School Counselors

Counselors are the support system for students and parents when dealing with difficult relationships and situations. They are a confidant to students and may be the first to be notified when a student feels threatened or harassed on the Internet. Counselors must be ready to teach students about how to be responsible Internet users. They should be proponents for the integration of technology, expressing the power of technology in education while also pointing out the risks associated with that power. 

Internet safety training has been divided into appropriate portions that are best taught by specific groups of people. In addition to covering the guidelines from the state listed below, counselors should:

• have an overall understanding of the Internet and the vocabulary and ethics involved with Internet safety
• be aware of key contacts to ensure that the appropriate authorities are contacted in situations that may require outside intervention
• speak to students about the potential risks on the Internet and how to handle those situations properly
• be able to check a student's Internet history and support parents in monitoring a student's computer use
• be able to inform parents and students about relevant Henrico County technology regulations (AUP, the technology portion of the student code of conduct, specific school guidelines, privacy regulations)

Listed below are the portions of the state-required Internet safety training that school counselors are asked to support. Click on the links below to access materials and resources that will inform school counselors about relevant portions of the state requirements.

Guidelines and Resources for Internet Safety in the Schools

2. Students need to know that not all Internet information is valid or appropriate.
a. Sexually explicit material or violent images can affect students negatively.
b. Sexual predators will try to convince students to trust them.
c. Internet information may promote negative attitudes, such as hate or intolerance, and dangerous or illegal activities, such as self-injuring behavior, gambling, and illegal drug use.

3. Students should be taught specifically how to maximize the Internet’s potential while protecting themselves from potential abuse.
b. Students need to know what to do and who to ask for help when they encounter a person or site on the Internet that is offensive or threatening to them.
c. Students and adults are required by law to report illegal Internet communications and activities to Internet Service Providers and local law enforcement authorities

4. Internet messages and the people who send them are not always what or who they seem.
a. People in chat rooms, instant message “buddies,” or those who visit a blogs and wikis may not be who they appear to be. Students should
learn to recognize when someone is potentially dangerous.
b. Students need to realize when an Internet encounter may be questionable and how to protect themselves when this occurs.
d. Students need to know which information is safe to share with others online, which should never be shared, and why sharing it could put them at risk.
e. Students never should reveal online any information about where they live or attend school.

5. Predators and cyberbullies anonymously use the Internet to manipulate students. Students must learn how to avoid dangerous situations and get adult help.
a. Sexual predators deceive students by pretending to be students themselves. They sometimes lure young people into a false sense of security or blind trust and try to alienate them from their families. Students need to learn about these types of psychological ploys and how to get immediate adult help.
b. Bullies use Internet tools, such as instant messaging and the Web, to harass or spread false rumors about students. Students need to know how to seek proper help in these potentially dangerous situations.
c. Students need to know that posting personal information and pictures can allow predators to contact and begin grooming them for illegal meetings and actions. Personal photos can be easily misused or altered when posted on the Internet.

6. Internet activities, such as playing games and downloading music or video files, can be enjoyable. Students need to know which activities are safe and legal.
a. Gaming sites can attract sexual predators and/or cyberbullies.
b. Some games may contain pornographic and/or violent images. Students need to talk with parents about what is acceptable.