Holly Hawkins
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February is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month
Up until a few years ago, I'd never heard much about teen dating abuse and violence and wrongly assumed it was mainly limited to adult relationships. I just didn't realize how prevalent it was among our youth. But, it starts somewhere and that is often with young people who are entering into relationships for the very first time. They often mimic the behaviors they've seen growing up. And, because they're new to relationships, young people can misinterpret controlling as caring, and not understand the warning signals of abuse until it is out of control. To understand the severity of the problem, the CDC reports that one in ten high school students has been purposefully hit, slapped or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend. This statistic only reflects physical violence. If we include emotional and verbal abuse in teen dating relationships, the stat jumps to one in three teens.
Digital Dating Abuse
A rising trend in dating abuse is the use of technology to harass, threaten and control the dating partner from a distance – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Through the use of technology such as cell phones, email, and social networking, the abuser can gain access into what once were safe havens for the abused partner - school, extra-curricular activities and home - to apply a relentless barrage of insults and/or demands that are not visible to parents or other adult caregivers. Digital dating abuse can include:
• Checking the dating partner's cell phone for outgoing and incoming calls, texts and images.
• Controlling the dating partner's friends on social networking sites.
• Demanding or stealing the dating partner's account passwords to keep tabs on them.
• Pressuring or demanding the dating partner share sexually explicit images and/or videos of themselves.
• Constantly texting the dating partner to find out where they are and what they are doing (the abused partner often feels obligated to have their cell phones with them at all times so they can respond quickly for fear of being punished).
• Insulting or threatening the dating partner through emails, texts, tweets, and even status updates.
iKeepSafe & Safer Internet Day
iKeepSafe celebrates Safer Internet Day by making available the revised 2012 edition of "A Parent's Guide to Facebook", written by ConnectSafely.org's Larry Magid and Anne Collier. The parent's guide has been updated to reflect the most recent features and policies of Facebook. It is designed to teach parents how to help their teens strengthen their privacy and safety on Facebook, the guide features important topics such as:–How to parent Facebook users,
–Managing reputation in the digital age,
–Actual risks in social media
–Managing your privacy on Facebook,
–Reporting problems,
–And more.
The Parents Guide can be found at: http://www.ikeepsafe.org/parents/parents-guide-to-facebook/.
SAFER INTERNET DAY 2012: Connecting Generations
Safer Internet Day enters its 9th year with the theme "Connecting generations and educating each other", where users young and old are encouraged to "discover the digital world together...safely"! Never has it been more important for parents and other care givers to play a role in the lives of young people and their use of technology as it is today. Being online, or being connected, has become so intricately woven through the daily lives of our children that the distinction between online and offline is nil – we need to parent in that world.
'Parents' and Carers' Guide to the Internet'
In contributing to Safer Internet Day and to help get you started , the UK's Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre today launched the 'Parents' and Carers' Guide to the Internet' - a short, entertaining TV-style program looking at what it's like to bring up children in the online world. You can watch this program online to help you:
• stay up-to-date with the technology your children are using;
• understand steps you can take to keep your children safe online; and
• know what action to take and where to seek further support if things go wrong.
Visit www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents to watch the program and access information on how to keep your family safe online.
Data Privacy Day 2012
January 28th is Data Privacy Day – an internationally recognized time to raise awareness about privacy and privacy protections. Data Privacy Day first originated in Europe in 2007 and spread to the United States and Canada in 2008. It is now celebrated in over 40 countries around the globe!
As we live in an ever increasing digital world, it's important that we take time to understand how our personal information is collected and used as well as how we can take steps to protect that information. iKeepSafe has a list of steps consumers can take to protect their privacy when using electronic devices ranging from laptops, to smartphones, game consoles and e-readers. Take a moment to review the Simple Steps to Safer Devices to help protect your family's privacy.
As we live in an ever increasing digital world, it's important that we take time to understand how our personal information is collected and used as well as how we can take steps to protect that information. iKeepSafe has a list of steps consumers can take to protect their privacy when using electronic devices ranging from laptops, to smartphones, game consoles and e-readers. Take a moment to review the Simple Steps to Safer Devices to help protect your family's privacy.
Simple Steps to Safer Devices
By following some simple steps, consumers can protect their data privacy when using electronic devices.
Consumers of all ages are using more and more digital devices to do more than just check their email. Today, devices are used to do things such as: access the Internet, carry out banking transactions, social networking, and shopping. For children and adults alike, using these wonderful devices brings some unwanted risks.
