Computers, cell phones, iPods, oh my, with today’s technology everything is a click away. Even email is becoming passé, being replaced with social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook and Twitter.
The Internet can be a great resource for our children allowing them instant access to information for homework and communication with parents, teachers and friends. However, things can change in a click of the mouse when technology is used as a means for stocking, bullying or harassment.
If you are thinking, “my child would never do this” or “we monitor our children’s computer usage”, think again, anyone can fall to peer pressure, become a victim or be exposed to predators.
Debbie Johnston knows first hand what it is like to have a child tormented in cyberspace. "As a parent, I worried about kidnappers, murderers, drugs, alcohol, gangs and all those things outside. I never for an instant considered that I'd lose my son by his own hand," Johnston said, an 8th grade science teacher in the same school Jeff attended.
Debbie son Jeff took his own life on June 29, 2005 when in the 9th grade after being tormented by online bullying since the 6th grade. “It was not a death that was quick or merciful,” said Johnston. “ It was calculated with lies, rumors and cruelty portioned out day by day.”
Soon after her son's death, Johnston started a three-year battle to protect other children, hoping to pass a law requiring schools to do more to educate teachers, students, parents and the community to stop the teasing and harassment. “Because there was no law, no crime had taken place," Johnston stated. Working with local legislators and with Governor Jeb Bush, Debbie created Florida’s Jeffrey Johnston "Stand Up For All Students" Act, which finally passed in 2008.
The growing phenomenon of cyber‐bullying has exacerbated the problem.
Hiding behind the anonymity of computers, bullies can humiliate their victims
by sending vicious text messages and posting hateful rumors in chat rooms,
on bulletin boards, and on blogs
Just like teaching our children to look both ways before crossing the street, talking to your children about internet safety can protect them from heartache, anxiety and possible harm.
With over 80% of households with computers, 22% of which have two and 17% with three or more computers, there are lethal weapons silently lurching in our homes.
The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), mandates websites to explain and post their privacy policies on their websites and obtain parental consent before obtaining or using a minor’s personal information. The federal law also prohibits sites from requiring a child to provide personal information to play a game or participate in a contest.
The growing phenomenon of cyber‐bullying has exacerbated the problem.
Hiding behind the anonymity of computers, bullies can humiliate their victims
by sending vicious text messages and posting hateful rumors in chat rooms,
on bulletin boards, and on blogs
Nevertheless, your kids' best online protection is you, Educating your children about potential online dangers is the best way to ensure personal safety from bullies and predators.
“A bully doesn’t have to be eye to eye to bully someone. Sometimes he or she gets into cyberspace, and then there’s no place to hide from their torment.”
Debbie Johnston
Jeffrey Scott Johnston - 12/21/89 – 6/29/05
Steps to take to ensure internet Safety:
1. Online Protection tools such as web nannies can monitor sites kids visit.
“Social networks are no longer a thing of the future. Teens and tweens are using them now to create online identities and communicate with their peers.” stated Dolphin Secure president Bill O’Dowd. An internet safety software company using fingerprint scan identification, Dolphin Secure, provides parents the peace of mind of deciding where their children can go and whom they can talk to online. “We are committed to safeguarding their children from exposure to pornography, unsolicited chat requests from potential predators, and harassment from cyberbullying that comes from identity impersonation online.”
present.
• Currently, 71% of tweens and teens between the ages of 9 and 17 visit social
networks sites regularly.
• Amazingly, more than 55% teens who use the social networking site MySpace have
posted information about sexual behavior, substance abuse or violence.
• Equally troubling, a survey of 10 to 17 year olds revealed that over one third (34%)
admitted that they had posted their real names, telephone numbers, home
addresses, or the names of their schools online where anyone could see With the proliferation of young people online, predators are following them onto social networks.
• In 2007, the FBI opened more than 2,400 new investigations of online predators, up 14% from the
previous year.
• In January 2009, MySpace detected and deleted the accounts of 90,000 registered American
sex offenders from its system, which comes after a previous 29,000 accounts were deleted in
April 2008.
• 1 in 7 teens and tweens aged 10-17 who use the Internet receive an unwanted sexual solicitation
or inquiry from someone online.
• 1 in 25 teens and tweens aged 10-17 who use the Internet receive an aggressive online sexual
solicitation where the solicitor tried to make offline contact and the same number were solicited to
take sexual pictures of themselves. In many jurisdictions, these constitute criminal requests to
produce child pornography. What Constitutes Cyberbullying?
• Cyberbullying includes any form of online harassment through the use of instant messaging, chat
rooms, posting of private information, and online impersonation. Young people today often target
one another by hacking into a friend’s account, and doing something harmful such as sending out
a mass message saying “Suzie loves Jimmy and wants everyone to know!” or ransacking their
“igloo” and forfeiting all their points. Afterwards, they change their target’s password, so the victim
cannot log back into their account to amend any damages. Passwords are a problem.
• 86% of elementary school students and 70% of online teens share their passwords with
friends.
• Over 80% of passwords could be guessed by knowing such simple facts such as home
address, school name, and birthday.
“Frenemies” are the culprits.
• 85% of middle school students reported being cyberbullied.
• Over 70% of those that reported being cyberbullied said it came from friends or best friends.
Cyberbullying is now linked to dozens of teen suicides. Dolphin Secure
What It Is
Dolphin Secure is a groundbreaking family Internet solution that gives parents the tools to protect their
children while they are using computers inside the home.
Specifically, Dolphin Secure provides parents the peace of mind of deciding where their children can
go and whom they can talk to online, safeguarding their children from exposure to pornography,
unsolicited chat requests from potential predators, and harassment from cyberbullying that
comes from identity impersonation online.
Dolphin Secure gives control of the home and personal computer back to the parents.
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