Virginia first state to require Web safety lessons

[Gunny]

Associated Press
updated 4:51 p.m. CT, Sun., April. 6, 2008

MIDLOTHIAN, Va. - On a screen at the front of a classroom, Gene Fishel flashed an online social-networking profile of "hotlilflgirl," which said she was 15, enjoys being around boys and wants to meet new people.

The next image revealed the real "hotlilflgirl" — a mug shot of a 31-year-old man who was convicted of sexually abusing 11 children he met online and was sentenced to 45 years in prison.

"Not little, not fly and not a girl," said Fishel, a Virginia assistant attorney general. He warned his audience about the dangers of sharing personal information on the Internet and agreeing to meet Web acquaintances in person.

Fishel's presentation at James River High School recently was one of many being held this school year in the state, the first to mandate that public schools offer Internet safety classes for all grade levels.

Policy gaining steam
Nationally, Texas and Illinois are among states that have since passed their own Internet safety education laws, but unlike Virginia they don't make the courses mandatory.

more ... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23984625/

One would think parents would have already drummed this into their kid's heads.

 

[Abelian Sea]

One would think parents would have already drummed this into their kid's heads.

Nuthin' wrong with getting good advice from multiple sources.

Also, not all kids have internet access at home, so this may not be an area their parents have told them much about.

Many students, though, can access the internet from school, and though it is restricted and monitored, kids are clever; if the school is going to have that door, they may as well advise the kids about the dangers should they decide to slip through it.

 

[Gunny]

Nuthin' wrong with getting good advice from multiple sources.

Also, not all kids have internet access at home, so this may not be an area their parents have told them much about.

Many students, though, can access the internet from school, and though it is restricted and monitored, kids are clever; if the school is going to have that door, they may as well advise the kids about the dangers should they decide to slip through it.

I have no problem with the schools giving classes on it. Whether or not kids have internet at home, I would think this being 2008, it would still be discussed. I talked to my daughter about it before we had a PC in our house.

Just seems like common sense to me. Well, maybe THAT's it ....