NetSmartz^® Workshop is a program of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children^®.  NetSmartz partnered with Sprint to create NSTeens.org, a website with Internet safety resources for tweens.  The newest NSTeens video, “Mike-Tosis” helps tweens understand how quickly and how widely information may be disseminated via online applications and cell phones.  When children put personal or inappropriate information online, they run the risk of having it spread throughout their schools, communities, or even worldwide.

When Allie accidentally lets it slip that she has a crush on Mike Chang, the news spreads around her school through text messages, social networking sites, and online comments. Suddenly, it’s a mad dash through NS High, with Allie trying to outrace online communications and reach Mike Chang before her secret does.

NSTeens.org contains short animated videos, peer response videos, a webcomic, a game, and safety tips for tweens.  Each of the animated videos is accompanied by an activity card that teachers can use to reinforce the videos’ lessons.  In addition to the animated shorts like “Mike-Tosis,” NSTeens.org hosts Teens Talk Back, a peer response video series. This series can be used in tandem with the animations, allowing children to see their peers sharing stories of online experiences and the “drama” that may arise from sharing information online.

See the full video here.

Imagine that you are sitting at your computer and stumble upon a site that gives you the ability to chat live with your friends, but your “friends” are actually strangers.  Here’s how it works: the site matches you randomly with a complete stranger, with whom you can chat via web cam or instant message.  You see and hear them as if they are right in front of you.  Now imagine that you are a 14-year-old girl and that “friend” is a twenty-something- year- old couple engaged in inappropriate behavior.  You click the button that says “next” and are randomly connected to a new stranger or friend and you see someone wearing a Halloween mask, maybe a little creepy but not too harmful.  The next click takes you to a room and what you see is alarming and even shakes you up a bit: a man whose face is not within range of the computer, but is hanging from the ceiling with an over turned chair beneath his feet.  What site would show such graphic, unsettling things?  The site is called Chatroulette, or in netlingo, CR.

The site, created by 17-year-old Russian teen Andrey Ternovskiy, randomly connects you via webcam to a stranger anywhere in the world.  The idea was sparked by his boredom with always chatting with the same friends.

At the top of each screen there is a next button that allows you to disconnect from your current partner and randomly connect with someone new.  There’s a good chance of you getting “nexted” within the first few seconds of being connected if you’re not a cute girl willing to flash yourself or reveal something really interesting to the other party.   When your partner no longer wants to talk to you and simply presses the next button you’ve been “nexted,” and randomly thrown back into cyberspace awaiting your next encounter.

Chatroulette isn’t just for bored students looking for something interesting to do.  Celebrities like Paris Hilton, The Jonas Brothers, even Justin Beiber have been spotted on camera using CR.  For others, Chatroulette has become an outlet for comedy.  The following YouTube link shows a live concert held just a few weeks ago in Charlotte, NC where the artist connects to Chatroulette and performs impromptu songs with the random strangers he connects with.

Chatroulette Map is a new program that utilizes information from the Chatroulette site and Google Maps.  It pulls random video screen shots from users and plots a pinpoint on a world map based on the IP address. The pinpoint generally shows a screenshot of the Chatroulette user, a date and the city in which the IP address is recorded. New users don’t seem to be added in real time, but appear to be added in batches every few weeks.

What are the chances of your child’s photo being on the Chatroulette Map site? Chatroulette Map is only a few months old and it is not clear how often or by what method screenshots for the map are grabbed. Because the video chats on Chatroulette are in real time, it would seem that chatters would have to be using Chatroulette during a time when the Chatroulette Map administrators were grabbing screenshots for their map. Currently there are just over 3,000 Chatroulette Map pinpoints and since Chatroulette boasts a million users a day, this may indicate that not every chatter’s screenshot will be posted.

Visit the Chatroulette Map site to see if you your child’s screenshot has been posted.  Chatroulette Map states that it will remove a posted picture if you send a request through email.

This website presents/provides an excellent opportunity to talk to your teen about the importance of staying safe and private. Chatroulette Map seriously compromises a user’s privacy. Teens need to understand that by participating in Chatroulette, their actions and image become public, not just to others playing the game. A screenshot may be taken without permission and posted publicly on the map, identifying their location.

While there is no way for someone to directly contact another chatter using Chatroulette Map, there is no question that this is identifying information. Depending on the accuracy of the IP address, some map points can connect a user’s photo down to a particular neighborhood.

