Online Safety

1
Online Safety

• A Survival Guide for All Educators
• FETC 2007

2
Welcome!

• Steve Holland
• Educational Consultant
• Author, Online Safety Series - Scenario Learning
• Former Publisher, Computer Education,
  South-Western Educational Publishing
• Mark Stevens
• Executive Director General Mgr., AOL_at_School
• Former VP, Turner Learning

3
Agenda

• Introduction The Online World Has Changed
  Again!
• Research Teens, Tweens Online Safety Mark
• Secrets Truths Your Students May Not Want You
  to Know
• Social Networking Web Sites A Primer
• LIVE Uncensored (gulp!) An Unfiltered Look
  at
• Stefans MySpace Page
• Three Greatest Online Dangers for Schools Steve
• 1) Cyberbullying
• 2) Online Predators
• 3) Online Threats of Violence
• Q A - Discussion

4
IntroductionThe Lines Have BLURRED!

• What does online mean anymore?
• Is a cell phone an online device?
• Is a text message or an IM an online activity?
• Does wireless networking mean your students can
  bypass your online filters?

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IntroductionThe Generation Gap Is Back!

• Your Students
• Send text messages and instant messages
• Find that evading adult supervision is fairly
  easy and view most adults as basically clueless
• Carry portable, unsupervised online devices into
  your school each day

• Your Teachers
• Talk to people and send e-mail
• Believe (or hope) that student online activity is
  controlled through technical restrictions on PCs
  in the media lab
• Believe that online safety doesnt impact them if
  their curriculum doesnt involve PCs

6
Introduction Dont Panic!

• All educators need to learn the basics of online
  safety.
• Teachers can bridge the generation gap with
  some basic training in teen online behavior.
• Schools need to review and modernize policies
  involving students and technology.
• If your district doesnt perceive increased
  physical danger for students and staff as well as
  growing legal liability for schools, then they
  are asking for trouble.
• You can do it!

7
Teens, Tweens Online Safety

• Mark Stevens AOL_at_SCHOOL
• Teen research results

8
Teens Who

• Technology is central to every teens life
• Online and offline worlds merge into one
• Time spend with technology has increased 47 in
  past 5 years
• Media inform, influence and entertain teens
• Communication is central to teens lives
• Technology always for person self- expression
• Social Networking is the 21st century main
  street

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Teens What

• Tech Tools
• Computers, Cell phones, DVD burner, Game player
• Online Tools
• Email, IM, MySpace, Online game sites
• Learn about tech
• Self-exploration, friends
• Favorite Online Activities
• Communications, Music, Gaming

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Teens Why

• Why do students like to use technology for
  schoolwork?
• Info is the most accurate 68
• More efficient 69
• Allows for collaborative work 43
• More fun 66
• Can do multiple things at once 60
• Less errors 57
• (Students in grades 6 12)

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Teens Online

• Web is becoming the hub of ALL media consumption
• Music
• Communication
• Information
• Entertainment

• Changing habits
• I go on the computer to look through music, chat
  with my friends and play games.
• Athena, 15, New York
• Its easy to spend six hours on the computer if
  you watch all your TV, movies and listen to music
  on it.
• Tommy, 16, San Francisco

Time Spent with Media and SelectedNon-media
Activities in a Typical Day Activity Time Watching
TV 304 Hanging out with parents 217 Hanging
out with friends 216 Listening to
music 144 Exercising, sports, etc. 125 Watching
movies/videos 111 Using a computer 102 Pursuing
hobbies, clubs, etc. 100 Talking on the
telephone 053 Doing homework 050 Playing video
games 049 Reading 043 Working at a
job 035 Doing chores 032
Computer activity 2004 1999 Playing
games 019 012 Visiting Web sites 014 007 Visit
ing chat rooms 004 005 E-mail 005 004 Instant
messaging 017 N/A Graphics 004 N/A Total
computer time 102 027 Source Kaiser Family
Foundation (3/2005)
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Teens Online

• Teens are empowered by technology
• Its a part of their everyday lives
• I get up in the morning, wash my face, brush my
  teeth, I get dressed, go downstairs, get on the
  computer.
• Demonte, 14, St. Louis
• They wouldnt know what to do without it
• We're so accustomed to having a computer and
  having information so readily available that I
  couldn't imagine not having it anymore.
• Alicia, 17, New York

Teen Fact 87 or 21 million of all teens use the
Internet. Pew Internet Trust (7/05)
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Teens Media

• Media plays a vital and multi-functional role in
  a teens life
• Media inform, influence and entertain teens
• Teens are passing through a phase of
  self-discovery and are highly susceptible to
  external influences
• Arguably, media has more of a stranglehold on
  teen behavior than do friends and parents

