Disc allows parents to monitor net use

ScanFrom cyber bullying to sexual predator advances, parents can now know about it when it happens.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s office is giving out copies of ComputerCOP, a disc that allows parents to monitor computer use.

On Wednesday, Sheriff Mike Sharp told the city council public safety committee about the tool, which was paid for by confiscated drug money.

In two cases, parents have already discovered cyber bullying and dealt with it, he said.

Children are more plugged into social media than ever, he said, and the dangers are all too real.

“What we’re finding is a lot of kids don’t know what it’s like to run down the street and play with friends,” he said.

A third of children in a survey reported being victims of cyber bullying, he said, and 13 percent report being threatened.

“Parents need to know, they need to be able to access their children’s websites,” he said.

The disc allows parents to key on certain words and see them in real time when they appear, with words associated with pornography, violence, hate, drug culture and gang culture.

Sharp also noted the recent Wisconsin incident in which two 12-year-old girls allegedly stabbed their friend 19 times. They believed if they killed her, the faceless internet meme Slender Man would reveal himself and they could prove he was real, according to news reports. The victim survived.

Councilman John Sharp said of the computer disc, “This can literally save kids’ lives.”

People can get a copy of the disc by calling 816-524-4302 or picking one up at the sheriff’s office in Lee’s Summit.

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