Issue date: April 16, 2000

Last week's Best of the Web

Where on the Web

School safety

Security cameras on our playgrounds? Metal detectors in our middle schools? These are just two of the troubling questions being hashed out at community sites and chat forums all over the Web.

Want to get in on the chat? Log on to FamilyEducation.com, a must-see spot for talk and tips related to school violence. Through Tuesday, the site hosts an online forum for parents to discuss how the events at Columbine High School have changed their lives. Also check out the site's School Safety Center, bursting with tools and resources: Find out how to cope with bullies, when to worry about a violent child and how to mobilize teachers and parents in community-safety efforts.

Where can teens talk about school safety? Pleasestop.com is a forum for teens to share experiences and tips in a safe, moderated setting.

Other surf-worthy safety sites:

• Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program. The government organization dedicated to combating violence, drugs and alcohol in schools. ed.gov/offices/OESE/SDFS/
• JoinTogether.org. An activist site with news on gun control and drug prevention. jointogether.org
• National School Safety Center. Download a school-safety update for strategies on preventing violence in your community. nssc1.org
• The National PTA. Check out the list of "10 Things You Can Do to Prevent School Violence" for tips on proactive parenting. The No. 1 tip? Talk to your children. pta.org/programs/crisis/
• National School Safety and Security Services. A consulting firm, specializing in school safety, that provides ideas for preventing violence. schoolsecurity.org

Rula Razek is editor-in-chief of Internet Cool Guide (internetcoolguide.com).