PROTECTING YOUTH

Growing up today can be very difficult.  Parents and kids need information and tools they can use to meet today’s challenges.  On this page you will find links to a number of important sites containing helpful information, including these: 

• The Kids and the Net site really is a must-read for parents and kids.  Kids today spend hours of time on the Internet, and it can be a wonderful tool for education, entertainment and shopping.  But there is a dark side.  One sex offender told police the Internet is the most dangerous playground in America.  This site tells you about the dangers, but also offers tips for parents and kids so they can use the web safely.
• It is important that our kids feel safe at school so they can focus on learning.   The School Safety site offers a variety of tools to help make schools a safer place.  You will find guidance on bullying – why it has become a big problem and what you can do about it.  There also is information for parents and schools to help them create a safer environment.
• Surveys show dating violence is not uncommon among teens.  Our Teen Dating Violence site was developed to help teens and the people who care about them understand relationship abuse. Building awareness is one of the best ways to combat this all-too-pervasive problem.
• Teenagers spend billions of dollars in the marketplace on everything from computers, cars and stereos to clothes. Yet their inexperience in the marketplace makes them especially vulnerable to consumer fraud and Internet deception. The Teen Consumer Scrapbook is an educational website to inform youth about consumer issues of particular interest to them and to encourage problem solving and critical thinking in the marketplace. Students at Ellensburg High School research topics and create the webpages.
• Parents can find information on federal services, programs, and publications regarding child exploitation and abduction in the Missing and Exploited Children Resource Directory. The directory provides a comprehensive list of resources available at the federal level.