Internet Safety

Jeri Lynn Rushing & Britney Thomas Mississippi State University

Holly ReevesMississippi College

()

IntroductionThe internet offers a world of opportunities.People of all ages are:

posting videos from mobile devices building online profilestexting each other from their mobile devicescreating alter egos in the form of online avatarsconnecting with friends online they don’t see regularly in personsending photos to friendsbroadcasting what they’re doing to hundreds of people

Cyber Safety Statistics:• 95% of parents don't recognize the lingo kids use to let people know that their parents are watching. • 89% of sexual solicitations are made in either chat rooms or instant messages.• 20% of children age 10-17 have been solicited sexually online; that's 1 out of every 5 kids.• 75% of youth who received an online sexual solicitation did not tell a parent.• 1/3 of kids have been contacted by a stranger and half of these were considered inappropriate. • 81% of parents of online youth say that kids aren't careful enough when giving out information about themselves online.

Cyber Safety Statistics:• Most kids will not report inappropriate Internet contact to their parents because they are afraid of losing Internet privileges. • 61% of 13-17 yr olds have a personal profile on social networking sites • 71% have reported receiving messages from someone they do not know • 45% have been asked for personal info from people they do not know • 48% of 16-17 yr olds report that their parents know "very little" or "nothing" about their online activities

http://www.netlingo.com/tips/cyber-safety-statistics.php

(www.ongaurdonline.com)

These ways of socializing and communicatingcan be fulfilling, and yet, they come with certain risks:Inappropriate conduct.

The online world can feel anonymous. Kids sometimes forget that they are still accountable for their actions.Inappropriate contact.

Some people online have bad intentions, including bullies, predators, hackers, and scammers.Inappropriate content.

You may be concerned that kids could find pornography, violence, or hate speech online.You can reduce these risks by talking to students about how they communicate—online and off—and encouraging them to engage in conduct they can be proud of.

(http://cskcst.com)

What are the Risks and Concerns?Internet risks and concerns range from situations where innocent young people are victimized by others to situations where young people have engaged in actions that are risky, irresponsible, harmful, and even illegal.Safety RisksSexually Related Risks

Being groomed by predators for sexual activities or to provide pornography.Accidentally accessing online pornography.Receiving sexual harassment.

Cyberbullying or Online Social Aggression Being the target of harmful material that is sent or posted online.

Scams and Identity TheftBeing deceived by an online scam, including financial identity theft.

(http://cskcst.com)

Responsible Use ConcernsRisky Sexual Activities

Intentionally accessing pornography in an addictive manner.Seeking sexual “hook-ups” with adults or other teens.Engaging in sexual harassment.Posting or sending sexually provocative or explicit images.Discussing and sharing images of sexual exploits publicly.

Cyberbullying or Online Social AggressionHarming another by sending or posting harmful material online.

Unsafe CommunitiesInteracting with online communities that support self-harm, including cutting, anorexia, and suicide.

(http://cskcst.com)

Dangerous Groups Interacting with angry and violent online groups, including hate groups, gangs, or troublesome youth groups.

Cyberthreats Posting material that raises concerns about violence or self-harm.

Online Gaming Excessive involvement in online games, especially violent games.

Online Gambling Engaging in “gambling 101” game activities or actual online gambling.

Hacking Breaking into or damaging computer systems.

Plagiarism Inadvertently or intentionally using online information resources in an academically dishonest manner.

Copyright Inappropriately copying or disseminating someone’s copyrighted work.

Types of cyberbulling:• Two types of cyberbullying:

– 1) Direct attacks- messages sent to a child directly• Text messages• Blogs• Stealing passwords• Sending pictures through email or cellular devices• Impersonation

– Posing as the victim-may post provocative messages, gives out personal information than can cause others to provoke the victim– 2) Proxy attacks- getting others to help with the cyberbullying

• Most dangerous type of cyberbullying– Parents get involved and don’t know who they are dealing with

• Gets someone else to do the “dirty work”

Bullying vs. Cyberbullying• Direct• Occurs on school property• Poor relationships with teachers• Fear retributionPhysical: Hitting, Punching & ShovingVerbal: Teasing, Name calling & GossipNonverbal: Use of gestures & Exclusion

