The following news release was received from the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP):

Children and youth are increasingly living out a large proportion of their daily lives online — whether using technology to communicate with friends, seek entertainment, or learn and broaden their knowledge about the world around them. However, just like the offline world, parents and teachers need to be fully aware of the risks children and youth may encounter while using the Internet. The Provincial Police (OPP) wants Ontarians to know about the comprehensive Internet safety resources and tools available through the Canadian Centre for Child Protection. These tools are there to help parents (and teachers) make sense of the challenges with raising children and youth in an ever-changing technological world.

Recognizing that educators also play a critical role when it comes to teaching children important personal safety strategies that will help reduce online victimization, the Canadian Centre will also be distributing over a million Internet safety materials to schools across Canada free-of-charge. The OPP also encourages parents and teachers alike to visit The Door That’s Not Locked website (www.thedoorthatsnotlocked.ca), a comprehensive resource with age-specific Internet safety information. This includes material about the online activities that are popular with children of different age groups, the potential risks children face when using certain technologies and safety strategies to address those concerns.

For more information and to read the complete OPP news release, please click here.