Tolland Parents Learn About Internet Dangers

Tolland parents learned about the dangers of the Internet at a cyber safety class at on Wednesday night.

Trooper Samantha McCord of the Computer Crimes Unit led the parents through the hands-on class which has parents create a false Facebook account so they could better understand the site. The parents could also try to "friend" their own child or child's friends, an important test to see if their children will accept friend requests from strangers online.

Tolland parent Carol Kavanagh said that she attended the class so she could better understand the risks her children could face on the Internet.

"I have to do what I can to protect my kids from what's out there," she said. "I want them to be able to use it, but to be able to do it safely."

And unfortunately, McCord said that there are many dangers for children online. She showed the parents actual chat room conversations from past investigations where she posed as an underage local girl and received inappropriate requests from three adult men in less than an hour.

And beyond the dangers from adults, McCord pointed out that with cyberbullying and "sexting" becoming more common, children themselves could end up charged with child pornography, cyberbullying and harassment.

TMS Principal Walter Willett said that local parents are eager to learn.

"I think parents really want to be informed about the dangers that are out there," he said. "They're just looking for resources that can help them do that, and I want to do the best I can to help them."

And while McCord educated the participants on how to better follow their children's tracks online, she strongly recommended that parents also talk openly with their kids about the dangers of the online world.

For tips on Internet safety, visit the United Way of Connecticut website.