Empowering Todays Youth to Make Wise Choices Online

1
This presentation is brought to you courtesy of
the Internet safety experts at
Empowering Todays Youth to Make Wise Choices
Online A 501-(c3) Nonprofit Organization
2
Web Wise Kids.our goals

• To bring the issue of internet safety to the
  forefront
• To educate middle school children and teenagers
  on how to remain safe online
• To educate parents and teachers about online
  safety
• To initiate communication between parents and
  teens about online content
• To assist local groups in implementing Internet
  safety programs

3
The Need for Internet Safety

• The Internet has great potential for good, but it
  has also provided predators with almost
  unhindered access to teens, and provides them
  with the anonymity they need.
• There are people online who deliberately target
  teens and purposely expose them to inappropriate,
  even criminal, material and activities.
• Through the Internet, kids are often tricked or
  manipulated to look at pornography, join gangs,
  commit crimes, leave home, engage in sexual acts
  with adults, and more.

4
Who is most at risk online? Teenagers.

• They have a high level of autonomy independence
  
• Are technologically savvy (far beyond their
  parents and teachers) but have little wisdom
  about good boundaries

5

• Online, they know they wont be dismissed based
  on appearance it feels safer than real life
  relationships
• In online relationships, there is a lack of
  social constraint two loners are communicating
  with no one watching. This anonymity leads to
  self-disclosure and a strong sense of intimacy
• They are highly curious about romance sex
• In almost all crimes that were reported, children
  did know that their online friend was
  significantly older.

6
Obstacles to Safety

• Most parents do not talk to their teens about
  Internet Safety for 3 reasons
• Lack of Knowledge
• Some parents are uninformed about the Internet
  and its safety hazards
• Denial
• Some parents do not want to admit that their
  child could be endangered by their poor Internet
  habits
• Discomfort
• Some parents feel uncomfortable or awkward
  talking about Internet safety to their child

7
Nationwide Parent Study by ADVO, Inc., 2004

• One in three parents (30) are not concerned
  about their childrens safety when they are
  online.
• One in five parents (20) said they do not know
  any of the internet codes or passwords, IM
  handles, or e-mail addresses of their children.
  
• 5 or less of parents surveyed are familiar with
  acronyms most commonly used by children online
  (i.e. POS parents over shoulder, CTN cant
  talk now, etc.)

8
Parent Responses

• Parent provides no rules at all to govern a
  childs use of the Internet, or
• Parent provides inconsistent rules (rules exist
  but are rarely enforced), or
• Parent creates all the rules - this deprives the
  child of the opportunity to formulate his own
  internal safety standards. Child may forget or
  rebel against parents rules.

9
The ProblemTopline Findings from Omnibuzz
Research, Teen Research Unlimited, Oct. 2005

• Online teens frequently communicate with people
  they have never met
• 54 have Instant Messaged a stranger,
• 50 have emailed a stranger, and
• 45 have participated in a chat room discussion
  with a stranger.
• Nearly one third (30) of online teens said that
  they have talked about meeting someone whom
  theyve only met through the Internet.
• 28 of online teens said they use code words on a
  daily basis to hide online conversations from
  their parents (e.g. PIR means parent in room).

10
The Problem
Research Unlimited, Oct. 2005, cont.

• 56 of teens said that they have been asked
  personal questions (such as their age, sex, or
  location) online by someone they have never met.
• More than one fourth (27) of teens report that
  they have talked online about sex with someone
  they have never met in person.
• 27 of teens said that theyve known a friend to
  actually meet someone they only knew online.
• One in five (21) reported that a person they
  only know through online communication has asked
  to meet them.

