Parents Discuss Internet Safety at Forum

Parents watched a video on the death of Alexis Pilkington, a West Islip teen who committed suicide after she was cyber-bullied.

They sat in horror as Pilkington's mother recalled finding her daughter hanging in her closet.

More than 30 parents attended the STOP Then Send Internet Safety Presentation at Saw Mill Road Elementary School on Monday night. The seminar was hosted by the Community Parent Center and presented by Jeremy Glicksman, assistant district attorney of Nassau County.

Cyber-bullying was the focus of the discussion. 

Wendy Tepfer, director of the Community Parent Center, said that addressing the issue is extremely important.

"Cyber-bullying is a huge problem with kids across the nation," she said. "Before, bullying was just on the playground, but now kids go home and it is there."

Glicksman said that an open forum was necessary because of the increasing number of teen suicides due to online bullying.

"More than 43 percent of teens have been victims of cyber-bullying," he said. "And those are low numbers because not all cases get reported."

Glicksman said that with the access to cell phones, computers and other electronic devices, children are more at risk to cyber-bullying-as well as sexting, the act of sending sexually explicit messages or photographs through cell phones and online predators.

In the age of Facebook, Formspring.me and other social networking sites, parents now have a great deal to think about.

Shari Mason of Bellmore said that she recently had a discussion with her 10-year-old daughter, Sydney, about the limitations on the child's electronic devices.

"When it comes to her computer and her cell phone there is no privacy," she said. "She is not entitled to privacy yet and the computer stays in the living room."

Melissa, of Bellmore said that the forum enlightened her. Her 10-year-old daughter, Lindsey, has an iPod touch and talks to her friends on ooVoo, a video chat site.

"I thought it was a site that can be seen by only your friends on the site," she said. "I did not know that she was open to other people. I will look at who she is friends with now and start watching what she does on the iPod touch."

Glicksman urged parents to keep a close eye on what their children are doing online.

"We all want to believe the best about our kids, but you have to be suspicious," he said. "They are kids and they will make mistakes."