Exploring Online Safety Issues
Dr. Steve Broskoske
Misericordia University
Outline
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Being found online.
Internet “lingo”.
Sexting.
Cyberbullying.
Identity theft.
Introduction / Background
Internet Usage
• According to the U.S. Department of
Education:
– 23% of nursery school children in the U.S.
use the Internet.
– 32% of kindergartners go online.
– By high school, 80% of children use the
Internet.
Remember: Children Can Get
Online Almost Anywhere
• Home computer, or one at a friend’s home,
library, or school.
• Wireless “hotspots” at coffee shops,
bookstores, restaurants.
• Internet-enabled, video-game systems
(compete against and chat with players around
the world).
• Cell phone wireless connections (surf the Web,
exchange messages, photographs, and short
videos).
Internet Safety Is Needed
• Threats that affect children:
– Many of the old threats are still out there.
– Many threats are updated & enhanced to
work on new technology.
– There are new threats that a few years ago
no one could even imagine.
Recipe for Trouble
Curious, sometimes
precocious children
Anonymity for
users
Technology
Teacher and
guardian lack
of technology
knowledge
Innocence
Ubiquitous
communication
What Can/Must We Do?
• As teachers of children, we must:
1. Educate children on dangers
associated with online
communication.
2. Monitor children’s behavioral
changes.
3. Stay up-to-date with online
threats.
Can You Be Found Online?
Can You Be Found?
1. Imagine that you just have a name and a
state.
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Try to find a phone number and address for
this name.
2. Pretend that you only have a phone
number.
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Try locating a name for this person.
Anywho.com
Protect Children
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Place family PC in a public place (vs. in
a child’s room).
Don’t allow children to be online late at
night without your supervision.
If something looks strange, there might
be something wrong: investigate!
Be aware of the “lingo.”
Knowing the “Lingo”
Internet “Lingo” that Every
Teacher Must Know
• Children and adults alike use acronyms
(text shortcuts) because it saves time and
typing (e.g., BRB, TTFN).
• Acronyms can also be used to conceal
messages from teachers and guardians.
Internet Lingo
A: Interacting with Guardians
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MOS
POS
P911
PAL
PAW
PRW
PIR
CD9
KPC
Mom Over Shoulder
Parent Over Shoulder
Parent Alert
Parents Are Listening
Parents Are Watching
Parents Are Watching
Parent In Room
Code 9 (Parents Are Around)
Keeping Parents Clueless
Internet Lingo
B: Getting Acquainted
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MOOS
MOSS
ADR
ASL
RU/18
WYCM
LMIRL
Member(s) Of The Opposite Sex
Member(s) Of The Same Sex
Address
Age/Sex/Location
Are You Over 18?
Will You Call Me?
Let's Meet In Real Life
Internet Lingo
C: Getting Better Acquainted
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KFY/K4Y
RUH
1174
SorG
GYPO
GNOC
NIFOC
IMEZRU
IWSN
Kiss For You
Are You Horny?
Nude club
Straight or Gay
Get Your Pants Off
Get Naked On Cam
Nude In Front Of The Computer
I Am Easy, Are You?
I Want Sex Now
Sexting
Sexting
• Sexting (sex and texting) is the act of
sending sexually explicit messages or
photos electronically, primarily between
cell phones.
Children have not
changed.
Communication
opportunities have.
How Do Teens View Sexting?
• Children (especially teenagers) view
sexting as a modern form of flirting, or as a
lead-in to sexual activity.
Dating Advice from David Wygant
What Children Do Not Realize
• A social danger with sexting is that
material can be very easily and widely
disseminated, over which the originator
has no control.
can result in
widespread
dissemination
What Children Do Not Realize
• Sexting can involve them being treated as
adults in sexually-based legal situations.
• Sexting can potentially label them forever
as sexual predators.
How Serious is Sexting?
• Child pornography charges were brought
against six teenagers (Greensburg,
Pennsylvania) in January, 2009 after three
girls sent sexually explicit photographs to
three male classmates
Our legal system has not yet
determined how to treat these
cases.
How Serious is Sexting?
• A teenage boy (Fort Wayne, Indiana) was
indicted on felony obscenity charges for
allegedly sending a photo of his private
parts to several female classmates.
• Locally: Wyoming County DA threatened
to charge 20 Tunkhannock teens with
felony charges for circulating nude photos
(sexting).
How Serious is Sexting?
• Two southwest Ohio teenagers were
charged with contributing to the
delinquency of a minor, a first-degree
misdemeanor, for sending or possessing
nude photos on their cell phones of two
15-year-old classmates.
How Serious is Sexting?
• A 17-year-old girl (Castalia, Ohio)
allegedly sent nude pictures of herself to
her former boyfriend.
