At a morning news conference last week in the library and computer lab at Chicago's Drummond Elementary School, Madigan announced two important tools that will help parents and educators monitor how children use the Internet. Senate Bill 1472 calls on schools to provide yearly Internet safety education to students in grades K through 12. In addition, Madigan announced that her office will coordinate the distribution to schools throughout the state educational videos that promote Internet safety.
"The Internet is increasingly accessible right here at school and right there at home," Madigan said. "While kids are very computer savvy, unfortunately many of us who are parents and teachers are sometimes not as prepared as we should be to warn children about Internet threats."
Introduced into the General Assembly last month, SB 1472, the Internet Safety Education Act, sponsored by Sen. Dan Kotowski and Rep. David Miller, encourages Illinois schools to adopt an age-appropriate Internet safety curriculum. Intended to serve as a tool to assist educators, SB 1472 identifies several key topics for instruction including safe and responsible use of the Internet, online predators, identity theft, cyber-bullying and harassment, and illegal downloading.
"The Act will inform and protect students from inappropriate or illegal communications and solicitation," Sen. Kotowski said. "It is important that we adapt with our growing technology to keep our kids and families out of harm's way."
"As a father of young children who already are utilizing computers and the Internet, I think it is very important for schools to educate children on the importance of Internet safety," said Rep. Miller.
Madigan also announced today during her visit to Drummond Elementary's Montessori program that her office will coordinate the distribution of Think Before You Post, a new public service advertising campaign created NCMEC and the U.S. Department of Justice in cooperation with the Ad Council. The PSAs are designed to raise awareness about the prevalence of online sexual exploitation and to help parents, guardians and teens better protect themselves from online predators.
Approximately 34 percent of children ages 10 to 17 post their real names, telephone numbers, home addresses or the names of their schools online where anyone could see, according to a recent study conducted by University of New Hampshire researchers for NCMEC.
"We believe in the power of this PSA campaign to have an impact on youth nationwide and are pleased to partner with Attorney General Madigan and the Chicago Public Schools to put this information in the hands of the children and teens in Chicago," said Ernie Allen, President and CEO of NCMEC. "By reminding youth to Think Before You Post, we can reach the more than one-third who are putting themselves at risk online."
Madigan commended Superintendent Arne Duncan and the Chicago Public Schools for partnering with her office in making the Think Before You Post PSA available to over 500 grammar and high schools throughout the city of Chicago.
"In addition to schools here in Chicago, our office is working with school organizations throughout the state to ensure that as many children as possible see its message and learn from it," Madigan said.
