Meadowbrook to Host Internet Safety Program

As a parent, Shirley Lau is concerned about many things, one of them being the dangers in cyberspace. That’s why she is taking her 12-year-old son to an Internet safety forum at on Wednesday.

The SafetyNet program is part of a countywide public education campaign led by the San Diego Police Foundation and regional law enforcement San Diego Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Attendees will learn about cyberspace threats such as cyberbullying, phishing and predators.  

“I’m hoping that he realizes it’s not just mom saying there are good people and there are untrustworthy people out there,” said Lau, who is the first V.P. in Membership for the Meadowbrook PTSA.

Lau said she hopes to learn a lot at the forum, too.

“I think our kids are much more sophisticated on the Internet than we are,” she said. “I just want to have a pulse of what’s going on, what the kids are doing, and be aware and able to monitor to have those conversations with my child.”

Safetynet Program Manager Darlene Kanzler said attendees can expect to be educated about the latest Internet trends.

“We’re different from other Internet safety providers because we’re law enforcement,” she said. “Law enforcement is going to be giving the presentation, so parents are going to learn up-to-the-minute information because we’re in the field dealing with this kind of stuff everyday.”

According to the San Diego Police Foundation’s website, 39 percent of middle school students have posted photos of themselves online, 36 percent have posted their real names and 14 percent have posted their schedules and personal contact information.

Meadowbrook PTSA President Betty Li said it is important to educate parents, which is why the PTSA is sponsoring the program.

“Parents are not usually as savvy at the computer as their kids, so we thought we would put it out there and hopefully we’ll have interested parents coming and learning something to prevent anything from happening,” she said.

Li has an eighth grade daughter who attends Meadowbrook. Although the 13-year-old has asked to use social networking sites, she’s not allowed to yet.

“We talk a lot about which sites and information she’s not allowed to see,” Li said.

Still, parents should take extra precautions, according to  Lau.

“Our rule in our house is we trust you, but we verify,” Lau said. “We have a really good relationship with our children, but you just never know. We have open conversations about the dos and don’ts.”

Kanzler said parents will not only learn about online threats, but how to talk with their children about potential dangers.

“They’ll learn how to check what their kids are doing on the computer,” she said. “They’ll learn what they need to educate their children about so their kids can stay safe.”

After the free presentation, which begins at 7 p.m., there will be a Q&A session.

“Anybody who has kids in their life—grandparents, teachers, educators, community leaders—need to be aware of this,” Kanzler said.

Organizers expect a large crowd. As of Friday, 125 people have already registered for the program, Kanzler said.

“I think a lot of people feel they know this stuff, but once they come to the presentation, they leave saying ‘Wow, I really learned a lot,’” Kanzler said. “They’re going to walk away with a whole new toolbox of things that can help their family manage online dangers and threats.” 

Event Info

What: SafetyNet presentation and Q&A session

When: Wednesday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. Check-in is at 6:30 p.m.

Where: , 12320 Meadowbrook Lane, Poway

How much: Free!

Contact: To register, visit www.sdpolicefoundation.org. Register online by Jan. 17, or call (858) 453-5060.

*If you are unable to attend, there will be another local program at Black Mountain Middle School on Feb. 2 at 7 p.m.