Talk to kids about the site. Avoid being angry, frightened or panicked. Instead, explain your concerns and reinforce the dangers of connecting with strangers and giving out indentifying information. Teens have many opportunities to access these and other sites beyond their own home; however, engaging kids in conversations about appropriate behaviors online is the best way to help your child develop healthy online habits where ever they are.

In addition, parents can try these tips to deter access and help kids stay safe.

Make house rules. Lay down clear rules about your expectations when it comes to using the CR website and the Internet in general.  Be clear about consequences for breaking the rules. When rules are broken, make sure to follow through with the consequences you have established.

Block access. You can block the Chatroulette site in your browser, using parental controls and even block the site in Windows.  Parents can also disable the web cam on their computers if they are concerned about the computer users in the home and their ability to follow house rules. Directions on how to block sites can be found at www.ehow.com.  However, keep in mind that talking to and educating kids is still necessary because they have access to computers outside of the home where Chatroulette may not be blocked.

Share information with others. Share the information you’ve gathered about Chatroulette and other concerning sites with your community so other parents, educators and community leaders are informed.

Start learning now. Chatroulette and Chatroulette Map are very new sites and are currently catching a lot of media coverage. Reading more about these sites will help parents understand how they relate to kids. Here are a few other facts, statistics and issues to get you started.

• Even if you block Chatroulette, kids can see the content as captured on other sites that are cropping up online. Some show funny shots, others include nudity and suggestive themes.
• Chatroulette started with about 10,000 visitors in December and now boasts 1 million new visitors a day. Chatroulette Map is currently mapped with just over 3,000 mapped points in a few months.
• Statistics from several sources show that a vast majority of the visitors are male.
• Chatroulette is not the only opportunity kids have to chat with strangers. ChatHopper.com is another video chat program that offers chatters an opportunity to connect with random chatters. Stickam (stickam.com), offers Stickam Shuffle – which works much like Chatroulette. Conversations about Chatroulette should include a reference to any other video chats that allow you to connect with strangers.

The big question is: Just how dangerous is Chatroulette? It is important for parents and teachers to understand the risks and serious dangers attached to sites like this.  Not only can it be a playground for those preying on naïve teens, but it is also a breeding ground for cyberbullying.  When using the internet it is very common for teens to act out of character or abnormally because they are “protected” by a screen and appear to be miles away.  This only increases the likelihood of someone being a target of pornography or cyber bullying.  Chatroulette only has three simple rules: you must be over the age of 16, no nudity and all users have the option to report those who may offend them.  There is no monitoring system to ensure these rules are followed.

Chatroulette seems to be the NEXTed big thing for teens and young adults, even some children.  Just imagine that your child could be on the other side of the screen.

File this under more proof that the internet age is changing the very fabric of our lives… and deaths.  In all seriousness, these articles (here and here) raise a lot of questions with online privacy and the act of responsibly putting personal information online.   

As you, your families, and your peers adjust to living an online world, be mindful that all of your online actions carry with them future consequences.  

Just as you would with your personal information like credit cards and social security numbers make sure that your online information is also kept safely and securely.

Online predators.

Many kids are eager for validation and acceptance, which makes them vulnerable to advances from predators. Nearly 20 percent of online teens say they’ve received unwanted sexual advances, according to the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire. It’s a good idea to protect names, schools and addresses and to avoid posting videos and pictures, which can reveal a child’s location.

Cyber-bullying.

This can take many forms, including sending threatening or harassing emails, texts, or IMs (called “flames”), posting false information using another child’s password, or changing passwords and altering or deleting information from someone else’s site.

 Academic disruption.

Social networking can be a useful academic tool, but it can also lead to problems with focus, attention, and schoolwork. A 2006 Kaiser Family Foundation report found that when students are studying on their computers, they’re actually doing something else-IMing, e-mailing, downloading files, or watching TV-65 percent of the time. Grades may suffer as social connections flourish.

Damaging content.

Any time information is transferred, there’s the risk of inadvertently downloading inappropriate files, viruses or malicious scripts that can damage a user’s computer. Teens need to know what to watch for and how to avoid the bad stuff.

Legal and financial pitfalls.

It’s also important to talk to kids about safeguarding financial information, or avoiding illegal file-sharing.

en Espanol

Lisea Lark, 13, talked with bNetS@vvy about some of the ways she and her friends use technologies, why social networks and cell texts have won out over email, and what she does to keeps herself safer online.

You mentioned that you and your friends recently switched from MySpace to Facebook. Why switch, and how do you get everyone to do it together?

