Schools block inappropriate Internet sites

Although the Internet is a tool for research, education, information and entertainment, educators and law enforcement officers say student online access should be closely monitored -- at home and at school.

Experts argue Internet use at school must be limited to activities that support education. They say it's important that teachers, students and administrators receive instruction on issues related to the safe and responsible use of the Internet.

Since 2005, the Internet provider for the vast majority of schools in Indiana is Education Networks of America. Schools are required to block access to inappropriate content as part of the Children's Internet Protection Act, said Merle Gruesser, a spokeswoman for Indiana ENA.

However if a teacher needs to go on a site for research purposes, it's available, according to Merrillville schools Technology Director Kelly Murphy.

When there is an infraction of the policy, Bill Moran, director of the Technology Department at Valparaiso schools, said disciplinary issues are referred to the school principal.

Experts say Internet supervision should be age appropriate for the student and the circumstance of use. Consequences for misuse should be appropriate to the level of misuse and should help educate the offending student and other students about appropriate use, experts say.

"We advise them technically what the student did and how the student was able to get to that site," Moran said. "It's up to the building administrator to administer the discipline. It doesn't happen very often. Last year, we had three instances, only one of them involved a student trying to get to a remote site."

While the Internet is an educational tool, law enforcement officials point out the Internet is filled with adult predators.

According to Hammond Police Chief Brian Miller, his department investigated a case in the fall where a girl was seduced over the Internet by a man in his 40s.

"The man met this girl and had sex with her. He was charged with a crime. These type of cases have happened numerous times," he said.

Miller said school corporations do a good job of blocking access to inappropriate sites for young people, and he has not had "one case yet" where a child has been lured by a predator when he or she was working on a computer at school.

"Schools have protection in place. Where we find these things happening is on a home computer or a neighbor's computer," he said. "I encourage parents to snoop. Pull up the history and look at the sites your child is visiting."