Ocean County Prosecutor's Office to discuss Internet safety with LBI students, parents

In conjunction with the Beach Haven Police Department, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High-Tech Crimes Unit will lead an Internet safety seminar at the Beach Haven School, during school hours, on Tuesday, March 11. Members will be speaking with the Beach Haven and Ethel A. Jacobsen elementary school’s fifth- and sixth-grade students, regarding the do’s and don’ts of online activity, from “sexting, texting, Facebook and cyber bullying,” said Joseph Boehler, Beach Haven patrolman.

Photo via Wikispaces
Online safety is the focus of
the Beach Haven School's
student and parent seminar.

“I know we’ve had a few issues that relate to this, and that’s why I wanted to reach out to them (the prosecutor’s office) and see if they could come out here and just provide some information to everyone, so we can make it safer for all the kids out here,” he added.

Though Boehler could not give details about any specific issues, he said the seminar is a great way to educate students on overall Internet safety.

“It’s really a proactive approach to teaching the kids how to be safe and that what happens online isn’t just out there in space; it is real, and it can come back to bite you,” he said.

The schools’ parents have also been invited to attend the seminar, which will offer tips on how to more safely and effectively monitor a child’s online activity.

Unit members conduct many Internet safety lectures throughout the year for school-age children, professional and community groups, educators and administrators. This is likely the first for the local area.

–Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.