:30 and 1-3:30. Tuesday/Thursday classes 9-11:30 and 1-3:30. Friday classes 9-11:30. Call 250-563-7168 or drop in @ 1687 Strathcona for further information.

DEB’S DAYCARE Licensed Family Daycare in Foothills has full time spaces available Aug 1. Incl meals, arts & crafts, circle time, outside play and more. Pickup avail. from Heritage Elem. Call Debbie. 250-563-4403

ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES EARLY INTERVENTION CENTRE Therapeutic child care services. Spaces available for fully licensed year round-preschool, daycare and

Prince George Daycare & After School Care Services

671908

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Humans are very social creatures and relationshipscan be vital to a person’s wellness and growth. As youdevelop, build relationships with your family and withyourself as well as with friends.

Create friendships with people who care about youand bring positive things to your life. Ask yourself,“Whatdo I want in a relationship?”to discover what sort ofpeople you want to have in your life.

“Relationships are a two-way street, whether withyour friends or parents,”says Sandi DeWolf,TeamLeader, Early Intervention Program and Eating Disordersat Northern Health.“Each person has needs.”

For parents: Creating healthy attitudes

Remember you can influence your children to makehealthy choices, to feel capable of managing the chal-lenges of life and to realize their worth.

Good communication is vital. Simple things can helpto improve it:

• Create family “traditions.”Share meals, make time totalk, enjoy activities together.These offer opportunitiesfor creating strong bonds.

• Avoid “power struggles.” Defuse stressful situationsby taking time to calm down.Then devote your energyto working things out.

• Body language says a lot. Learn to see the feelingsbehind the message and validate them. Good commu-nication doesn’t always involve a formal discussion. Berelaxed and responsive.

Sitting down as a family and emotionally connectingwith loved ones over meals is one of the best ways todiscover what they are feeling and thinking. It is also atime to consider the role of food in our lives. Attitudesand beliefs about food and eating are central to ourhealth and well-being. Parents have great influencebecause children learn these attitudes from them.

“Regular family dinners with all family members pres-ent, have been found to help guard against many chil-dren developing maladaptive behaviours,”says DeWolf.

Parents can encourage healthy attitudes by:

• Learning about physical fitness and healthy eating.• Communicating clearly.• Problem solving with your kids.• Modeling healthy behaviours to encourage a child’s

healthy self image.• Remaining emotionally involved with your young

adult.• Teaching kids to become accepting of all kinds of

individual differences, in themselves and others.

Children need their parents.They feel better aboutthemselves when they know that they have an impor-tant place in the family.

For the ‘tween: Build a positive self-image

Think about what makes you “you.”Ask yourself:• What are three things I value about myself? • What are three things that make me interesting? • What are three things I am good at? • What are three things that I believe about myself? • What are three things that make me feel good? • Why can my friends count on me? One list cannot tell you how to turn negative

thoughts into positive ones. It can help you think aboutnew ways of being you.The more you do that, the morelikely you are to feel good about yourself.

• Appreciate all that your body can do. Laugh, run,dance, and breathe!

• Keep a top-10 list of things you like about yourself.• Remember that “true beauty” is not simply skin-

deep.• Carry yourself with confidence, self-acceptance and

openness.• Look at yourself as a whole person.• Surround yourself with positive people.• Overpower negative thoughts with positive ones.

Remember how strong you are.• Become a critical viewer of media. Pay attention to

images, slogans or attitudes that make you feel badabout yourself. Challenge them. Ask yourself what thetruth is.

• Pamper yourself. Have a bubble bath; take a nap or apeaceful walk.

For more information on healthy living, visitwww.northernhealth.ca.


T he principle core of the Kiwanis mission is the belief that the most effective way to

enhance a community is to enhance its children. When you give a child a chance to

learn, experience, dream, and succeed, great things will

happen.

664321

Tweens – Value yourself!

SUBMITTED BY NORTHERN HEALTH

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Family Internet Safety Guide

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