Teen Fact Each week, American kids spend more
time engaged with media than the average adult
spends working. Kaiser Family Foundation (3/05)
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Engage Communication
I have over 264 people in my buddy list.
Katie, 16, Minneapolis

• Instant Messaging
• Instant messaging is the ideal way to
  communicate with friendsIts instant
• Nearly everyone was emphatic about instant
  messaging
• AIM by far the most popular service
• Im always on AIM, I'm on it right now. I'm
  onAIM right now.
  Ziyad, 14, St. Louis
• Other services mentioned were
• Yahoo and Google Talk

• Teen Fact
• Teens typically converse in text, but also share
• Funny links (50)
• Sent photos (45)
• Music or videos (31)
• Pew Internet Trust (7/05)

15
Engage Communication

• E-mail
• The terms e-mail and IM were sometimes used
  interchangeably
• Conversations about e-mail quickly turned into
  conversations about IM
• I have four e-mail addresses one of them I only
  give to certain friends because I dont want
  other people to know that Im on.
  - Sadie, 13,
  Minneapolis
• Younger groups were more prone to talk about IM
  attributes during e-mail conversations

Teen Fact 89 of teens send or read email (down
3 from 2000) while 75 (up 1 from 2000) use
IM Pew Internet Trust (7/05)
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Engage Communication
You send them an e-mail, you have to wait for
them to get it. But if youre AIM-ing, they get
it right back to you. Jonathan, 14, San Diego

• E-mail
• E-mail as a primary form of communication is
  waning
• Social networks and IM are supplanting
  previouse-mail activities
• I have a MySpace and everyone I would e-mailhas
  a MySpace.
  Evan, 17, San Diego
• E-mail is used to communicate with older family
  members and other adults
• More formal than IM
• With adults I use e-mail all the time. Everyone
  else has AIM.
• Antonella, 17, New York

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Engage Communication

• Social Networking
• Aside from instant messaging, social networks are
  popular destinations for teens online they
  combine aspects of Engage, Assist and
  Entertain
• Both a lean-forward AND a lean-back experience
• Sometimes, I just look at peoples pictures,
  others, I chat with people and mess with em.
  Kiyana, 16, San Francisco
• Common-bonds and circles of friends driveinitial
  adoption
• Younger teens have an insulated view of these
  networks
• I like the subscriptionspeople subscribe to
  you Ive got this whole group of people at my
  school to subscribe to me.
• Mitchel, 13, Atlanta

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Engage Communication

• Social Networking
• Older teens show a little more sophistication
  with social network behavior
• Realizing power of linking virtual and real
  worlds
• Like-minded connections
• Sophisticated behavior doesnt preclude insulated
  view
• Even older teens were seemingly unaware that
  others outside their interest group may be
  looking at their profiles
• Some participants were embarrassed that the
  moderator had seentheir MySpace profile, even
  though participants willingly gave out info in
  the first place

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Engage Communication

• Social Networking
• Parental concerns
• Particularly among the younger age ranges
• Againstranger danger
• School involvement
• Over the three months of interviews and groups,
  participants discussed schools becoming more and
  more involved with dangers of putting information
  online
• Notes sent home to parents
• Suspensions of students for content on public
  spaces were made very public/known

20
Engage Communication

• Social Networking vs. Chat Rooms
• A picture says a thousand clicks (at least)
• Most participants viewed chat rooms as
  seedy/anonymous social networks fun/friendly
• Social networks allow control over whom you
  talk to
• Pictures often evoke a sense of trust
• Chat room impressions come from parental warnings
• Im not allowed to go in chat rooms, apparently
  there s bad stuff in there.
  Stephanie, 15, Atlanta

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Engage Communication
you can put your picture and different
characters on Black Planet and everyone will
know who you are, parents dont understand
this. Joshua, 17, St. Louis

• Social Networking
• Community online has come to represent the
  culmination of Access, Communication and
  Expression
• Therere different kinds of people that you can
  meet from different States or different towns
  just looking for a friend, somebody to hang out
  with or whateverdifferent age groups and
  everything.
• Mallory, 16, St. Louis

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Engage Self-Expression

• Blogs/JournalsExpression is more than fancy
  backgrounds and colorsits also communicating,
  writing the days events, or simply putting down
  thoughts/impressions of whats going on, it is
  central to teens way of life.
• Every day I write a new Web blog entry in my
  Xanga and I visit other peoples Xanga.
  - Mitchell, 14,
  Atlanta