• Anonymous• Occurs off school property

• Good relationships with teachers• Fear loss of technology privileges

Bullying Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying• Cyber bulling video highlights problem (5 minutes)

– http://bullyinglte.wordpress.com/2009/07/13/cyber-bullying-video-highlights-problem/• Dr. Phil on cyberbullying (2 minutes)

– http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=cyberbullying+with+dr.+phil&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv#

(http://cskcst.com)

Commercial Online Activities Market Profiling

They encourage young people to disclose vast amounts of personal information that is used to tailor advertisements based on their known interests. Young people may be offered “gifts or prizes” in exchange for completing online marketing surveys.

AdvertisingAdvertisements may promote unhealthy consumption, lifestyles, values, and behavior.

StickinessWeb sites use specific strategies to enhance their “stickiness” to entice young people to spend lots of time on their site, generally so they can see more advertisements. This can foster addictive access behavior.

Social Networking SitesSocial network sites now proliferate the web.

Most of these sites do not verify for age and allow the user to post almost anything. Some children (and many adults for that matter) are posting per hateful comments about others, and more. Also, these sites make it easier for predators to “connect” with and lure your child, especially because they also include tools such as blogs, chatrooms, classified advertisements, calendars, and more. See the following as examples:

a. www.myspace.com b. www.friendster.com c. www.myyearbook.com d. www.xanga.com e. www.piczo.com f. www.facebook.com g. www.twitter.com

FacebookFacebook has made headlines over the years, much more than just once or twice, for its "confusing, complex and shifting privacy policies” and "bewildering tangle of options." These sites will help you (not guarantee you) to stay private and secure. Age Requirements

13 is the legal age to register for Facebook. However, kids can lie about their age and create an account easily.

Safety Tips If you let your child create a Facebook page, make sure your kids don’t “friend” someone they don’t know. Be sure your child sets privacy settings appropriately.

ReclaimPrivacy.org This website provides an independent and open tool for scanning your Facebook privacy settings. I took it for a test run and it is actually amazing (easy and effective). http://www.reclaimprivacy.org/facebook

Facebook http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRsRLZiyH20&NR=1

(4 minutes)

MySPACE44% of online teens with profiles like Facebook and Myspace have been contacted by a stranger, compared with 16 percent of those without profiles. MySpace deletes 25,000 profiles weekly of users who don't meet the site's 14-year-old minimum age requirement From 2007-2009 MySpace has deleted 90,000 accounts because they were created by registered sex offenders

Compare to: The U.S. has a total resident population of 310,127,000

Twitter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo8IfYFyLgQ&feature=player_embedded

(5 minutes)

Blogging Creating a blog is simple and free. It only takes a few minutes by entering your name, e-mail address and a few other pieces of (usually personal) information. Some blogs ask for the users age and others do not. For those that do, the system does not provide age verification services so faking one’s age is a matter of putting in the right birth date. You select "the look“ (template) of your blog from a set of standard options, click a few buttons, and another blog has been added to the “blogosphere.” Once the blog is set up, a child can post text, links, audio and video to their hearts delight. From their computer or cell phone, they can say or show anything and everything. With a bit of know-how, they can even easily syndicate to other blogs and websites. According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project report entitled Teen Content Creators and Consumers (2005), at least 8 million teens blog, which is probably an underestimation since those statistics were collected a while ago, and the numbers might be higher if you factor in not just blogs but the world of social websites, especially the booming MySpace, which includes blog capabilities.

Chat Rooms and Discussion Groups• Chat rooms and discussion groups allow teens to discuss issues within a group of acquaintances or strangers. The level of safety depends on the location or site, the subject, and whether there is a moderator

(www.ongaurdonline.gov)

Mobile Phones: Socializing and Communicating on the goInstant Messaging

Instant messaging (IM) is real time electronic communications. The level of safety depends on who is included on a young person’s contact list. Cellphones and Personal Digital Devices

Today’s young people are becoming totally wired — able to access the Internet anytime, anywhere. This limits adult’s ability to effectively supervise. Digital Cameras, Cellphone Cameras, and Web Cams

Young people can easily capture and send images. These images can also be electronically modified. Inappropriate images posted online by your child or others could damage your child’s reputation, attract the attention of an unsafe person, or be used in the context of cyberbullying.