MySpace just lets you have a profile, but Facebook connects you to schools around your area, so we’ve switched to be connected more with other schools. You can either message people or comment them. There are lots of things you can do. You can draw pictures for them or take quizzes and stuff to see if you and your friends have the same likes and dislikes.

How it works is, you join a network-your school or town-and then you can upload pictures and write your profile and share stuff. You can invite people to join. But you have to be careful. There’s not a sure way to know that people who message you are who they say they are.

I set my profile to private so that only my friends can see them.

How much time do you spend on these sites?

I use it more during the summer. During the school year, maybe 30 minutes a day. My mom gives me an hour limit during the week, and two hours on weekend. My dad doesn’t have a limit at his house, but he makes me finish my homework before I can get on the computer for fun.

Have you met people in real life that you met on a social networking site?

You can never be 100 percent sure who you’re talking to online. I haven’t ever met someone from online, or been approached, but I have gotten to know some kids better before meeting them in person. Like my best friend … one of my friends knew her and said I should add her to my friends list. So I did and got to know her better. Now she’s one of my best friends.

In general, how much do you worry when you’re online or using your cell phone?

I’m careful but I don’t worry too much, really. If someone requests to be my friend [on a social networking site] and I don’t know who they are, I’ll sometimes ask to see if they’re connected to someone I know or are friends of my friends. If I don’t know them, I always block them.

What about when you accidentally go to an inappropriate Web site? What do you do?

It hasn’t happened to me, but it has happened to a lot of people at my school. They’re researching projects and weird pages come up. They tell the teacher or the librarian.

At school, they talk to us a lot about technology. We have a Technology Code of Conduct that we sign at the beginning of each year, where we promise to only use computers for educational purposes.

Do you use the Internet a lot for school?

We do. Pretty much every project or report does require a computer so the kids that don’t have computers are kind of out of luck.

I use Google a lot, but also my school district Web page because it has a list of sites that are good for different subjects and researching.

It’s hard to know if a site is reliable. I’ve learned the first thing to do is check the spelling. If there are errors, it’s probably not a good resource. And also don’t just get your information from one site, compare between a few and see if they say the same thing. At the bottom of the page, you can usually see when a site was last updated, and that’s good to check sometimes, too.

Do you use email?

I’ve had my own e-mail since before first grade, but I don’t use it much anymore. I use it with family because they don’t have MySpace or Facebook, but my friends use MySpace and Facebook to communicate, or we text on our phones.

Can you have cell phones at school?

We can-as long as our teachers don’t see them. We can’t have them out or anything. I keep mine on vibrate but most kids turn it off or put it on silent.  We don’t really use it to talk to each other in school; it’s more for texting or calling our parents when someone forgets something.

Anyone ever had problems with bullying texts, sometimes called “flames”?

Yeah, one bad thing is you’re not sure who’s ‘talking’ or if it’s really that person. Some of my friends have gotten into fights when someone else has stolen the phone and texted something weird. A lot of people borrow other people’s cell phones or ask to look at the phones, so it happens often. I try not to let people use my cell phone to avoid that.

What would you say to an 8-year-old who’s just starting to use the Internet and email for the first time?

Be careful. Make sure you don’t talk to strangers, just like in real life. And remember that nothing is secret online. Any email you send someone can be forwarded and copied, and you might not want that. Don’t say anything you don’t want.

On the Internet, make your search as detailed as possible, because if you type in “American Girl doll” you’ll get a lot of things you probably wouldn’t want to. At that age, I’d say ask your parent to help you.

What advice would you give parents?

I would say it depends on the age. With younger kids, there’s so much bad stuff on the Internet, parents should help them if they’re researching a project. But with older kids, I think parents sometimes overprotect their kids, and sometimes that’s good-but not always.

For example, sometimes the time limit is hard if I’m researching a project, but my Mom is lenient on that and lets me get on her AOL account if I need to finish something.

Are you saying that because your Mom is in the room, by any chance?

Um, she is.

Lisea Lark is a 13-year-old eighth grader who attends a public middle school in Columbia, SC.

Technology can be a boon for struggling readers and students with different learning styles. Here’s a look at how computers are helping one Virginia third grader, and how her family is preparing for the wired world ahead.  

Caroline, a third grader in Alexandria, Virginia, struggles with reading comprehension and spelling. Although she’s strong in other subjects, she reads below grade level, shows signs of dyslexia, and her handwriting skills lag behind those of her classmates.

