Cyber Safety

This post is unique as compared to other posts that I have listed on this blog. However, the topic is so important I thought I would share it with interested educators. I placed my article below on the school web page where I am currently working as the interim principal. I share this with teachers and administrators so that we can find ways to support parents in helping to make our students as safe as possible since 75% or more of our students are using cell phones, computers, or other cyber devices to communicate and to find information. Educators have an important role in helping parents to make students as safe as possible when in the cyber world.

CYBER SAFETY FOR OUR STUDENTS

"All parents of teenagers should read this article carefully. Our children have grown up with technology. Often they know much more about the use of cyber tools than any of us. After all they are “Cyber Natives,” most of us are “Cyber Foreigners”. Our children have never known a time without computers, the internet, cell phones, and they have grown up understanding the incredible use of these technology tools in finding and sharing information. So, as parents who do not have the same knowledge or skills as our children when it comes to the use of technology, what do we do? How can we be responsible parents? How do we face the latest parental issues that have developed?

“Teenagers are early adopters of technology–from the latest social-networking sites to the hottest new cell phones,” said Susan Schulz, special projects editor for Hearst Magazines (which publishes Cosmo Girl). “While this tech savvy can be seen as positive, our study reveals there’s also a negative side. Teenagers should be aware of the real consequences of this type of behavior, and we need to provide them with guidance and encourage them to make smarter choices.” Do parents even know all of the people that our children are communicating with online? Do the kids really know who they are communicating with online?

Our children are using technology to send pictures, messages, music, and join social groups. We know from news stories that have been made public by a variety of media sources that sometimes, this sharing of information, ideas, and pictures can have very negative outcomes for both the sender and the person being shown or discussed. As parents and as school staff we have a responsibility to help our children to make good decisions at all times. Furthermore, when they choose to make bad decisions, that are harmful to themselves or others, we have to turn those ill-advised decisions into learning opportunities so that those choices are not repeated in the future. Providing learning opportunities implies that there are consequences for our children’s choices, but there is also the opportunity for parents and/or school staff to sit and be sure that students learn from these mistakes and not feel that they were given consequences without purpose.

To help warn teens and young adults of the dangers associated with sending or posting inappropriate material online, a National Campaign to protect children from cyber mistakes has published a list of 10 suggestions. Please review each of the recommendations and share them with your children; it may save your child and your family from some very uncomfortable situation in the future.

For parents, the initiative recommends:

1. Talking to kids about what they are doing in cyberspace.
2. Knowing who kids are communicating with.
3. Considering limitations on electronic communication.
4. Being aware of what teens are posting publicly.
5. Setting expectations.

For teens:

1. Don’t assume anything you send or post is going to remain private.
2. There is no changing your mind in cyberspace–anything you send or post will never truly go away.
3. Don’t give in to the pressure to do something that makes you uncomfortable, even in cyberspace.
4. Consider the recipient’s reaction.
5. Nothing is truly anonymous."