SextingSending or forwarding sexually explicit photos, videos, or messages from a mobile phone is known as “sexting.” Why is Sexting unsafe?

Once you post or send a “sext,” you cant control it. Privacy is not guaranteed.

A sext meant for just one person can easily be seen by or shared with others. This may happened when:A relationship endsOthers get access to a friend’s phone, computer or accounts.

Sexting can also attract Sexual Predators

Sexting• In addition to risking their reputation and their friendships, they could be breaking the law if they create, forward, or even save this kind of message.

– Sext that involve minors may break child pornography laws in some states• Sexting cause also get kids into serious trouble

– Suspended, expelled, or have notes added to their school records if caught during school hours– some have faced legal charges

• Teens may be less likely to make a bad choice if they know the consequences.

Preventing Internet Addictive Behavior• Internet addictive behavior is an excessive amount of time spent using the Internet, resulting in lack of healthy engagement in other areas of life — school, work, time with friends and family, and sleep. • Children and teens need to be spending time with their family and with other young people — engaged in sports activities, the arts, social service, or just “hanging out.” • Informing parents about their child spending too much time online, develop a mutual agreement about the amount of time to be spent online and strategies to support engagement in other activities.

– Use time limiting software to support this arrangement, if necessary.– I Freeface

• Young people also often engage in media-multitasking while doing homework. – Make sure your child is not surfing, gabbing, or gaming online when there is homework to be done. This can significantly interfere with effective learning.

Remind students that once they post information online, they can’t take it back.Even if they delete the information from a site, they have little control over older versions that may exist on other people’s computers and circulate online.Use privacy settings to restrict who can access and post on the student’s profile. Some social networking sites, chat rooms, and blogs have strong privacy settings. Talk to your kids about these settings, and your expectations for who should be allowed to view their profile.Remind parents the importance in reviewing their child’s friends list.You may want to limit your children’s online “friends” to people they actually know.Talk to teens about avoiding sex talk online.Research shows that teens who don’t talk about sex with strangers online are less likely to come in contact with predators. In fact, researchers have found that predators usually don’t pose as children or teens, and most teens who are contacted by adults they don’t know find it creepy. Teens should not hesitate to ignore or block them. Remind students that online actions can reverberate.The words they write and the images they post have consequences offline.Explain to students why it’s a good idea to post only information that they are comfortable with others seeing.

What is the school’s role?When schools try and get involved by disciplining the student for cyberbullying actions that took place off-campus and outside of school hours, they are often sued for exceeding their authority and violating the student's free speech right. They also, often lose. Schools can be very effective brokers in working with the parents to stop and remedy cyberbullying situations. They can also educate the students on cyber ethics and the law. If schools are creative, they can sometimes avoid the claim that their actions exceeded their legal authority for off-campus cyberbullying actions. We recommend that a provision is added to the school's acceptable use policy reserving the right to discipline the student for actions taken off-campus if they are intended to have an effect on a student or they adversely affect the safety and well-being of student while in school. This makes it a contractual, not a constitutional, issue.As a school counselor, how would you try to help the cyber bullied victim without going past the limits of the school? What are some strategies you, as the counselor, would do to get involved to help the child that is being bullied?

(http://cyberbully.org)

Legal Issues• When can a school monitor and search student internet use

records & files?• Individual search will be conducted if there is reasonable suspicion

that a user has violated district policy or the law.• School should determine who has authority to authorize an individual

search and record-keeping requirements.• Clear notice to students that internet use is monitored can help

prevent misuse of internet in school.

• What about cell phones or other personal digital devices?• Recent Federal Case indicated review of cell phone records by school

officials may violate states wire-tapping laws• This should be addressed by signed agreement or implied consent

Legal Issues

• Free Speech– When can a school respond to cyberbullying?

