Online Safety

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QUICK LINKS:

Resources for Teens and Kids
Internet and the Law
Resources for Parents
Online Safety

This page is a list of online safety resources we think many will find useful. Most sites are non-profit or charity based, and the majority of information is freely available. The Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) receives no financial compensation from any entities on this page and has no control over the content of their respective websites. We offer these resources out of the belief that they will be useful in educating the community. Always be discerning and skeptical when deciding how to stay safe online.

Resources for Teens and Kids

	The Need Help Now website provides youth and parents with information about how to manage self/peer exploitation (“sexting”) incidents. The site features: • Steps youth can take to request images/videos be removed from websites • Helpful hints for how to involve a safe adult • Information about self-care and recognizing when things have gone too far
	Kids Help Phone Kids Help Phone is Canada’s only 24/7 e-mental health service offering free, confidential support to young people in English and French.
	The Canadian Centre for Child Protection reports an 89 per cent increase in the past two years in online sextortion cases among teenage boys. Dontgetsextorted.ca uses humour to talk to teens about sextortion and how they can keep themselves safe. If you’re aware of a youth that is being sextorted, visit cybertip.ca/sextortion

The Need Help Now website provides youth and parents with information about how to manage self/peer exploitation (“sexting”) incidents. The site features:

• Steps youth can take to request images/videos be removed from websites
• Helpful hints for how to involve a safe adult
• Information about self-care and recognizing when things have gone too far

Kids Help Phone Kids Help Phone is Canada’s only 24/7 e-mental health service offering free, confidential support to young people in English and French.

The Canadian Centre for Child Protection reports an 89 per cent increase in the past two years in online sextortion cases among teenage boys. Dontgetsextorted.ca uses humour to talk to teens about sextortion and how they can keep themselves safe. If you’re aware of a youth that is being sextorted, visit cybertip.ca/sextortion

Internet and the Law

	Cybertip.ca is Canada’s national tipline for reporting the online sexual exploitation of children. Tips from the public can help protect children from sexual abuse. Canadians are encouraged to report concerns to Cybertip.ca if someone they know may be victimizing children online. For more information on addressing child victimization or to report concerns visit cybertip.ca. In addition, Cybertip.ca Alerts provide important information to keep your family safe online, including concerning technology trends and new resources designed to increase children’s personal safety.
	The RCMP's website has helpful information on: •General internet safety •Online scams/frauds

Cybertip.ca is Canada’s national tipline for reporting the online sexual exploitation of children. Tips from the public can help protect children from sexual abuse. Canadians are encouraged to report concerns to Cybertip.ca if someone they know may be victimizing children online. For more information on addressing child victimization or to report concerns visit cybertip.ca. In addition, Cybertip.ca Alerts provide important information to keep your family safe online, including concerning technology trends and new resources designed to increase children’s personal safety.

The RCMP's website has helpful information on:

•General internet safety
•Online scams/frauds

Resources for Parents

	Common Sense Media helps families make smart media choices. They offer in-depth reviews and information for parents on Movies, TV Shows, Apps, Video games and much more.
	Smart Social has a useful app guide, and much more. From their website: "We at SmartSocial.com believe that the internet can be a good thing, but there are a lot of misconceptions about how families should approach it. Our team helps to bring families up to speed on their digital footprint."
	ProtectKidsOnline.ca helps parents/guardians stay on top of the digital world their children are engaging in. On this site, you will find information about the ever-changing online interests of young people, the potential risks they face and proactive strategies to help keep your child/adolescent safe while online.
	Zoe & Molly Online is an interactive series that gives kids in Grade 3 and 4 an opportunity to have some fun while exploring what it means to be safe while playing games online. All the components of the Zoe & Molly Online program, including comics, an interactive game and online safety quiz, provide an engaging learning experience for children. As children progress through the website their level of internet safety knowledge and confidence will increase.

Online Safety

	Get Cyber Safe is a national public awareness campaign created to educate Canadians about internet security and the simple steps they can take to protect themselves online. The campaign's goal is to bring together all levels of government, the public and private sectors, and the international community, to help Canadians be safer online. The campaign is an important component of Canada's Cyber Security Strategy, which is dedicated to securing government systems, partnering to secure vital cyber systems outside the federal government, and helping Canadians to be secure online. The campaign is being led by Public Safety Canada on behalf of the Government of Canada.
	The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre keeps up to date on ongoing scams, and there are lots out there. Unsavory schemes will often sound quite legitimate. Scam artists can be very good at what they do. Never give your information online to someone you don't trust. Always be discerning when receiving a phone call you weren't expecting, or with door-to-door sales tactics. If something feels off, it probably is.

Get Cyber Safe is a national public awareness campaign created to educate Canadians about internet security and the simple steps they can take to protect themselves online. The campaign's goal is to bring together all levels of government, the public and private sectors, and the international community, to help Canadians be safer online. The campaign is an important component of Canada's Cyber Security Strategy, which is dedicated to securing government systems, partnering to secure vital cyber systems outside the federal government, and helping Canadians to be secure online. The campaign is being led by Public Safety Canada on behalf of the Government of Canada.

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre keeps up to date on ongoing scams, and there are lots out there. Unsavory schemes will often sound quite legitimate. Scam artists can be very good at what they do. Never give your information online to someone you don't trust. Always be discerning when receiving a phone call you weren't expecting, or with door-to-door sales tactics. If something feels off, it probably is.

The Canadian Centre for Child Protection (C3P) is dedicated to the personal safety of all children. They offer a number of programs, services and resources for Canadians to help them protect children and reduce their risk of victimization. This page is the result of a collaborative effort between the Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) and C3P, and contains several links to their resources. C3P has also worked closely with NRPS to produce informative hand-out literature, especially geared toward parents and teens.