Teen Fact Only 11 of teens feel blogs are an
important part of keeping up with the latest
trends Frank N. Magid Assoc., 2005
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Engage Self-Expression
My Mom's a journalist, and she actually went
through Google and searched for my blog, found
it, and saw content that she didn't think was
appropriate it's just like, OK, I just got rid
of it and basically made sure that you can't
search for my name and find it. Tommy, 16, San
Francisco

• Blogs/JournalsPictures allow teens to express
  who they are, as well as give them something to
  look at
• I just like it because it has a lot of
  picturesand I can read about peoples
  experiences. I like looking at pictures, but I
  dont really talk toanyone very much.
  - Chris, 16, New York

Teen Fact Only 11 of teens feel blogs are an
important part of keeping up with the latest
trends Frank N. Magid Assoc., 2005
24
Secrets
Shhhhh! A Top Secret Presentation by Kids About
How They REALLY Use Technology and Evade Adult
Supervision
25
Social Networking Web Sites
Introducing Stefan, a typical 8th grader, and
his MySpace.com Web page. (Please dont tell him
I showed you this!)
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Social Networking Web Sites

• The fastest growing phenomenon involving young
  people and the Internet are so-called Social
  Networking Web sites. These free services make
  it easy for anyone to create a personal Web page.
  The best-known companies among students are
  MySpace, Facebook and Friendster.
• To illustrate this growth in popularity, MySpace
  has ballooned to over 90 million members in only
  three years. According to research by the
  National Center for Missing and Exploited
  Children, 61 of children between the ages of
  13-17 have personal profiles on a Social
  Networking Web Site.
• Social Networking Web Sites allow anyone to
  create their own personal Web page featuring
  pictures, music, video, a personal diary and even
  a blog.

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Social Networking Web Sites

• From their page, members can also
• complete personal profile forms (revealing
  potentially sensitive information)
• post personal information
• contact friends and strangers
• leave messages on pages of other members
• e-mail text and photos
• instant message

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Social Networking Web Sites

• While most students Social Networking Web pages
  are just a fun way to communicate with friends
  and family, this technology can be exploited by
  cyberbullies, online predators and students
  involved in criminal activities such as drug
  dealing.
• In each case, school safety can be impacted even
  though the activity may originate from home.

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Online Dangers Overview

• The dangers posed by the online and
  electronically-connected world are nothing new.
  The problem is that popular technologies are
  increasingly being exploited in dangerous ways.
  This has created new liabilities for schools from
  some familiar nemeses.
• The challenge is that electronic communication
  allows easy access to and instant dissemination
  of messages.

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Online Dangers Overview

• The good news is that most school districts
  already have policies and procedures in place for
  dealing with these problems. The key is for
  educators to be knowledgeable about these
  dangers, identify the warning signs and know when
  to take action according to their districts
  policies.
• The three greatest online dangers for schools
  are
• Cyberbullying
• Online Predators
• School Violence

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Online Dangers Cyberbullying

• Cyberbullying is a form of bullying that is
  experiencing an enormous growth in schools. It
  occurs when a bully uses communication
  technologies such as cell phones and computers
  in a way that meets the definition of bullying.

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Online Dangers Cyberbullying

• Bullying occurs when three criteria are met. The
  criteria are
• Harm the bully intends physical or emotional
  harm for the victim
• Unfair Match the victim cannot fairly defend
  themselves
• Repeated occurs more than once

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Online Dangers Cyberbullying

• Cyberbullies use voice messages, e-mail, text
  messages, instant messages, photo images, videos,
  polling Web sites and/or personal Web pages in a
  deliberate attempt to repeatedly harass,
  intimidate or embarrass another person or group
  of people.
• Cyberbullies inflict emotional harm and create an
  unfair match because victims cannot defend
  themselves from electronic distribution of the
  bullys messages.

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Online Dangers Cyberbullying

• According to research by attorney Parry Aftab,
  one of Americas leading specialists in cyberlaw,
  more than half of the children between the ages
  of 9 -14 have either experienced cyberbullying or
  had a close friend who did or had cyberbullied
  another.
• Most of your students have probably already had
  some exposure to cyberbullying.

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Online Dangers Cyberbullying

• Cyberbullying is just as serious as bullying that
  happens on the school playground. In fact,
  cyberbullying can happen anytime and anywhere.
• This can create even greater problems since the
  bullys message can be sent to students
  throughout your school in seconds and forwarded
  to students in schools throughout your district
  in minutes. Although the bullys activities may
  originate away from school, his or her actions
  can directly impact school safety and the
  learning environment.

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Online Dangers Cyberbullying

• If you become aware of cyberbullying
• Take bullying seriously
• Document all evidence. For instance,
  print and record e-mail, instant messages, text
  messages, digital images, Web pages and URLs.
  In addition, threatening phone messages should
  be saved.

