CyberSmart, CyberSafe:

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CyberSmart, CyberSafe Guiding Kids and Teens
to Online Independence
By Laura Jean Miller
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Setting Middle School Library Parents and
grandparents are invited to a session on Internet
Safety.
Objective Parents and grandparents will
institute the SMART steps for Internet safety at
home.
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S.M.A.R.T.
Setup Method Awareness Responsibility Tools
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Setup
Configure your computer to protect your
family. Use online applications for further
protection.
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Setup

• StaySafe.org provides a guide to
• Firewalls
• Spam filters
• Anti-spyware software
• Anti-virus software
• The Link Stay Safe

• Use delicious or a similar service to list
  good websites
• Link del.icio.us
• Delicious page for this workshop cybersmart
• Password sm_at_rts_at_fe

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Setup

• Create a private email address for each family
  member.
• Create a public email address for the family.
• Email providers
• Google's gmail
• Yahoo mail

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Method
Institute procedures to enjoy the Internet safely
and productively.
Place computer in a public place Discuss
appropriate use when adults are not present
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Method

• Activity
• Search for Girls Only Girl Scout website.
• Take go out of the url.

Avoid gross sites by using search engine rather
than URL

• If younger kids encounter something they dont
  like, they should
• Turn off the computer screen.
• Go to an adult for help.

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Method
Be S.A.F.E. Dont tell School Address Full
Name Email Address
And dont lie about your age!!
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Method

• So what should kids share?

Favorite pet
Favorite coaster
Favorite sport
Favorite food
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Method

• Safe Info Activity
• Jessy's webpage
• Adam's webpage
• Mike's webpage
• Jeremy's webpage

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Think before you type.
Method

• Respect others. Protect yourself.
• Watch the video, "You Can't Take It Back"

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Awareness
Learn about potential risks so you can protect
your kids and teens.
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Awareness
Your 14-year-old daughter, Ashley is very excited
because her favorite band, Black 47, is going to
be Boston on Saturday, and you said you would
drop her off and pick her up at the show, where
she can meet her friends. Now shes even more
excited, and you wont need to drop her off,
because shes going to meet her friend, Michael,
at Dunkin Donuts before the show. Hes a Black
47 fan, too, and theyve been communicating
through the fansite and IMing each other for six
months. What concerns do you have about this
situation? What would you choose to do in this
situation?
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Awareness Online Friendships

• 90 of 14-year-olds report having at least one
  online friend
• Why do young people have online friendships?
• Interest-sharing
• Appearance unimportant
• Freedom to share anonymously

• Teen Assumptions
• Others with similar interests must be same age
• Others are who they claim to be

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Should young people meet online friends in person?
Awareness Online Friendships

• Do not rule out meetingsthey may go underground
• Can be positive, especially for marginalized
  students
• Meeting online friends without parent involvement
  means no computer privileges

• ID the creep game http//www.idthecreep.com/

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Awareness
Your 12-year-old daughter, Jessica, was just
checking her email, but now she has run out of
the room crying.  As her bedroom door slams, you
go to the computer and see that her email is
still on the screen.  She has received dozens of
emails with hurtful messages.  Some call her mean
names, and several say, "You should just kill
yourself." What are some reasons for the
behavior of the kids in this situation? What
would you choose to do in this situation?
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Awareness Cyberbullying

• Over 50 of 17-year-olds have experienced
• Over 25 of 13-year-old girls are currently
  experiencing
• Receiving multiple angry, vulgar, or insulting
  emails or text messages.
• Having insulting or threatening messages about
  them posted online.
• Having embarrassing photos of themselves
  circulated online or by cell phone.

