Nate Knapper, of Clarkston, has written a guide to Internet safety.

An Oakland County student has developed a Web safety booklet that is being distributed throughout the state.

Nate Knapper, a senior at Calvin College who majors in communications and political science, spent last summer developing the Family Guide to Internet Safety.

The 22-year-old Clarkston resident, who is the son of Dan and Annette Knapper of Clarkston, researched and wrote the guide and supervised its layout while interning in Lansing with Michigan Family Forum, a nonprofit family policy organization.

The guide contains sections on e-mailing, chatting and instant messaging; social networking, such as blogging or using Facebook; online video gaming and gambling; Internet file sharing; video sharing and online shopping and auctions. Each section defines various Web activities and outlines the risks to children who participate online.

The booklet also includes tips and resources for parents on file searching, content filtering, safety tips, purchasing precautions, a cyber safety contract, information on the Michigan Cyber Safety Initiative, common Web acronyms and additional resources.

“It’s important because the Internet is absolutely essential in people’s daily lives now,” Knapper said, “Because it’s used every day, there’s a greater potential for children who don’t know any better to access content that they shouldn’t.”

Brad Snavely, the forum’s executive director, is pleased with the finished product.

“Nate really embraced the vision for what we hoped the publication would be — a comprehensive, thorough guide that is also very easy to read and understand,” Snavely said. “Most parents know that they need help in this area, but they’re just too busy to educate themselves about today’s dangers and risks. This guide gives them what they need to know in a concise format.”

While he was working for the Family Forum in Lansing, Knapper was also serving a stint in the Michigan Attorney General’s office, working under the director of the state Department of Homeland Security. During that internship, he helped to research and format the Michigan Public Health Law Bench Book.

“In the event of a natural disaster or a terrorist attack, there are certain decisions that judges would have to make,” Knapper said. “They consult this book if they have a question.”

Knapper enjoyed his summer responsibilities.

“My two internships dovetailed perfectly,” Knapper said. “The attorney general, who is promoting his cyber safety initiative, was gracious enough to also write an endorsement letter in our safety guide. It was a privilege to serve in two excellent workplaces with similar goals and I learned a great deal from both.”

During earlier internships with the Michigan Legislature in 2006, Knapper helped to create an intern development program called “Curriculum Beyond the Classroom. These efforts earned him a trio of prestigious awards: the Congressman Paul Henry Integrity Award, the Daniel Rosenthal Legislative Intern Award and the Frank M. Fitzgerald Public Service Award.

Though his internship experiences have given him plenty of experience in government, Knapper is eyeing a career in the intelligence community after graduation. In January, he completed another internship with the House Homeland Security Committee in Washington, D.C.

Anyone interested in receiving a copy of the safety guide should the forum’s Web site at: michiganfamily.org

“I really hope it will be beneficial to people,” Knapper said.