Parents Beware: Kids in Idaho Are Not Safe When Doing This

Parents do whatever they can to protect their children at all times. This may consist of controlling what they watch on TV, yelling at them not to touch the stove, telling them to get down before they fall, or grabbing them before they run out into the street. For a parent, they never stop protecting their child. The type of protection may change, but it is their job to keep their children safe through life. As most parents know, despite your best efforts, some things will still harm your child, often out of your control. There is one way your children in Idaho are being harmed and you may not be aware of it, but with this danger, there are ways to protect them.

Online Safety for Children in Idaho

The internet can be used for a lot of good. It is used to do most jobs these days, can be used to get information quickly, and can also help find directions to places and to apply for jobs. There is plenty of good that comes from the internet, but as many know, there is also plenty of bad. There is pornography, scams, viruses, bullying, violence, threats, and much more. Our children are exposed to many of these every day, but some states take extreme measures to protect their children, while others leave kids in danger of being exposed to these types of things. Cloudwards.net recently released a list ranking states by which are the safest for kids online and which are in the most danger. 

The Best and Worst States for Online Safety for Kids

To rank the states, the list used certain categories, such as crimes and threats, cyberbullying, cyberbullying and safety legislation, and mental health support. Using these criteria it was determined that Idaho's neighbor to the south, Utah is the safest state for kids online, which isn't surprising considering their recent blockage of certain pornography sites, limiting access across the state. The second safest state is Hawaii, with New Jersey rounding out the top three. The state that is the most dangerous for kids online is Oregon, with California being the second most dangerous, and New Hampshire rounding out the bottom three. 

Are Kinds Online Safe or in Danger in Idaho?

While children in Idaho are not in as much danger as other states, they are in more danger than half the country and have work to do. Idaho comes in on the list at 34. Idaho is 13 in crimes and threats but is 31 in cyberbullying, 34 in cyberbullying and legislation, and 14 in mental health support. Cyberbullying has long been an issue in Idaho and the stats show that it continues to be a major factor for children online in the Gem State. There are ways to help Idaho move up this list by parents giving their children a few tips before they go online. Make sure they are aware of what they are sharing online and to be cautious, and also to not open links that they are not familiar with or to talk to people they are not familiar with. Make sure they know to never meet someone they met online alone as well. 

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Giving a child a computer or iPad to keep them quiet helps parents get things done, but make sure to see what they are looking at, who they are talking to, and what they are using the internet for. You can't protect them if you aren't aware of the situation. There is always work to be done to improve safety for our children, as well as from the internet. To see the full study, make sure to click the link in the second paragraph above.