11
HOW HAVE THINGS CHANGED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS?
1,500 households children ages 10-17

• from Online Victimization of Youth Five Years
  Laterstudies by the University of New Hampshire,
  Crimes Against Children Research Center, in
  conjunction with the Office of Juvenile Justice
  and the National Center for Missing Exploited
  Children, 2005
• STATS IN 2000 STATS IN 2005
• Exposure to unwanted sexual material
• (despite filtering software)
• 25 34
• Victim of online harassment
• 6 9

12
HOW HAVE THINGS CHANGED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS?
cont.

• STATS IN 2000 STATS IN 2005
• Communicated with strangers online
• 40 34
• Formed a close online relationship with someone
  they met online
• 16 11
• Received unwanted online solicitations from
  strangers
• 19 13
• Received unwanted online solicitations from
  acquaintances
• 3 14

13
HOW HAVE THINGS CHANGED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS?
cont.

• STATS IN 2000 STATS IN 2005
• Posted personal information online
• 11 34
• Posted picture online
• 5 18
• Made rude or nasty comment online
• (harassed others)
• 14 28

14
On the Internet

• Child/Teen predators have the advantages of
• Age
• Experience
• Practiced manipulation tactics
• Sophisticated technological skills and/or
  equipment to lure children
• Anonymity
• Teenagers have the disadvantages of
• Innocence, trust
• Feeling invincible
• A desire for acceptance and independence
• A reliance on the adults in their lives to
  protect them from the consequences of their
  unsafe choices

15
SOME FACTS ABOUT BLOGGING taken from Pew
Internet American Life Project, "Teen Content
Creators and Consumers", Nov. 2005

• 33 of teens post photos, stories, or videos on
  the web on sites such as MySpace, Friendster,
  Xanga, Facebook
• 19 of teens keep an online blog (diary) 69 of
  these post photos, stories or videos on the web
• 38 of teens read online blogs

16
What can we do to protect children from online
predators?

• We CANNOT rely solely on parents to protect their
  children
• We CANNOT rely solely on law enforcement to
  prevent Internet crime
• We CANNOT rely solely on educators to teach our
  children Internet safety
• We CAN train children to be aware of Internet
  safety issues so that they can serve as their own
  first line of defense.

17
Teens need to learn

• that they are vulnerable to predators, even if
  they feel invincible
• How dangerous it is to post personal information
  and photos online
• how to remain as anonymous as possible when using
  the Internet to avoid endangering themselves
• how to recognize and repel the advances of a
  predator
• what to do and who to talk to if they feel they
  have been approached by a stranger online
• that it is NEVER a good idea to meet in person
  someone they have gotten to know online

18
The Web Wise Kids Approach

• Divergence from the lecture format
• Web Wise Kids offers Fun and Educational
• downloadable computer detective games called
• MISSING, Mirror Image and AirDogs.
• Ongoing support and education
• Web Wise Kids offers parents, teachers, youth
  leaders, and law enforcement the use of a
  prepared Internet safety program.

19
Why Our Games work

• Innovative
• Fun
• Educational
• Easy for any facilitator to use
• Challenging for teens
• Avoids the lecture format

20
National Research

• Research shows that middle school age students
  learn best when they are actively engaged with
  content.
• Multimedia approaches assist learners
  understanding of concepts and relationships not
  explainable in print text.
• Technology allows students to make a hands-on,
  minds-on approach to solving problems that is
  authentic and relevant.
• National Middle School Association 2004

21
MISSING
22
The MISSING Computer Game

• MISSING focuses on children ages
• from 11 to 14 (middle school)The Games
  Scenario
• Based on the true story of a 14-year-old boy who
  was lured online to leave home
• The goal is to bring him back home before he
  vanishes for good

23
The format of MISSING is flexible

• Takes approximately 3 hours to play
• Can be played all at once or in 6 half hour
  segments.
• Can be played in a lab on up to 10 computers (30
  students)
• Can be played classroom style, on one computer
  and projected

24
MISSING is available

• For a computer lab or classroom
• 10 disks (enough for 30 kids to play)
• Teacher guide and video
• Pre- and Post-surveys, parent letter, etc.
• Answer key
• For home use
• 1 disk
• Parent guide and instructions
• Answer key

25
The Value of the MISSING Game

• MISSING teaches children to recognize the habits
  of predators before they become victims
• MISSING allows children to create and develop
  good habits for using the Internet
• MISSING encourages children to inform a trusted
  adult whenever they encounter something strange
  online.