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Awareness Cyberbullying
What can you do? Save the evidence. Ignore the
cyberbully. Tell the cyberbully to
stop. Emailactivate filters hosted
websitecontact the host and request that site be
removed Contact bullys parents, the school, or
the police.
Videos about Cyberbullies Check out the Report
Abuse feature on MySpace Notice the host
identification in the URL of this personal
website http//laura.jean.lj.googlepages.com/oldp
ics1
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Awareness Sexual Risk-Taking
Two weeks ago, your 13-year-old niece Emily came
to live with you.  Her mother said she just
couldn't control her.  You know that Emily has
been caught drinking at school and has run away
from home twice.  You have set up clear rules for
Emily's behavior, and she seems to be
cooperating.  But your son says that Emily is
using the Internet to "hook up" with older guys,
and lately someone has been calling the house
phone and hanging up when you answer. What
concerns do you have about this situation? What
would you choose to do in this situation?
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Awareness Sexual Risk-Taking
Only 4 of sexual assault cases in 2006 are known
to have begun with Internet solicitation.
Teens who report good relationships with their
parents are extremely unlikely to respond to
online sexual solicitation. In fact, I couldnt
find a single case!
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Awareness Sexual Risk-Taking

• Who is at risk?
• Troubled girls
• Ages 12-13
• History of sexual abuse and/or acting out
• Deliberately seek out older men online
• Believe they are in love and will resist
  boundaries
• Gay/Questioning boys
• Ages 14-15
• Made vulnerable by intolerant families or
  communities
• Seeking companionship of same-age boys
• Vulnerable to deception by older men

Watch the video, Julie's Journey
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Awareness Sexual Risk-Taking
What can you do? Look for signs of
victimization Sending and receiving
packages. Pornography on computer. Extreme
resistance to communication about
activities. Consider installing monitoring
software. Closely monitor email and IM. Contact
local law enforcements youth or computer crimes
department.
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Awareness

• National Center for Missing and Exploited
  Children
• Cybertipline
• FBI
• Parent's Guide to Internet Safety

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Responsibility
Gradually provide your teen with more privacy and
responsibility online. At age ten, children
need ongoing adult monitoring to ensure online
safety. By age sixteen, most teens no longer need
adult monitoring at all.
Between ages eleven and fifteen, expect to
negotiate!
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Responsibility

• Areas that may be negotiated as responsibility
  shifts to your teen
• Privacy of teens email account
• Privacy of teens IM account
• Limits for online time
• Placement of computer in public area/teens
  bedroom

But never give up your role as advisor! Your teen
may know more than you about the Internet, But
you still know more about life!
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Responsibility
Expect your teenager to self-regulate. Give him
or her the chance to do so.

• Set clear standards for online behavior during
  your childs preteen years.
• Capture teachable moments.
• Discuss online activities with your teen, and
  really listen. You may learn something!

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Tools
Use the variety of free online tools that support
family Internet safety.
NetSmartz by the National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children WiredSafety by an independent
non-profit organization CyberAngels by the
Guardian Angels GetNetWise by a public service
organization funded by Internet industry
corporations including Microsoft Online Safety
Curriculum By MacMillan/McGraw Hill educational
publishers
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Tools
Monitoring Software To be avoided whenever
possible! Use when a teen in your care has
exhibited risky behavior And you have tried,
unsuccessfully, other ways to monitor online
behavior. IamBigBrother Spector Pro Consider
Should you tell the teen you are monitoring that
you have installed this software?
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Tools

• Willard, Nancy E. Cyber-Safe Kids, Cyber-Savvy
  Teens  Helping Young People Learn to Use the
  Internet Safely and Responsibly. New York John
  Wiley Sons, 2007.
• Goodstein, Anita. Totally Wired What Teens and
  Tweens Are Really Doing Online. Chicago St.
  Martins Press, 2007.

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Tools
The Online Victimization of Youth THE report on
online safety. Statistics are quoted and
misquoted everywhere. By the US Dept of Justice
and the University of New Hampshire The above
webpage from NetSmartz provides the best free
online summary.
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Evaluation Form

• 3 ideas you might use at home
• 2 resources you might explore.
• 1 way to improve this presentation.

Cyberbully

• All photographs are non-licensed, publicly shared
  from Flickr.com or personal