• The two got into a fight, and the pictures
started circulating around the high school.
• The girl was charged with being an
“unruly child” based on her juvenile
status.
Legal Reaction
• Vermont: Introduced a bill in April, 2009 to
legalize the consensual exchange of
graphic images between two people 13 to
18 years old. Passing along such images
to others would remain a crime.
Legal Reaction
• Ohio: Proposed a law that would reduce
sexting from a felony to a first degree
misdemeanor, and eliminate the possibility
of a teenage offender being labeled a sex
offender for years.
Legal Reaction
• Utah: Lawmakers lessened the penalty for
sexting for someone younger than 18 from
a felony to a misdemeanor.
Pennsylvania
• Miller v. Skumanick:
– DA in Tunkhannock (Skumanick) told parents
they could either enlist their kids in an
education program or have the teens face
felony charges of child pornography.
– ACLU sued Skumanick on behalf of a girl
threatened with prosecution.
– Third Circuit ruled for the girl, finding that
Skumanick was barred from filing charges
without evidence that she had engaged in
distributing the picture of herself.
QUIZ:
How Much Do You Know?
• How much do you know about
abductions? Let’s take a brief quiz.
National Center for Missing
& Exploited Children
www.missingkids.com
Question
Abduction Survey
1. How old are the most common victims of
abduction and exploitation?
a) Five years old.
b) Infants.
c) Teenagers.
Answer
Abduction Survey
1. How old are the most common victims of
abduction and exploitation?
– (c) Teenagers.
• Teenagers (especially girls 12-19) are the
most victimized segment of the U.S.
population, victimized at a rate 84% higher
than the general public.
Question
Abduction Survey
2. Who is the most likely individual to abduct
your child?
a) Someone they know.
b) Someone they don't know.
Answer
Abduction Survey
2. Who is the most likely individual to abduct
your child?
– (a) Someone they know.
• According to U.S. Department of Justice:
– 354,600 children are kidnapped by a family
member.
– Up to 5,000 are abducted by people who have
at least some acquaintance with the child.
– Random abduction of children by strangers
are estimated at 200 in the U.S. each year.
Question
Abduction Survey
3. What is one of most important things
parents can do to help keep your children
safer?
a) Have their fingerprints taken by police.
b) Have their photographs taken at least
annually.
c) Supervise them and talk to them early and
regularly about their safety.
Answer
Abduction Survey
3. What is one of most important things you
can do to help keep your children safer?
– (c) Supervise them & talk to them.
• Although it is important to plan for an
emergency, nothing is more important
than talking with a child and creating an
atmosphere in your own home where they
feel safe coming to you and confiding
information about an uncomfortable
experience.
What Can We Do?
Teachers: Talk to teenage children about
the dangers of sexting.
Teachers: Teach kids to never post their
cell phone number anywhere online.
Parents: Create rules about appropriate
use of phones. Set limits, including to
whom and when they can talk.
Parents: Review phone records for any
unknown numbers and late-night calls.
Cyberbullying
What is Cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying occurs “when the Internet,
cell phones, or other devices are used to
send or post text or images intended to
hurt or embarrass another person.”
National Crime Prevention Council
Cyberbullying
• Cyberbullying can be simple…
– Continuing to send e-mail to someone who
has said he/she wants no further contact.
• Or involved…
– Sending threatening and harassing emails,
instant messages, or text messages to the
victim.
• Or even more involved…
Cyberbullying
• Cyberbullies may:
– Disclose victims’ personal data.
– Pose as the victim and post false material.
– Post rumors or gossip and instigate others to
dislike or gang up on the target.
– Post an edited photo of a victim.
Cyberbullying Stats
• A survey of 1,247 (age 14-24) found:
– 50% have experienced digitally abusive
behavior, with older teens aged 18-24 (52%
vs. 47%) and females more likely to be
targeted (53% vs. 42%)
– 45% report witnessing people being mean
to each other on social networking sites.
AP-MTV survey, (Sept. 2009)
Cyberbullying Stats
– 56% bullied reported they were “very” or
“extremely” upset.
– Bullied are twice as likely to have received
treatment from a mental health professional.
– Bullied are nearly 3 times more likely to
consider dropping out of school!
– Only about half (51%) of respondents
reported they have thought the idea that
things they post online could come back to
hurt them later.
AP-MTV survey, (Sept. 2009)
Cyberbullying Stats
• According to another survey, 58% of
respondents have not told their parents
or an adult about something mean or
hurtful that happened to them online.
• A Canadian study of middle-schoolers
found that 41% did not know the identity
of the perpetrators.
Why is Cyberbullying Effective?
• Cyberbullies can remain anonymous.
