Safe in Cyberspace

Mary Lou HarbisonNancy Moore

Los Angeles County Office of EducationInstructional Technology Outreach

For social networking

For entertainment

For information

Students today use the Internet:

12% were asked to meet someone face-to-face

14% received mean or threatening messages

31% visited an inappropriate site

Actual threats that youth may face appear to be different than the threats most people imagine

Bullying and harassment are the most likely threats that minors face, both on and off line

The ISTTF Report says that

42% of kids have been bullied while online

35% of kids have been threatened online

58% of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online

58% have not told their parents or an adult about something mean or hurtful that happened to them online

Cyber-Bullying

Girls are twice as likely to be bullied

Of students who have been bullied at least twice

• 62% bullied by another student• 46% bullied by a friend• 55% don’t know who bullied them

Of students who admit to bulling

• 60% bullied another student at school• 56% bullied a friend

Who’s Most Likely…

Cyber Bullying

Tips

What Educators Can Do

Technology skills

Creativity

Being open to new or diverse views

Communication skills

Social Networking – a Good Thing?

Of 500 randomly selected MySpace profiles of 18-year-olds nationwide, more than half contained references to risky behavior such as sex, drinking and violence.

Dr. Meg

190 MySpace pages

• All with multiple references to sex, drugs, …

Half received email

• 42% made changes

Half did not receive email

• 29% made changes•

The Internet is Forever

Think Before

You Post

How cyber-

savvy R U?

Don’t panic

Join social networking site with your student

Home wireless routers need passwords

Have computer located in public space

Suggestions to share with parents

Information Literacy

Is this Web site someone’s personal page?

• http://pubweb.northwestern.edu/~abutz/di/intro.html

Is there an author or an organization listed in the Web site? 

• http://www.martinlutherking.org/• http://google.com

Are bibliographic references included?

Does the Web site content appear to be biased?

Can the Web site information be independently verified by another source?

What does the URL tell you? 

Is Gore Verbinski sick of pirates?

iSafe.org

Webwisekids.org

Onguardonline.gov

Lib.berkeley.edu

Online Cybersafety Resources

Safe in Cyberspace

Mary Lou HarbisonNancy Moore

Los Angeles County Office of EducationInstructional Technology Outreach