• Tinker Standard – schools officials may only intervene if there is substantial and material threat of disruption or interference with the rights of other students.

– How can schools address free speech issues in off-campus cyberbullying?

• Documentation– Relationship to in-school incidents– Access to site while at school– Document disruption, interference, or threat thereof.

What can you do in your school?Parent EducationUses and misuses of technologySupervision StrategiesPeer Matching Higher/lower grade reading, tutor Higher/lower grade play production Higher/lower grade cyber bully (recovered/charged) Extracurricular Activities (match cyber bullyer/ee)School AssembliesHigh school student small group discussion on impact/consequences of cyber bullying/being cyber bulliedLawyer to discuss possible legal consequences/Former student, possibly at the high school, involved in cyber bullying, and/or legally charged for cyber bullyingCurrent Teacher/Administrator/Parent involved in cyber bullying

Detecting and Responding to Concerns The key “red flags” that something might be going wrong online include:

Appearing emotionally upset during or after Internet use. Disturbed relationships with parents, family, or friends. Spending too much time online, especially late at night. Excessively secretive behavior when you approach the computer or an empty history file. (Teens are likely to be somewhat secretive.) Receipt of packages or phone calls under strange circumstances. Subtle comments about online concerns. It is very important to respond carefully to such comments. Remain calm and try to encourage your child to talk further. Your child will likely be worried that you will overreact.

If you discover online concerns: Do not overreact! Take the time to calm down before doing anything, especially discussing your concerns with your child. Investigate further. Use monitoring software if you think your child is at risk. Carefully try to engage your child in a conversation about Internet activities. Seek professional assistance, if warranted. Respond to unsafe or irresponsible behavior with an appropriate consequence that will remedy any harm and help your child learn make better choices in the future. If you find evidence of a predator or other dangerous individual, do not confront your child. Contact law enforcement.

Internet Lingo Everyone knows that kids have their own language, it's usually

called slang or a lingo. Then again if you ask the kids they usually have their own term and depending on the year that term may change.

Well the Internet has developed it's own lingo as well. The Internet lingo is relatively easy to figure out. It's usually a set of abbreviations or symbols used together to create some form of picture. Like, :o) <-that is a smiley face. If you can't recognize it turn your head to the left and take a look at it. Do you see it now?

With our kids we want to protect them and keep them from harm's way and while there are many Internet abbreviations that are rather vulgar there are some good ones too. If you want your kids to feel more comfortable surfing through the Internet consider teaching them some of the lingo. Here are a few things to get you started.

Generation’s Generation X Born 1965-1976

51 million Accept diversity

Pragmatic/practicalSelf-reliant/individualisticReject rulesKiller lifeMistrust institutionsPCUse technologyMultitaskLatch-key kidsFriend-not family

Mentoring Do’s· Casual, friendly workenvironment· Involvement· Flexibility and freedom· A place to learn

Millennial or Generation Y Born 1977 – 1998

75 million Celebrate diversity

Optimistic/realisticSelf-inventive/individualisticRewrite the rulesKiller lifestyleIrrelevance of institutionsInternetAssume technologyMultitask fastNurturedFriends = family

Mentoring Do’s· Structured, supportive workenvironment· Personalized work· Interactive relationship· Be prepared for demands, highexpectations

Generation’s Continue

Generation Z- Net generation

1990- 2004 18% of the world’s

population Most communication takes

place on the internet and very little verbal communication skills.

ex: texting their boyfriend or girlfriend to break up on doing it on face book.

Impatient and demand instant results.

They don’t people in personally meeting friends and developing relationships.

They are capable of making huge communities and huge collaborations using the internet without knowing people.

It is a broad term covering a wide variety of behaviors and impulse control problems.

