Anxious about the start of the school year? Follow these tips for a stress-free back-to-school

School starts on Aug. 19 this year for many Bakersfield and Kern County students, and along with it comes the usual back-to-school shopping — and the danger of fraud.

Parents will use credit cards and other means of payment that contain their personal information, which may expose them to fraud. But it’s not just the parents who are at risk. Each year, nearly 500,000 children under the age of 18 fall victim to identity theft, according to credit.com.

Chain | Cohn | Clark, with the help of KERO Channel 23 and credit.com, has provided safety tips below to help protect you and your children from becoming victims of fraud.

And if the thought of being taken advantage of financially leaves you anxious, in addition to the usual back-to-school jitters for students and parents, be sure to read the tips below on how to prevent and cope with anxiety.

Protect Against Fraud

The start of school and back-to-school shopping go hand-in-hand. In fact, Chain | Cohn | Clark recently sponsored underprivileged children in the annual “Childspree” back-to-school shopping program.

Follow these tips below to make sure your shopping experience is a joyous one.

• Do not give out a social security number and/or birth date without knowledge on how it is going to be used or disposed of.
• Know who is going to see the information once it’s collected. Many organizations perform meticulous background checks on staff and volunteers. Others don’t. If in doubt, write, “information to come.”
• Some doctor’s offices still ask for patient’s’ Social Security numbers. Unless it’s needed to bill insurance, skip it.
• Students ages 18 to 24 face the highest risk of identity theft. They often live in dorms or share apartments where others can access their belongings. Before they head back to campus, equip your college students with the right tools and habits.
• Shred pre-approved credit offers. Dumpster-diving is an epidemic on campuses because thieves know most students throw these offers away unopened.
• Lock up important papers like student loan and enrollment documents so they won’t be left lying around where anyone could see them.
• Use strong alphanumeric passwords with combinations of special characters and capitalization and update security software.
• If your phone is lost, contact your provider immediately.

Back-to-School Anxiety

Starting a new school year can be exciting. It can also make students anxious.

Being a little anxious is normal at the start of a new school year; however, for some students, it can slowly grow over the course of a school year and can discourage students from attending and performing well in school.

Some students may shut down and withdraw socially, or keep asking for assurance. KERO Channel 23 has provided the following steps that parents can take to help their children become less anxious about going to school and starting a new school year.

• Attend open house or orientation activities that allow children to see their classroom and meet their teachers. That removes some of the unknowns.
• Establish a routine and stick to it. A predictable routine at home can be calming.
• Discuss the positive aspects of going back to school, like seeing friends again and extracurricular activities.
• Talk about your own experiences with anxiety and how you cope. Praise children when they face their fears and acknowledge those positive aspects.

— By Jessica Magee for Chain | Cohn | Clark

———-

Safety is of most importance to the Bakersfield personal injury and workers’ compensation attorneys at Chain | Cohn | Clark. If you or someone you know has been injured due to the fault of another, contact the law firm at 661-323-4000 to learn more about our Bakersfield injury lawyers.

———-

OTHER MEDIA

• Make safety a priority for ‘National School Bus Safety Week’

• Student safety tips for a successful new school year