26
An Internet Safety Plan

• At the conclusion of the games, teens are
  encouraged to create their own guidelines for
  safe online behavior
• Discussion is encouraged in classroom and at home
  with parents
• Creative assignments help children internalize
  what they have learned

27
MISSING fits National
School Standards

• Science
• Investigation and Experimentation
• Reading
• Reading Comprehension
• Comprehension and Analysis
• Listening and Speaking
• Listening and Speaking Strategies
• Written and Oral Language Conventions
• Technology

28
The Cybercops Series MIRROR IMAGE
29
The Problem CYBERSTALKING

• Every year, 1.3 million Americans are terrorized
  by stalkers.
• 65 of these stalkings begin online.
• Yet, many victims never report their stalkers.

30
Mirror ImageA computer game about Cyberstalking

• Available to WWK partners at no charge
• Takes ca. 35 minutes to play
• Based on a true story
• Discussion and safety plan included

31
Goals of Mirror Image

• STUDENTS LEARN
• Never to post photos or personal information
  online
• Use anti-virus programs to block Trojans and
  spyware
• If someone is harassing you online, log off and
  tell a trusted adult.

32
The Problem PIRACY and BULLYING

• The NEA estimates that 160,000 students miss
  school every day due to fear of attack or
  intimidation by a bully.
• 80 to 90 percent of students state that they have
  been bullied at school.
• Thousands of teens dont understand that copying
  and downloading games and music without
  permission is stealing, and it can have lifelong
  consequences for them and their families.

33
The Cybercops SeriesAIRDOGS
34
AirDogsA computer game about Piracy and Online
Bullying

• Available to WWK partners at no charge
• Takes approximately 35 minutes to play
• Based on a true story
• Discussion and safety plan included

35
Goals of AirDogs

• STUDENTS LEARN
• Never to pirate software
• Dont steal online
• Report bullying

36
Issues to address with high school students in
the CyberCops Series

• Cyberstalking
• Online relationships
• The Modeling Lure
• Piracy
• Bullying

37
Our Accomplishments

• Web Wise Kids program have already generated
  tremendous response in the United States, Europe
  and Asia, and have been played by over 2 million
  children and counting, in all 50 states.

38
A Quick look at Some Other Issues Facing the
E-Generation

• Gaming, gambling, online crimes, piracy
• Viruses, worms
• Vocabulary of E-subculture
• Pornography (online and now on cell phones)
• Phishing (to name a few Ebay, Paypal,
  MasterCard)
• Computer Addiction
• and many more.

39

My child knows more about the computer than I
do. What can a parent do ?...
40

• We are proud to introduce the
• WIRED WITH WISDOM PARENT PROGRAM
• WIRED WITH WISDOM is an
• online virtual adventure experience for adults.
• Available online 24 hours a day 7 days a week
• Also available as a disk for those without
  high-speed Internet
• Has a nationwide reach anywhere there are
  Internet connections, adults can access the
  program.
• Appeals to parents, teachers, police officers
  and youth leaders

41
WIRED WITH WISDOM

• Accommodates various degrees of computer aptitude
• Everyone can benefit, whether they are a novice
  or an experienced user.
• Accommodates various learning styles
• Interesting format appeals to people who learn
  with different learning styles (visual, auditory,
  etc.)
• Measures Results
• Using online assessments, e-learning makes it
  possible to measure knowledge retention, areas of
  improvement and performance results

42
(No Transcript)
43

• The program is divided into five stand
  alone,
• self-paced modules which only take an
  average
• of 20 minutes each to work through.
• Fire Station module
• Overall tips for Internet Safety
• Library module
• What you need to know about the World Wide Web
• Café module
• What you need to know about Chat Rooms
  Instant
• 
  Messaging
• Post Office module
• What you need to know about E-mail
• Art Supply module
• What you need to know about Personal Websites

44
Our Programs

• For information about ordering
• any of the programs you saw mentioned in this
  presentation, please visit us on the web at
• www.WebWiseKids.org

45
Contact Us

• P.O. Box 27203
• Santa Ana, CA 92799
• Tel. [phone] or 1-866-WEB-WISE
• Fax [phone]
• www.webwisekids.org