Today is safe internet day – Be the change: Unite for a better internet

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A message from Missing Children’s Network

Safer Internet Day 2017 will be celebrated globally on Tuesday, February 7th with the slogan ‘Be the change: Unite for a better internet’. Globally, Safer Internet Day is now celebrated in over one hundred countries, coordinated by the joint Insafe/INHOPE network, with the support of the European Commission, and national Safer Internet Centres across Europe and North America.

Once again, the Missing Children’s Network is proud to be underlining this very important day of awareness. Safer Internet Day offers the opportunity to highlight positive uses of technology and to explore the role we all play in helping to create a better and safer online community. It calls upon young people, parents, carers, teachers, social workers, law enforcement, companies, policymakers, and wider, to join together in helping to create a better internet. As more and more kids connect on-line, there are so many that are not aware they have rights and responsibilities and simply ignore the rules and regulations that govern the virtual world.


 

The Missing Children’s Network invites parents to take the time to discuss on-line practices with their children.  “It is important to remind our children to always adopt proper netiquette when surfing the Net.  It is also very important to remind them about the public nature of the Net and to always reflect before posting or sharing any texts, photos or videos.  It is also important to remind children that file-sharing and taking text, images or artwork from the Internet may infringe on copyright laws. As well, they should never be using the Internet to spread gossip, bully or make threats against others.’ stated Pina Arcamone, Director General of the Missing Children’s Network.

For additional information, parents are invited to consult Volume #11 of our Spotlight on Safety series entitled Online Safety in the Real World, as well as visit www.droitsurinternet.ca  The Missing Children’s Network also offers educational safety workshops that teaches children ages 5-17 about online safety and digital citizenship.

About the Missing Children’s Network:

 

Founded in 1985, the Missing Children’s Network is the only non-profit organization in Quebec that is dedicated to the search for missing children and to the prevention of their disappearance.  Regardless of the motive for the disappearance, from running away to a parental abduction or criminal abduction, the Missing Children’s Network’s team supports, accompanies and counsels families whose child is missing.

 

In addition, the team works closely with law enforcement, child welfare and government agencies, as well as the media to recover these children and bring them home safely. Since its creation, the Missing Children’s Network has assisted law enforcement in recovering 1,223 children and has educated over 175,000 students on how to adopt safe behaviours, both on and offline.

The Missing Children’s Network is a recognized partner of the National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains (NCMPUR) of the RCMP, and is also a proud member of AMECO (Association of Missing and Exploited Children’s Organizations).