• Cyberbullies do not face their targets. It
takes little energy or courage to express
hurtful comments using a keyboard.
• Cell phones are constantly turned on.
Cyberbullying penetrates the walls
of a home, traditionally a place
where victims could seek refuge
from other forms of bullying.
Legal Response
• The California state legislature passed one
of the first laws in the country to deal
directly with cyberbullying. This law took
effect January 1, 2008.
– The legislation (Assembly Bill 86 2008) gives
school administrators the authority to
discipline students for bullying others offline
or online.
Legal Response
• Legislation geared at penalizing
cyberbullying has been introduced in a
number of states.
– Including New York, Missouri, Rhode Island,
and Maryland.
• At least seven states passed laws against
digital harassment.
Legal Response
• In June, 2008, representatives from
California and Missouri proposed federal
legislation that would criminalize acts of
cyberbullying.
– The proposed federal law would make it
illegal to use electronic means to “coerce,
intimidate, harass or cause other substantial
emotional distress.”
Harmful Effects of Cyberbullying
• Research has demonstrated that victims:
Have lower self-esteem.
Exhibit a variety of emotional responses
(cyberbullying back, feeling scared, frustrated,
or angry).
May begin to avoid friends and activities
(often the intention of the cyberbully).
• Some victims become depressed and
experience increased suicidal ideas.
Pennsylvania Action
• Governor Ed Rendell required all schools
to put a cyber bullying disciplinary code in
place by January, 2009.
• Attorney General’s office has a training
program available for schools.
Harmful Effects of Cyberbullying
• Megan Meier (13 year-old from Missouri)
– After opening an account on MySpace, Meier
received a message from Lori Drew, who
used a fabricated account attributed to a 16year-old boy, Josh Evans.
Harmful Effects of Cyberbullying
• After a time, “Josh” said he did not want to
talk with her any more because of the gossip
he had heard about her, gossip that
“everybody knows.”
• Megan committed suicide.
• Motive: Retaliation for gossip Megan
allegedly spread about Drew’s daughter.
Harmful Effects of Cyberbullying
• Jessie Logan (18-year-old from Cincinnati)
• Sexted a nude picture of herself, that was forwarded
to nearly everyone in her high school.
• Jessie’s grades plummeted and she started skipping
school.
• On July 3, 2008, Jessie attended the funeral of a boy
who had committed suicide. She went home and
killed herself.
Young people are reluctant to tell an
authority figure about cyberbullying.
Identity Theft
Are You At Risk for Identity Theft?
• What are you carrying in your wallet?
• Is your mail safe?
• Do you shred information before throwing
it in the trash?
• When someone calls on the phone…
– Name or any personally identifying info.?
Internet Safety
• Federal Trade Commission
• www.ftc.gov
• Offers:
– Explanation in detail.
– Resources.
– Great information!
Questions about FTC Video
• How do thieves steal your identity?
• What can you do to deter identity theft?
• If you are a victim of identity theft, what
do you do?
• How can you monitor your safe identity?
Identity Theft
• Identity theft occurs when someone uses
your personally identifying information to
commit fraud or other crimes.
– Name.
– Social Security number.
– Credit card number.
– Financial institution information.
Identity Theft
• Sometimes costs hundreds of dollars
and many days to repair damage to your
good name and credit record.
– Denied loans for education, housing or cars
because of negative information on their
credit reports.
– In rare cases, people have been arrested for
crimes they did not commit.
How Does Identity Theft Occur?
• Old-Fashioned Stealing:
– Wallets and purses.
– Mail: bank and credit card statements, preapproved credit offers, new checks, tax
information.
– Personnel records stolen or employees
bribed.
• Pretexting: Using false pretenses to
obtain personal information from
financial institutions, telephone
companies, and other sources.
How Does Identity Theft Occur?
• Dumpster Diving: Rummage through trash
looking for bills or other paper with your personal
information on it.
• Skimming: Steal credit/debit card numbers by
using a special storage device when processing
your card.
• Phishing: Pretend to be financial institutions or
companies and send spam or pop-up messages
to get you to reveal your personal information.
• Changing Your Address: Divert your billing
statements to another location by completing a
change of address form.
To Avoid Identity Theft
1. Never give out personally identifying
information to anyone (except for
authorities and people you trust).
2. Always shred mail that contains your
name, address, and other personally
identifying information.
3. Protect against spyware.
4. Check your credit report periodically.
Spyware
• “Spying” software placed on your PC when
you visit Web sites.
• Sometimes for marketing, sometimes for
theft.
Ad-Aware at
LavaSoft.com
Find Ad-Aware at
Download.com
Review
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Being found online.
Internet “lingo”.
Sexting.
Cyberbullying.
Identity theft.