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Online Dangers Cyberbullying

• If cyberbullying occurs on campus or during
  school hours, report bullying incidents
  immediately according to your school districts
  policies and procedures.
• If the cyberbullying takes place away from campus
  and outside of school hours, schools may not have
  disciplinary authority. However, they can notify
  and work with parents.
• Threats of violence are always illegal, whether
  they occur at school or not.

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Online Dangers Cyberbullying

• According to Aftab, all schools should consider
  adding a provision to their acceptable use
  policy reserving the right to discipline students
  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 a student
  while in school

39
Online Dangers Online Predators

• According to the National Center for Missing and
  Exploited Children (NCMEC), 1 in 5 children
  online is sexually solicited.
• Experts have referred to the online world as the
  Wild West. Students have unprecedented
  opportunities to meet other kids who share the
  same interests. Despite parental controls and
  other types of safety systems, the openness of
  the internet still creates a fertile ground for
  online predators.

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Online Dangers Online Predators

• Online predators are usually adults who are
  looking to exploit childrens undeveloped
  critical thinking skills and lack of life
  experience. Those who become victims of
  predators may be the smartest or most
  technology-savvy in your school. In fact, online
  predators depend on the overconfidence and
  naiveté of young people.
• Online predators commonly seek out young people
  in chat rooms or Social Networking Web Sites.
  Because online service providers do not verify
  age or identity, a predator is able to create any
  identity they wish. For instance, any person can
  create a Social Networking Web page with photos,
  music and messages typical of a young teen peer.
• The ultimate goal of the online predator is
  usually to win sufficient trust of their target
  (a process called grooming) so that the child
  will meet them in real life away from parents and
  other adults.

41
Online Dangers Online Predators

• Recent research by the National Center for
  Missing and Exploited Children on teen online
  behaviors revealed that
• 14 of teens between 13-17 have actually met
  with someone they know only from the Internet
• 30 have considered meeting with someone they
  only know online
• 71 received messages from an unknown person

42
Online Dangers Online Predators

• Recent research by the National Center for
  Missing and Exploited Children on teen online
  behaviors revealed that
• 45 have been asked for personal information
  from someone they dont know and
• 40 will chat or communicate with a stranger
  who contacts them on the Internet.
• Educators should be aware of these facts in cases
  where their adult judgment may help ensure a
  childs safety.

43
Online Dangers Online Predators

• Adults should keep the following in mind
• Be skeptical. Remember that the goal of the
  online predator is usually to arrange a meeting
  with children away from parents.
• ?? If a child tells you that they plan to meet
  with someone they only know from the internet,
  this is a potentially dangerous situation.
  Always advise students to consult with their
  parent or guardian before agreeing to meet anyone
  they only know from the internet.

44
Online Dangers Online Predators

• Adults should keep the following in mind
• Do not allow a child to be picked up from
  school by someone whom they have never met
  before.
• Teach children to follow the NetSmartz online
  safety rules published by the National Center for
  Missing and Exploited Children.
• Children should never post any personally
  identifiable information online. Children are
  often not aware that strangers can see this
  information.

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Online Dangers Online Predators

• If a child has a Social Networking Web page,
  they should set the preferences to Private (if
  possible) so that only invited friends may
  communicate with them or view their images or
  content.
• The safest decision is always for a child to
  never agree to meet in real life with a person
  they only know online.

46
Online Dangers School Violence

• The danger of school violence exists when an
  individual or a group threatens physical harm to
  themselves, an individual student, a group of
  students, school staff or the school itself.
  Those threatening violence increasingly use
  technology to communicate among themselves or
  with other students.
• In recent years, it has been common for
  potentially violent students to document their
  threats and their plans in the form of online
  diaries, blogs, e-mail, instant messages, text
  messages, online chat sessions and personal Web
  pages. Other students may become aware of
  threats and report them to you.

47
Online Dangers School Violence

• If you become aware of any threats of violence,
  remember
• ?ALL threats of violence should be taken
  seriously
• ??Immediately report any threat of violence to
  the school principal or school resource officer
  and follow your districts procedures.
• ??Do not attempt to resolve the threat yourself
  before notifying school authorities.
• ??Differentiate between an actual threat of
  violence and common complaining about other
  students, teachers or classes.

48
Thank You!

• Thanks for attending FETC and joining us for this
  session!
• Dont forget to fill out your evaluation forms.
• Resources from this session will soon be posted
  at this Web address http//www.safeschools.com/f
  etc2007
• Contact me if you have any questions!
• Steve Holland
• Holland Associates
• Atlanta, GA
• 404-909-1212
• sbholland1_at_comcast.net