Cyber Safety

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Cyber Safety

• USM Parent Presentation
• February 8, 2006

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Introduction

• Workshop geared to parents with children in
  grades 4-12
• What have we been doing with students and faculty
  in the MS at USM?
• What are we seeing and hearing at school?
• Consequences for our children

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Essential Questions

• How can we teach our children to use the Internet
  responsibly?
• What social sites and online activities are
  popular with our students?
• How can you effectively monitor your childs
  online activities?

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The Internet
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Before driving a car
Before using the Internet
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Computer Use
Adults
Kids/Young people
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A few statistics.

• Stats

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What social sites and online activities are
popular with our students?

• Social networking sites aka online journals -
  myspace, xanga, webshots, facebook, etc.
• Chat Rooms
• Instant Messaging

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MySpace.com

• Most of MySpaces almost 50 million users are
  under the age of 22
• Murdoch's News Corp. paid 580 million for it
  last summer.
• MySpace is the most popular teen online hangout
  MySpace recently passed Google in terms of number
  of hits and the number of pages viewed monthly
• Its the fourth most popular website on the
  Internet today!

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Social Networking Sites

• Dateline Clip
• Examples and tour of myspace

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Myspace pitfalls

• Mean messages, lewd comments cyberbullying
  seems consequence free but there could be
  consequences
• Degrading photographs
• Easily accessible
• Numerous identities

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MySpace in the News

• HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Police are investigating
  whether as many as seven teenage girls have been
  sexually assaulted by men they met through the
  popular Web site MySpace.com. The girls, ages 12
  to 16, are from Middletown and say they were
  fondled or had consensual sex with men who turned
  out to be older than they claimed. None of the
  incidents appeared to be violent, said Middletown
  Police Sgt. Bill McKenna. He said it was
  difficult to determine the exact number of
  victims because some girls have been reluctant to
  disclose that they met their assailants online.
  The social networking Web site allows users to
  create profiles that can include photos, personal
  information and even cell phone numbers. In a
  statement Thursday, MySpace.com said it was
  committed to providing a safe environment for its
  users. The site, which includes safety tips, also
  prohibits use by anyone younger than 14, though a
  disclaimer says the people who run the site can't
  always tell if users are lying about their ages.

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• I hate MySpace.com! My 16 yr old has used it for
  at least a year. Once I found out I easily found
  her webpage without her knowledge or asking her
  questions. I then made her remove all personal
  information that I found. I also found out about
  skipping school, drugs, alcohol and smoking. I
  confronted my daughter and thought it was over.
  NO! she made another webpage thinking I would
  only monitor the first one. Hint to all parents,
  look up your children's friends webpages! You
  will find information about your child that your
  child has hidden. Before you say I should not
  allow her on-line, realize that kids can access
  the internet at school, libraries, and friend's
  houses. So just keep checking!! --Heather,
  Junction City, Ore.

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Myspace pitfall pictures
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MySpace Pictures
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Myspace possibilities

• Teens need to express themselves and enjoy
  connecting with other kids
• Unlike a teenagers real bedroom, Myspace can be
  repainted, redecorated and given a new feel with
  just a few mouse clicks. It allows teenagers to
  do what they have always done try out new
  identities and looks, express themselves in new
  ways, and socialize. With this in mind, it is no
  wonder Myspace is such a popular phenomenon among
  youth. With parent involvement, myspace can be
  fun and safe. -Media Wise

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Myspace possibilities

• I think MySpace is a great parenting tool. I
  regularly log on to see what my kids are doing,
  and more importantly, what the kids they're
  hanging out with are doing. Yes, it's important
  that parents have discussions with their kids
  about "safe cyberplay." And, it's important to
  have a handle on what children are doing online.
  We tell our children not to post any photos or
  blogs they wouldn't want to come back and haunt
  them in 20 years, and remind them that anything
  on the web is being archived somewhere by
  someone. But for high school students, "MySpace"
  and similar sites fill the same social function
  as the "community journals" I used to share with
  my friends in high school. I'd hate to see
  hysteria wreck a great communications venue for
  teens. --PTOMom, Tucson, Arizona

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Chat Rooms

• A brief overview
• Ad Council Exchange

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A chat activity

• Used with students

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Instant Messaging

• An introduction

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IM-Chat-Terminology

• What is IM? How is it different than email?
• Popular IM software (Yahoo! AOL MSN ICQ)
• Screen Names
• Profiles
• Buddy lists
• IM software-constantly emerging and developing
  communication tool (picture sharing, voice
  capabilities).
• Live IM Demo - disclaimer

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IM and Chat
PM
IPN
LOL
P911
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PAL
PAW
DIKU
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BWL
BRB
CTN
A/S/L?
Activity-jot down and of IM
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Cyberbullying and Harrassment

• Cyber Bullying and Harassment involves the
  following type of activity
• Sending cruel, vicious, and sometimes threatening
  messages
• Creating web sites that have stories, cartoons,
  pictures, and jokes ridiculing others
• Posting pictures of classmates online with intent
  to embarrass them
• Breaking into an e-mail account and sending
  vicious or embarrassing material to others
• Engaging someone in IM (instant messaging),
  tricking that person into revealing sensitive
  personal information, and forwarding that
  information to others
• Taking an embarrassing picture of a person using
  a digital phone camera and sending that picture
  to others without consent

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Cyber Bullying

• The Ryan Halligan Story
• www.ryanhalligan.com
• 435

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How can you effectively monitor your childs
online activities?

• What can we do? Is it possible for young people
  to participate safely in these activities?

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A parents Dilemma..

• What would you do?

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Personal Information

• Address
• Age A/S/L
• Phone Number
• Gender
• Family names
• School
• Passwords

Should NEVER be revealed in electronic forums
Why Not?? Googling a phone number An Example
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Encouraging Appropriate Use of Technologies

• Know who is on your childs buddy list
• Learn the IM software so you are in control
• Try IM yourself
• Set rules and time limits
• IM takes place in a central location in the home
• Screen names and profiles should not reveal
  personal or indirect information
• IM content-you are accountable for what you say

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Monitoring Computer Use

• Good old fashioned parenting
• Open rapport with studentswe want them to tell
  us things when theyre in trouble/danger
• Set time limits and rules in order to achieve a
  balance
• Checking browser history
• Using Software and your ISP
• Consider centrally locating Internet enabled
  computers

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Handouts

• Distribute and explain handouts

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We need to work together to teach children to use
the internet responsibly

• Parent role
• School role
• Student role

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Homework

• Take a set of handouts for a friend
• Have a conversation with someone about this issue
• Talk to your child about your family values and
  find out about their online activities

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One message parents can say to kids

• Use of the media is a privilege and not a right,
  which has to be exercised in a way that is
  consistent with our deepest values as a family.
  Schools should urge parents to step up to the
  plate in this area.
• -Thomas Lickona

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