Here is what consumers need to do to keep information secure on those devices:
Protecting a computer or laptop
Every computer and laptop needs:
- Strong security software. Any computer that is linked to the Internet will be infected if it isn't protected. Whether you use a Windows PC, or a Mac, all computers and laptops need security software. When Apple devices were a tiny minority of the total market, designing malware to attack them wasn't very lucrative, but those days are long gone; iUsers are now profitable targets.
- An active firewall. Computers come with firewalls (a set of programs located on your computer that protect it from being accessed by other computers). These firewalls are turned on by default, don't turn the firewall off!
Additional considerations if the computer/laptop is used by a minor:
- Consider the full range of functionality the computer or laptop offers. Are there features that should be turned off-like location tracking? Webcam chats? iKeepSafe recommends that computers used by minors should be secured with filters and parental controls such as K9 Web Protection or Norton Online Family. These provide a safer experience for youth and protect your machine from unwanted malware.
- iKeepSafe also recommends that parents maintain administrator control of computers, giving children a "limited access" account. This will prevent children and friends from inadvertently downloading malware and illegal content.
- Talk with your child. Make it clear what is and is not acceptable use of the device, including times of day the device is used, the ethical treatment of others, the types of downloads permitted, and so on.
Concerns About Teen Sexting Overblown, According to New UNH Research
Published: December 5, 2011. University of New Hampshire
DURHAM, N.H. – Two new studies from the University of New Hampshire Crimes against Children Research Center suggest that concerns about teen sexting may be overblown. One study found the percentage of youth who send nude pictures of themselves that would qualify as child pornography is very low. The other found that when teen sexting images do get to police, few youth are being arrested or treated like sex offenders.
The studies were carried out by researchers at the University of New Hampshire's Crimes against Children Research Center, and published online today by the journal "Pediatrics." The research is presented in the studies "Prevalence and Characteristics of Youth Sexting: A National Study" and "How Often Are Teens Arrested for Sexting? Data From a National Sample of Police Cases."
In the first study, UNH researchers surveyed 1,560 Internet users ages 10 through 17 about their experiences with sexting -- appearing in, creating, or receiving sexual images or videos via cell phone or the Internet. The study found that 2.5 percent of youth surveyed have participated in sexting in the past year, but only 1 percent involved images that potentially violate child pornography laws -- images that showed "naked breasts, genitals or bottoms."
"Lots of people may be hearing about these cases discovered by schools and parents, because they create a furor, but it still involves a very small minority of youth," said lead author Kimberly Mitchell, research assistant professor of psychology at the UNH Crimes against Children Research Center.
In the second study, researchers discovered that in most sexting cases investigated by the police, no juvenile arrest occurred. There was an arrest in 36 percent of the cases where there were aggravating activities by youth, such as using the images to blackmail or harass other youth. In cases without aggravating elements, the arrest rate was 18 percent.
The second study was based on a national sample of 675 sexting cases collected from a systematic survey of law enforcement agencies. The study also found that the very few teens who were subjected to sex offender registration had generally committed other serious offenses like extortion and forcible rape.
DURHAM, N.H. – Two new studies from the University of New Hampshire Crimes against Children Research Center suggest that concerns about teen sexting may be overblown. One study found the percentage of youth who send nude pictures of themselves that would qualify as child pornography is very low. The other found that when teen sexting images do get to police, few youth are being arrested or treated like sex offenders.
The studies were carried out by researchers at the University of New Hampshire's Crimes against Children Research Center, and published online today by the journal "Pediatrics." The research is presented in the studies "Prevalence and Characteristics of Youth Sexting: A National Study" and "How Often Are Teens Arrested for Sexting? Data From a National Sample of Police Cases."
In the first study, UNH researchers surveyed 1,560 Internet users ages 10 through 17 about their experiences with sexting -- appearing in, creating, or receiving sexual images or videos via cell phone or the Internet. The study found that 2.5 percent of youth surveyed have participated in sexting in the past year, but only 1 percent involved images that potentially violate child pornography laws -- images that showed "naked breasts, genitals or bottoms."
"Lots of people may be hearing about these cases discovered by schools and parents, because they create a furor, but it still involves a very small minority of youth," said lead author Kimberly Mitchell, research assistant professor of psychology at the UNH Crimes against Children Research Center.
In the second study, researchers discovered that in most sexting cases investigated by the police, no juvenile arrest occurred. There was an arrest in 36 percent of the cases where there were aggravating activities by youth, such as using the images to blackmail or harass other youth. In cases without aggravating elements, the arrest rate was 18 percent.