• Net Compulsions• Information overload• Computer Addiction

• Cyber Relationship Addiction • Cyber sexual Addiction

•

Internet / Web Addictionof College Students

Signs and Symptoms of Internet/Web Addiction

Here is what to look for (3-4 yes responses suggest abuse; 5 or more suggest addiction) • Increasing amounts of time spent on computer and internet activities

• Failed attempts to control behavior

• Heightened sense of euphoria while involved in computer and internet activities

• Craving more time on the computer and internet

• Neglecting friends and family

• Feeling restless when not engaged in the activity

• Being dishonest with others

• Computer use interfering with job/school performance

• Feeling guilty, ashamed, anxious, or depressed as a result of behavior

• Changes in sleep patterns

• Physical changes such as weight gain or loss, backaches, headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome

• Withdrawing from other pleasurable activities

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND

Researchers at the University of Maryland who asked 200 students to give up all media for one full day found that after 24 hours many showed signs of withdrawal, craving and anxiety along with an inability to function well without their media and social links.

Dynamics of a College Student Overusing Internet

• Free and Unlimited Internet Access• Huge blocks of unstructured time• Freedom from being around parents• Escape college stressors• Social intimidation or alienation • No monitoring or censoring of what they do online

Intervening with Addicted Children

• Show you care• Assign a internet time • Set reasonable rules• Encourage other activities• Support do not enable• Make computer visible• Present a united front

Assess your On-line time

• Chat Rooms: How may hours spent per week?• Interactive games: How many hours? Name the different games• E-Mails: How many hours/ Track how may e-mail messages you

send and receive each day• WWW: Identify your favorite web sites?? • Identify your total hours spent per day and week on the Internet?

Time- Management Techniques • Find an alternative activity. Ex: Hobby • Identify usage pattern : What days of the week do you typically log

on-line? What time of day does this began? How long are you on??• Find external Stoppers: places you need to be ex, school, work, and

etc.• Incorporate planned internet time into your weekly schedule

specific starting and stopping times.

Positive Reminder Cards

• Make a list of the five major problems caused by your addiction to the Internet.

• Make a separate list of the five major benefits of cutting down your internet use.

Recognize Addictive Triggers

• I get on the Internet because I feel _________________.– Some responses maybe bored, lonely, depressed, anxious, angry,

stressed.

• When I engaged in my favorite Internet activity, I feel ______________.

• When I spend too much time on the internet and not enough time studying, I feel ________.

Do you live on the edge? Is living on the edge negatively impacting your life? Have you ever thought that perhaps you push your limits too much, especially with behaviors that may not be so good for you (i.e. drinking, smoking, sex, the Internet, or maybe even relationships)? Join us

and talk about it.

Group Counseling /Push Your Limits

References

• http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/what_is_cyberbullying_exactly.html• http://bullyinglte.wordpress.com/2009/05/29/cyberbullying-statistics-tell-

the-story/• http://www.ehow.com/how_4999997_protect-child-cyber-bullying.html• wiki.ucalgary.ca/page/Cyberbullying• http://www.schoolcounselor.com/• http://cskcst.com• www.ongaurdonline.gove• www.be-cyber-safe.com

New book on cyberbullying:

• Sameer Hinduja, PhD, is an assistant professor of criminology and criminal

justice at Florida Atlantic University. He received his PhD in criminal justice

from Michigan State University. • www.fau.edu/~hinduja

• Justin W. Patchin, PhD, is an assistant professor of criminal justice at the

University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire. He also earned his PhD in criminal justice

from Michigan State University. • www.uwec.edu/patchinj/webvitae.htm

THE BOOK: About the authors:

GuardingKids.com: A Practical Guide to Keeping Kids Out of High-Tech Trouble

• From podcasts to porn, cyberbullying to cell phones, Dr. Russell Sabella helps readers understand the risks that emerge when high-tech tools, uninformed parents, and exuberant youth collide. Because kids are growing up with modern technologies, many are more expert than their parents. As a result, a parent's ability to make effective decisions for how technology is used may be compromised.

• GuardingKids.com empowers parents, educators, and other care takers to better understand the electronic terrain. Readers will be better able to help children safely and securely navigate a minefield of inappropriate and risky situations.

• http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/teach/kidsonline/lesson.html • http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/teach/kidsonline/eguide.pdf

• Lesson plans/guidance acitivities, games, comics, coloring sheets to promote safe and responsible internet use

• http://www.emotes.com/new_section/new_Press/new_press_videos_01.php

Laws Related to Internet Use