At the end of second grade, during a meeting to set Caroline’s Individual Education Plan (IEP)-which outlines the learning goals and approach for students who receive special services-one of her teachers suggested that she start using a computer to improve her reading comprehension, spelling and grammar.

“She turned to us and said, ‘Since she’s learning typing next year, let’s incorporate that into the IEP next year,’” says Marie. “We had no idea that third graders would start to learn typing.”

Typing class is part of the school district’s formal technology integration plan, designed to introduce students to the technology they will likely need as adults-and it set Caroline and her family on their own version of a technology integration plan.

Since starting third grade, Caroline has been using Microsoft Word to do her homework. She uses it with the auto-correction function turned off, so misspelled words are highlighted and underlined, but not automatically fixed. When she finishes a thought or paragraph, she can go back and look at the words she misspelled, and focus on those.

She practices for spelling tests by typing in her spelling words and then checking to see which are underlined with the familiar red squiggle indicating a misspelling.

“I think it’s a good idea, partly because she learns in a visual fashion; if she can see it or hear it, it’s mentally digestible, especially with abstract concepts like decoding words. Having it represented on a screen will speed up the process,” says Edward, who knows his daughter’s struggles first-hand: he labored for years with what he suspects is undiagnosed dyslexia.

Like many students, Caroline’s reading delays have taken a toll on her confidence. “She constantly compares herself with her friends and finds herself lacking, saying things like, ‘Amanda’s the smartest girl in class because she can read a chapter book.’ She never compares herself to anyone in math class, never worries about science or social studies or math because she’s succeeding in them,” says Marie.

Marie and Edward think that e-mail-the next stop on their technology journey-could help. “We’re looking for more opportunities to have a clear incentive to read, and a message from a friend or her grandparents seems like a good reward for doing the work,” says Edward.

Safety Considerations

Now that they’ve opened the door to computers and technology, Caroline’s parents are exploring ways to help her stay safer online. They’ve already begun talking about whether she should have her own email address, rather than use her Mom’s-she’s not pushing for her own yet, because few of her friends have email accounts-and whether to tell her that they’ll read her messages.

For now, Caroline doesn’t have a wireless phone, but when she reaches middle school, they may get her one so they can coordinate rides to and from school and activities. They’re already looking into renewing their plan as a family plan, to add a line for Caroline.

In fact, Edward and Marie are beginning to have a whole series of discussions about keeping Caroline safer online.  They let us sit in on one of their talks-see the accompanying conversation [if on diff. page, please note].

Preparing for the Future: Edward and Marie’s Checklist [Can be in a box]

•         Slowly introduce new technologies to their children, and help familiarize them with the uses and risks
•         Talk with other parents about tech safety
•         Look into Web and email filters, and discuss each other’s philosophies about what and how to monitor online activities
•         Check out child-friendly search engines, such as KidsClick, a site used by librarians
•         Set up the free key logger program to track computer activity and record IMs
•         Keep the computer in the living room, where it’s visible, laptops are off limits to the kids
•         Wireless phones are like “walking computers”-explore family plans and phone feature controls, so that’s ready to go when Caroline needs a phone
•         Investigate supplemental parental control services for wireless phones, such as DisneyMobile, RADAR: Your Kids’ Mobile Watchdog, or Verizon’s Chaperone Service, to name just a few; these typically cost $10 a month and can limit and track activity

*To respect their daughter’s privacy, they asked to use only their middle names.

 ————

How Much, and How Soon? A Parents’ Discussion

Edward and Marie let us sit in as they discussed their technology safety plan and approach as their third grader, Caroline, begins to use computers.

Marie: We should sit down with Caroline and teach her about search engines and how to do safer searches. We’ve also got to bookmark the sites she uses so she can go there without hitting any strange sites. And we need filtering software. Wow. She’s growing up fast.

Edward: There are points of vulnerability in things I never even dreamt of, like the X Box and PlayStation where you have the ability to chat with other people, and the small hand-held gaming devices like GameBoy that have WiFi and texting built in. Adults have used those to approach kids, which blew my mind. I never would have thought of that. How do you begin to get a handle on that without taking it away?

Marie: We’ve got to find a balance between liberty and control. No one thing is going to be enough; we need a combination of approaches and it’s still not going to be foolproof.

Edward: With e-mail, one option is to create a sub-account and actually set it to upload her emails on our Outlook, so if there’s any activity it’ll show up on our Outlook. Do we tell her that it’s showing up on our e-mail accounts or do we keep it quiet? Marie’s in the camp of “tell her.”

Marie: I don’t want to start with deception, she’s going to rebel against us sometime…

Edward: So we could set up the account but not the auto-preview to us, and if we have suspicions, we activate that.

Marie: And she can have her own password but if she changes it without telling us, the account gets shut down. We’ll check it, probably daily, and if we see anything that seems uncomfortable or deceptive, we’ll address it. 

Edward: For IM and the Web, I found a keystroke logger software for parents who want to make sure their kids aren’t IMing in inappropriate ways. It’s a background stealth program that saves IMs as a text file and sends it to you. That’s more extreme, but if we’re getting worried about things outside email, it’s an option. Trust but verify.

Marie:  It’s one of these things where, e-mail: no problem, that’s easy to control, but she’s going to find out about IM, Facebook all these things. So do I open the door slowly so she sees it and gets comfortable and builds up a relationship of trust with me, or pretend it doesn’t exist?

Edward: Since we have WiFi at home, we can run the key logger program on the family computer and have it send data to another computer-that way, we can log on from wherever and check the files, even from the office.

Marie: I have no problem with the keystroke logger running and not telling the kids, but I do have a problem with uploading her email to ours.

Edward: Yeah, I see the difference there, but I think we need to install the keystroke program. I’ll show you how to log on remotely.

Marie: (laughs) So I can find out where you’re surfing now too!

Edward: (laughs) Prepare to be very bored. 

 ————

“I have encountered several students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) that grant the student the right to use a word processing program for their writing assignments. This is an accommodation that can help address issues such as handwriting legibility, speed of writing, or other fine motor skill deficits.

I have two classroom computers (both about 10 years old), and my students frequently ask to use the computers to type papers, check email, surf or play games. For students who have limited motivation to complete class assignments, the computer can be good reward for completing assignments quickly and thoroughly.

Any time a student requests permission to use a computer, we specifically discuss the task they intend to complete. This makes it easier for me to monitor their safety, as I can walk by them and see if the content on the monitor reflects this stated purpose.”

– 

John Staubitz is a special education teacher in Santa Monica California, who teaches a “Special Day Class” for students with emotional or behavioral disorders. He has worked with students in grades 3 through 12. 

by Nancy Willard

When the Internet exploded into public use in the late 1990s, the initial concerns of youth Internet use were generally focused on three issues: privacy, pornography, and predators. Strategies were developed in good faith to address these concerns. Today’s virtual world is increasingly interactive and we know more about youth risk online. Based on my work with schools and review of research literature, I have suggestions for adults to update our approach to Internet safety at home and at school.

What is Web 2.0?

Web 1.0 was largely one-directional Internet use-Web as an information source. In the Web 2.0 environment, the emphasis is on publication and participation. All users can easily post information online and interact with others. Web 2.0 is also highly mobile, shifting from desktop computers to personal digital devices, wireless phones, and even hand-held games.

Web 2.0 it brings with it incredible opportunities for interactive learning and educational activities-along with some new risk management concerns.   Web 2.0 safety strategies should empower young people, giving them knowledge of the risks together with effective ways to prevent unsafe situations, and to detect and respond to them if they arise.

Responding to a Complex and Interactive World

For younger children, it is important to provide protected online environments, but teens need practical messages that reflect their realities. Here are some strategies to help teens become Web 2.0 savvy.

Avoiding Fear-Based Tactics

Some common messages delivered to teens are: “Online strangers are dangerous and will try to deceive you.” “If you meet in person with an online stranger, this person will try to harm you.” “If you provide personal information online, a stranger who wants to harm you will use this information to track you down.”

The reality is that “stranger-danger” warnings and fear-based prevention approaches are not likely to be effective with teens.  Sexual solicitation can occur without posting personal contact information.  Furthermore, teens know many adults do not understand the Internet-which makes teens likely to dismiss “online stranger danger” messages as evidence that adults fear what they do not understand.

Teens’ widening social web. Teens will have increasing engagement with online strangers, just as they are always meeting new people in the real world. The reality is that sometimes teens will want to meet in-person with someone they have first met online-for example, a friend of a friend. Teens must learn how to assess the safety of someone met online by closely reviewing their profile, postings, and friends.  They must know how to arrange for a safe meeting in a public place with a trustworthy friend or parent nearby.

Teens with a history of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and who take other risks on- and off-line are particularly at risk for entering into inappropriate sexual relationships with people they meet online. Boys who are gay or questioning are also at increased risk. Teens who post sexy pictures online or talk with online strangers about sex are clearly at risk.

All teens should know to watch out for anyone – adult or teen, stranger or not – who appears to be trying to manipulate them by offering excessive complements, gifts, or opportunities, or wanting to establish a “special” relationship.

Understanding Personal Disclosure

A common safety message is: “Don’t post personal information online.”

While this is an important message for younger children, teens may legitimately ask: “How do I register on a site? How do I purchase something on iTunes or eBay without providing my name and address? How can I have fun on MySpace without sharing information about who I am? I have a private login, so is it okay to post pictures of myself on the beach?”

Many teens appear to have limited understanding of potential harm or damage from inappropriate information disclosure. Given that a major part of social networking is sharing information about who you are online, teens need greater guidance on how to manage various kinds of personal information. This includes certain personal contact, financial, intimate or reputation-damaging material, and information about others.

It’s important to convey the message that anything put into electronic form and sent or posted can easily become very public and very permanent. Teens should understand that while they should use privacy protection features of social networking sites, the material they post is still not entirely private because their “friends” have access to it. Further, they should learn to read and interpret privacy policies and recognize when market profilers are seeking personal information.

Encouraging Communication

Another standard Internet safety message is: “If you feel uncomfortable about something that happens online, tell an adult.”

While this is important advice, teens are much less likely to tell adults about online concerns if they think adults may not know what to do or are likely to overreact, blame them or restrict their online access. It is essential that we do a better job of educating adults-especially parents and teachers-to effectively respond to online concerns. We can also equip and engage teens themselves as effective peer mentors (see below).

Curbing Addictive Access

Addictive access is an excessive amount of time spent using the Internet resulting in a lack of healthy engagement in other areas of life. Social networking sites can be very addictive for some teens. For others, social networking is simply an extension of their active social lives. Online gaming sites and multiplayer role-playing games can be highly addictive, in part because leaving the game can result in letting your online “team” down. Addictive access is likely a significant new cause of poor school performance. Adults must help teens learn to keep their lives in balance.

Boosting Information Literacy

Anyone can post anything online. Some sites may try to influence the attitudes and behavior of others. People tend to judge the accuracy of information based on the appearance of the Web site, which can be deceiving. Assessing the accuracy of material online is an essential information-age skill.

Problem-Solving and Peer Leadership

Because teens are participating in online environments where there are frequently no adults present, it is our job to equip teens to engage in effective and responsible problem-solving to address cyberbullying and sexual harassment, accidental access to pornographic materials, and unsafe or dangerous online communities. Teens also need to learn about responsible online publishing, including attribution of source, respect for copyright, and respect for others when posting information online.

We can develop effective peer leadership by encouraging these savvy teens to provide assistance to their peers and report online concerns to adults.

Teens often learn best by role-playing. In discussions about online risks, provide scenarios about students who have gotten into risky or difficult situations or are engaging in risky, irresponsible, or illegal behavior.  Inspire students to problem-solve about how they would respond if a friend, peer, or even a stranger were at risk online-what would they advise? What would they do if this person appeared to be unwilling or unable to respond effectively to the risk?

Social Web Safety Tips for Teens

Be your own person. Don’t let friends or strangers pressure you to be someone you aren’t. And know your limits. You may be Net-savvy, but people and relationships change, and unexpected stuff can happen on the Internet.

Be nice online. Or at least treat people the way you’d want to be treated. People who are nasty and aggressive online are at greater risk of being bullied or harassed themselves. It’s a vicious cycle you really don’t want to get into.

Think about what you post. Sharing provocative photos or intimate details online, even in private emails, can cause you problems later on. Even people you consider friends can use this info against you, especially if they become ex-friends.  And don’t post photos or videos of others without their permission.

Read between the “lines.” It may be fun to check out new people for friendship or romance, but be aware that, while some people are nice, others act nice because they’re trying to get something. Flattering or supportive messages may be more about manipulation than friendship or romance.

Don’t talk about sex with strangers. Be cautious when communicating with people you don’t know in person, especially if the conversation starts to be about sex or physical details. Don’t lead them on — you don’t want to be the target of a predator’s grooming. If they persist, call your local police or contact CyberTipline.com.

Avoid in-person meetings. The only way someone can physically harm you is if you’re both in the same location, so to be 100 percent safe, don’t meet them in person. If you really have to get together with someone you “met” online, don’t go alone. Have the meeting in a public place, tell a parent or some other solid backup, and bring some friends along.

Be smart when using a wireless phone. All the same tips apply with phones as with computers-except that phones are with you wherever you are, often away from home and your usual support systems. Be careful whom you give your number to and how you use GPS and other technologies that can pinpoint your physical location.

Source:  www.ConnectSafely.org

—–

Nancy E. Willard is a former special education teacher and a lawyer who focuses on youth risk online and advises schools about the safety, legal, and ethical issues related to Internet use. She is the author of two books on Internet safety and cyberbullying prevention. She directs the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use: http://csriu.org.

By Patti Agatston, Ph.D. 

In 2006, I had the opportunity to conduct focus group interviews with students on the topic of cyberbullying. I partnered with Dr. Robin Kowalski and Dr. Susan Limber, psychologists at Clemson University who had already conducted a national survey on cyberbullying with students in grades 6 through 8. To build on that knowledge, we interviewed 148 middle and high school students in public schools. We selected schools in part for their diverse socioeconomic status.

Here’s what we found.  (The full data from the focus groups appears in the December issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health.)

Learning Point #1:  Cyberbullying is impacting the school.  Girls are particularly concerned about this issue.

We asked students if they thought that cyberbullying was a problem at their particular school.  The groups were separated by gender. I interviewed the female focus groups and a male colleague interviewed the male groups.  The majority of students in the female group agreed that it was a problem; however, the reaction was more mixed among male groups.  This fits with the research that suggests that females are more involved in cyberbullying as both perpetrators and targets (Kowalski, Limber and Agatston, 2007).  However, in each of our groups, students could give examples of how classmates or neighbors had been impacted by cyberbullying.

Learning Point #2:  Don’t believe that just because a site is blocked, kids won’t be able to access it.

The students were very tech savvy, particularly at the high school level.  We asked the groups if they were able to access blocked sites on our school district server, and both males and females were knowledgeable about using “proxy servers” to bypass the blocks.  We must do much more than rely upon blocks and filters to protect our children.  We need to have conversations with them about the issue.

Learning Point #3:  Few parents/guardians and educators are talking to students about cyberbullying.

We asked students in the focus groups whether their parents/guardians or teachers were talking to them about cyberbullying, and the majority of the students answered an emphatic “no.”   A few students did give examples of Internet safety messages that parents were discussing with them, but the messages did not include information about how people treat one another online. 

One school was implementing a bullying prevention program, and the girls in that focus group said that cyberbullying had been discussed in the classroom, but that was the one exception.  We need to weave cyberbullying into our messages about bullying in general.

Learning Point #4:  Students are reluctant to tell adults if they experience cyberbullying. 

While students could give some strategies for dealing with cyberbullying, such as ignore or block the sender of the message, they were reluctant to involve adults.  The most common reason was that they feared losing access to their technology.  As one girl said, “If I tell my mom that someone is sending me mean instant messages [IMs], she’ll say, ‘Well than you don’t need to IM.’” 

In addition, they did not believe that adults at home or school would be particularly helpful in addressing the situation.  This was particularly true with adults at school.  As one boy said:  “What can they do?  It’s happening at home, not at school.” 

Adults need to avoid overreacting yet offer effective assistance in order to be viewed as legitimate and trustworthy resources by youth.

Learning Point #5:  Student bystanders who witness cyberbullying often do nothing to help, but when they do help, it makes a difference.

Many of the students in our focus groups shared stories of witnessing cyberbullying incidences online, but indicated that they did not do anything to alert adults or assist the targeted student.  They did share that they “felt sorry” for the person who was targeted.  This is consistent with Dan Olweus’s research (1993) on the bullying circle that demonstrates that the majority of students do not participate in bullying, but instead witness it, feel uncomfortable or distressed about it and are uncertain what to do to help.

This has obvious implications for prevention and intervention with cyberbullying.  We tell the story in our book, Cyber Bullying: Bullying in the Digital Age (2007), of a middle school girl who was targeted with a profile that both threatened and made fun of her.  I interviewed the girl’s mother, and she shared that her daughter was able to deal with the abuse a little better because some of her friends went to the site and posted positive comments about her and messages of support for her. 

Such messages of support are so powerful for students who feel frightened, embarrassed, humiliated and alone.  

Conclusion

Our youth have much to teach us about how young people are interacting with technology today.  The benefits of technology far outweigh the negatives.  As parents/guardians and educators, we can assist young people in making the digital world a positive experience for everyone. Remember, without our guidance, they will make up the rules themselves!  

BOX:

Suggested guidelines for young teens on using technology responsibly:

• Do not send messages when you are angry.
• Do not use technology to embarrass or humiliate someone.
• Do not use another person’s password and screen name or user name.
• Do not take photos with a wireless phone without the person’s permission.
• Do not post photos online or forward them to others without permission.
• If you see someone being targeted by cyberbullying, let an adult know.  Saving the evidence helps.
• Post or send positive messages of support to help someone who is being targeted.
• Do your part to make the digital world a positive place!

Links:

www.cyberbullyhelp.com.

Link to article:  Students Perspectives on Cyberbullying in the December issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health:

http://www.jahonline.org/article/PIIS1054139X07003680/fulltext

–

Patti Agatston, PhD, is a Licensed Professional Counselor and co-author of the book, Cyber Bullying:  Bullying in the Digital Age.  She is a certified trainer for the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program and works for the Cobb County School District in Marietta, Georgia.

Students in Amy Lutes’ business computer classes at Hampshire High School in Hampshire, Illinois, shared their thoughts on technology and safety with bNetS@vvy. Here’s what a few students had to say, unedited. We hope these can spark discussions with the young people in your life.

I have used technology a lot in my life; it is what I base most of my information off of. From watching TV to always being on the computer it takes up most of my time. But without it most of society would be lost. 

MySpace has taken over teen lives and has led to a big breakthrough in technology. Technology will be around forever and is a big part of the world now.

- Connor M., high school freshman

Nowadays, kids seem to have many privileges. They all have cell phones and sit on the computer all day. Having their own phone is helpful for the parents. Kids can also call them in case of emergency or for whatever the problem is. It’s a way to help the parent know where their child is. Phones are safe as long as they know how to use them. But if they are giving out their phone number to random people, they could just be getting themselves into trouble.

Many parents worry that their children could be getting into trouble online. If they are chatting to people they do not know, they have a point. But with the computer programs we have, we can prevent that from happening. These programs keep hackers out and can prevent viruses from entering your computer. Many of these programs have parental controls so [parents] can limit the Websites their children are allowed to visit. They can be safe as long as the parents and teachers do something to prevent it.

- Juan M., high school senior

There was this one girl on MySpace from a school nearby who had problems on her account. She was only l4 years old and thought that no one could harm her on a Website. But there was this guy who wanted to know who she was and asked her to be his friend.   She accepted him and he looked through her MySpace page and found out all of her information.   Then he went to her house and luckily her parents were home because he was going to do something bad.  She was one of the lucky people.   Her parents told her to delete her MySpace or hide her information. I think parents and everybody should know the [dangers].

- Dylan N., high school freshman

There are many ways I am technology-safe. If I have a password for anything (computer, phone) I do not give it out. At school, in order to log on you need to put in your student ID. No one knows my student ID.   Another way I protect myself is by putting a lock on my phone. You cannot listen to my voicemail or read my texts unless you put the code in.

My main focus is staying safe on my computer. It is very easy for a predator to find out what you look like and where you live. … So I do not have a MySpace and I don’t let my friends post pictures or information about me on theirs. I think it is very stupid to put where you live out on the Internet. It is so unsafe and could lead to terrible things. Young people need to be made more aware of those things.

- Tia I., high school freshman

The Internet offers no privacy. MySpace  … is a fun Website that keeps friends in touch through comments, pictures and messages. Millions of people access Myspace every day, and while they think they’re safe with their personal email addresses, login and password, there are still those pesky Internet hackers that are able to break into your account and access personal information. Teens are getting kicked off their sports teams because of pictures and inappropriate material they have on their profiles. 

Be smart about what you put on the Internet, because you never know who is looking at what you have on there.                                  

- Ashley M., high school junior

Friends online [are not always] who they say; their brothers or sisters or even parents have talked to me. Also, there are people that I never even saw before who wanted to be my friend … but I knew that was not safe. My parents taught me never to talk to strangers so I would block them.

I knew this girl who decided to meet a 16-year-old guy who she thought was really cute and she was smart because she took her older brother with her and he ended up being an old weird guy. She was one of the lucky ones. But there are so many kids like her who need to be more careful when they are on the Internet. That’s why they should make a program to help younger children not talk to strangers even when they are on the Internet because they may feel close to them, but they still don’t personally know who they are talking to.

-Dollie B., high school freshman

Do not give out any personal information like passwords, home address and phone number. These can hurt a person’s life forever. You can have all the information on your computer stolen if you’re not careful enough.  One way to protect yourself from this is have your Internet set to max security. Another way is to set your wireless router security. Also, block sites that have cookies or pop-ups

- Michael K., high school freshman