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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Wednesday, February 19, 2014 | 6 Stay safe online More and more children are online these days, spending their time in front of screens of some type. Electronic tablets, phones and computers have all joined the queue, alongside television and the Silver Screen, vying for young people's attention. Youths are using technology for a variety of reasons -- from communicating with friends, to seeking entertainment, or learning about and broadening their knowledge of the world around them. However, parents and teachers need to be fully aware of the risks children and youths may encounter while sur ng the Internet. As Feb. 11 marked the annual international Safer Internet Day, Halton police are raising awareness about the online activities of youths -- and the potential dangers they face. Police want to educate people about online activities, popular with children and youths, the potential risks they encounter when using certain technologies, and how to discuss with children the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships. "Our youths are our future, and it is our responsibility to educate them about the pros and cons of Internet use," said Det. Raf Skwarka of the Halton Police Internet Child Exploitation Unit. His advice: Be aware of your children's Internet activities and spend time learning about the Internet yourself. Your credibility will go a long way in having your child take you seriously. Skwarka advises parents to communicate openly and honestly with their children; discuss the possible dangers and impacts of Internet use; take time to know what their children are doing online; be involved in their children's Internet interests and build a trusting relationship; and resist the temptation to break into personal e-documents, email or browser history. "By invading the privacy of older children, you may nd evidence of a signi cant problem, but you will also create a serious breach of trust that could inhibit open communication between you and your teen," said Skwarka. If you feel driven to this extreme, chances are you have already seen enough clues to attempt talking to your child about your concerns, say police. For more information, visit www.haltonpolice.ca/ SpecializedUnits/CriminalInvestigations/ICE/Pages/ default.aspx. Residents can also seek help from national programs dedicated to the personal safety of children including: · Canadian Centre for Child Protection -- www. protectchildren.ca; · www.cybertip.ca -- Canada's tipline to report the online sexual exploitation of children; · www.MissingKids.ca -- a national missing children resource and response centre; · www.kidsintheknow.ca -- an interactive, personal safety program for children in Kindergarten to Grade 9 · www.commit2kids.ca -- a program to help childserving organizations create safer environments for the children in their care and reduce their risk of sexual abuse. All parents want to keep their children happy, healthy and safe and any information that could help navigate the Net with that in mind is more than welcome. Editorial F A M I L Y A N D F R I E "Connected to your Community" N D S 447 Speers Road, Oakville ON, L6K 3S4 General Inquiries: (905) 845-3824 Editorial Department: (905) 632-0588 Classi ed Advertising: (905) 632-4440 Circulation: 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington (905) 631-6095 Volume 52 | Number 21 The Oakville Beaver is a division of Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Vice ­President and Group Publisher of Metroland West Regional General Manager Halton Region Editor in Chief Advertising Director NEIL OLIVER DAVID HARVEY JILL DAVIS DANIEL BAIRD Managing Editor ANGELA BLACKBURN RIZIERO VERTOLLI Friends and family of Ryan Pei-Middleton, 7, held a Family Day weekend swimming party to help him celebrate his change of school from Post's Corners Public School to a new school in Burlington. The party made the change a little less stressful for him, with support from friends. Here, Ryan's buddies with Ryan, his mom and sister. From left, Joshua Cumberbatch, 6, Ryan, his mom Penny Xiaoqin Pei, Rowyn Smith, 6, and Ryan's sister Alyssa PeiMiddleton, 10. | photo by Graham Paine ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/ HaltonPhotog) Photography Director Business Manager Director of Production SANDY PARE MARK DILLS MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager Director of Distribution In search of prosperity and dignity for all As we move well into 2014, one key message we continue to hear is that creating greater income security is one of the best pathways out of poverty. Last March, Voices for Change Halton kicked off the local efforts of a provincial campaign to raise the minimum wage. Community Development Halton also calculated a living wage for a family of four, with both parents working 37.5 hours per week and including one child in elementary school and one in secondary school, and the result turned out to be $17.05 per hour. At April's Poverty Reduction Forum, Jennefer Laidley of the Income Security Advocacy Centre stated, "You don't have to make people's eligibility for bene ts contingent on their participation in work-related activities. What this does is puts people's incomes at risk." In October, at a local business breakfast, keynote speaker Senator Hugh Segal pointed out two Canadian examples that showed the many bene ts to society resulting from families having more income. Letter to the Editor CHARLENE HALL KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager First, was a Guaranteed Annual Income experiment, Mincome, in Manitoba, and secondly, the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) for seniors introduced at the same time. Both served to lift people out of poverty. "If we can do this for seniors," Senator Segal asked, "Why can't we do this for people within the working age group who are living below the poverty line?" In a recent Environics poll, Canadians were asked what they think of the idea of providing everyone with a guaranteed annual income. Forty-six per cent of Canadians either strongly or somewhat strongly supported it, suggesting we have the "potential foundation for building public support for it (guaranteed income), especially if it was accompanied by the elimination of other programs." By working collaboratively, we can create a greater shared prosperity, where everyone in Halton can live with dignity in their own community. June Cockwell and Marc Hamel co-chairs Halton Poverty Roundtable Proud Official Media Sponsor For: Canadian Circulations Audit Board Member Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Proud Official Media Sponsor For: The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to: The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 5040 Mainway, Burlington ON L7L 7G5 or via e-mail to; ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline.