PARENT INTERNET RESOURCES

The goal of this section is to help parents find interesting andinformative resources on the Internet related to all aspects of parenting adolescents. Many of the web sites listed contain links to additional sites.

Adolescent Directory On-Line
Looking for a site that focuses specifically on adolescent issues? Sponsored by the Center for Adolescent Studies at Indiana University, this site is organized into the following topics: conflict and violence, mental health, health issues, counselor resources and topics of interest to teens. One click will take you to the books, articles, newsletters, magazines and agencies that focus on your topic. A wealth of information here!

ParenTalk Newsletter - Adolescence
Want helpful advice on special adolescent concerns? Sponsored by the National Parenting Center, this site contains articles for parents written by nine of the world's most renowned child-rearing authorities. Articles are added frequently and are categorized into the following groups: communicating with your teen, body image, talking about sex, talking about drugs, privacy, stress, setting limits, suicide, dealing with divorce, and high school and beyond.

Schwab Foundation for Learning
Do you have a child with learning differences? The Schwab Foundation for Learning offers a wide range of services for parents and educators to provide information, support and resources to improve the lives of students with learning differences. This site contains an excellent booklist for parents of children with learning differences, journal articles, national resources, and links to other informative sites.

Supporting Girls in Adolescence
Interested in issues that face your preadolescent or adolescent daughter? This site contains an informative article written by Diane Rothenberg that covers self-concept and academic achievement, self-image and body image and a list of support strategies for girls. There is a bibliography included and links to other ERIC Digests that contain short reports on topics of interest in education.

Role Model Project for Girls
Interested in sharing and/or discussing career opportunities with your daughter? Sponsored by the Association for Computing Machinery, Committee on Women in Computing, and other corporate programs devoted to providing professional role models to young women, this site is a great place to visit with your daughter! It offers real examples of women professionals in a wide range of non-traditional careers as well as links to schools and additional resources. You can contribute to the project by submitting a short questionnaire about your career.

National Clearinghouse for Drug and Alcohol Information
Want the facts on substance and alcohol abuse? Here is a complete resource for all of your questions. One of the links provides articles specifically directed towards teens and another for parents. Some of the titles are: "Tips for Teens: Marijuana" and "Facts on Tobacco and Cancer." These articles provide safety guidelines and well presented facts on substance abuse.

Child Safety on the Internet

Looking for practical guidelines that will ensure your child's safety on the internet? On Monday, October 1 we had an interesting Parent Seminar on Internet Safety. Leanne Shirey, Vice Section Detective for the Seattle Police Department shared some warnings about threats posed from the Internet. Among her comments were:

1. We missed the teaching of ethics with the advent of the Internet. We taught the content, but not the values surrounding its use.
2. Keep computers where they can be monitored. Most problems using the internet are visible and preventable. Keep computers out of any private area in the house.
3. Chat Rooms and Instant Messaging can be dangerous places for young children. Never allow a child to talk to someone online that might be a threat. If there is email exchanged with someone who appears to be 'grooming' or stalking a child… be sure to save the email and call the police.
4. Never have the email address of a child contain ANY personal information about them… like their name, age, sex, or home town. Make it totally random.
5. Identity Theft: Children are often the weakest link to a family's identity. They fill out lots of forms and enter contests. This information can be used to create false identities. Contact the Federal Trade Commission if you suspect your identity is being used by someone else.

Websites of Note presented by Leanne:

http://www.getnetwise.org
Filters for email here. Lots of advice. Safety tips for using the net.

http://www.fraud.org/internet/99final.htm
Internet Fraud. Current scams. General tips

http://www.fbi.gov/
This is the main FBI site. Search for "Internet" at this site and see lots of articles on internet fraud.

http://www.cyberangels.org/
Friendly page to help parents of kids online

Leanne is teaching a course that is offered locally on a regular basis. The current course is taught at Edmonds Community College. You can get this and other information by looking at her web site http://www.theinternetandyourchild.org/

Resources