Action Steps for Parents

Below are some tips collected from the primary organizations most closely involved in protection, reporting, and intervention in Canada:

1. Talk to your student(s) about their use of the internet (including the apps, programs, and sites they use);
2. Partner with your student(s) to develop a plan of safe usage (boundaries, privacy settings) Establish boundaries as. Perhaps setting times, places, and limits for screen time; and
3. Reassure your student(s) that they can talk to you about anything, and emphasize that it is important if something does happen.

More Information on Internet Safety

Here is a link to a recent alert advising parents about what to know and how to respond. Don't miss the drop down list at the bottom of the web page for more information. 

https://www.protectchildren.ca/en/resources-research/  

What is WLA's Student Ministries Doing?

In light of a news item like the one mentioned above, I want to reassure your hearts by describing the precautions that we take at our weekly youth group meetings:

• We use the platform called Zoom, an online meeting program using audio and video streaming. 
• Each meeting is recorded and saved to a computer hard drive. In order to join a meeting, a participant must enter both the meeting ID and password. After entering meeting information, each participant intending to join is placed in a waiting room and must be granted entry by a host. 
• We have limited the chat feature to only between the participants and the host, preventing participants from messaging each other. 
• When divided into breakout rooms, students are placed into assigned breakout rooms. Students are never left alone with a leader. If a small group has no leader present or contains only one student with another leader, they are placed in a different breakout room.

While this news is troubling, it is not license to panic but rather a call to be vigilant and take seriously our responsibility as caretakers of these students, particularly with regard to the internet. Let's teach these students not to fear but to learn how to use wisely the tools available to us. Our God delights in the children of the world, so let us appeal to Him for His mercy and protection over these dear ones.

 

Sincerely,