The second study was based on a national sample of 675 sexting cases collected from a systematic survey of law enforcement agencies. The study also found that the very few teens who were subjected to sex offender registration had generally committed other serious offenses like extortion and forcible rape.
Study Finds Sexting Linked to Psychological Distress
A 2010 survey of more than 23,000 students in 24 of the 26 high schools in Boston's MetroWest region found 25.1% of the students received a sext message, and 10.4% had sent, forwarded, or posted a sext message in the past 12 months. And, students who received or sent sext messages, or were sexting victims were more likely to report psychological distress.
Read the full story here.
Read the full story here.
IWF Awareness Day 2011
The IWF was launched on December 1, 1996 as an independent self-regulating body funded by the European Union and member companies from the online industry. It serves as the UK reporting Hotline for images of child sexual abuse hosted anywhere in the world and UK-hosted extreme adult pornography and non-photographic images of child sexual abuse.
When child sexual abuse content is found and hosted within the UK, it is shared with the police and removed within hours. When it is hosted abroad, it is shared with a corresponding Hotline in the host country and with law enforcement.
The Internet Watch Foundation marks 15 years
To coincide with Awareness Day, the IWF is celebrating its 15th anniversary. There have been a number of milestones that mark both the growth and the progress of the organization since it first launched in 1996.
- In 1996 the IWF had five funding members. Now they have more than 100.
- They started out with just four staff and a UK focus. They now have 16 employees and a global influence tackling online child sexual abuse images.
- The number of web addresses reported to the IWF has increased enormously. In their first year they had assessed 1,300 URLs. In 2010 they assessed more than 48,000.
- In 2005 they received their 100,000th report to the Hotline.
- A total of 87,000 child sexual abuse webpages have been removed in 15 years.
The IWF will only continue to grow and adapt as they work to combat child sexual abuse content on the Internet regardless of where it is hosted. They are committed to reducing the availability of such content which helps to prevent the revictimization of the children involved and to protect us, the general public, from coming across such horrific content. This is their priority.
To learn more about the IWF, see http://www.iwf.org.uk/.
The World Wide Web Turned 20!
The Web is now 20 years old. And, being in the Internet industry for the last 19 of those 20 years, I've seen a number of incredible advances in both technology and usage. As a professional who focuses on child safety, I realize that a number of those advances have had a significant impact on our approach to Internet safety.
Here are a few of the most recent, and profound:
- The Internet is now portable. The computer is no longer in a central place in the house.
- The Web has fundamentally shifted from a platform of information consumption where a very few controlled the content to a platform of content production in which everyone can contribute.
- Social media has tapped into our desire to share our lives. And, devices with built-in cameras and video recorders have given us the ability to do so at any point in time.
Long gone are the days of walled gardens where content and communication could be easily controlled and "bad guys" simply kicked out. The effectiveness of traditional parental controls based on permit/deny lists has diminished in the face of the social media frenzy. And, safety tips suggesting not talking to strangers or sharing personal information have been cast aside as the web is all about friending and sharing.
The Web has aged and with that, protecting kids online has grown more complex. There is no single tool that we can point to or simple guidance we can bestow. Instead, keeping kids safe online is a combination of factors – rules, tools, education and communication. It really takes a collaborative effort between parent and child.
Parents must now manage their children's online activities across multiple platforms – gaming consoles and devices, cellphones, tablets and more - using the parental control technologies built-in to each. Parents must set rules and continuously educate themselves and their children to both the risks and protections of the sites and services their children use. Lastly, parents must keep talking to their children about what they are doing on the Web, what they like about it and what they don't. This is a great way to identify and address potential problems before they escalate.
There is no silver bullet. As technology evolves, we must remain diligent in protecting our children. Twenty years from now, I can only imagine looking back and remembering the easy days of social media and devices.
Here are a few of the most recent, and profound:
- The Internet is now portable. The computer is no longer in a central place in the house.
- The Web has fundamentally shifted from a platform of information consumption where a very few controlled the content to a platform of content production in which everyone can contribute.
- Social media has tapped into our desire to share our lives. And, devices with built-in cameras and video recorders have given us the ability to do so at any point in time.
Long gone are the days of walled gardens where content and communication could be easily controlled and "bad guys" simply kicked out. The effectiveness of traditional parental controls based on permit/deny lists has diminished in the face of the social media frenzy. And, safety tips suggesting not talking to strangers or sharing personal information have been cast aside as the web is all about friending and sharing.
The Web has aged and with that, protecting kids online has grown more complex. There is no single tool that we can point to or simple guidance we can bestow. Instead, keeping kids safe online is a combination of factors – rules, tools, education and communication. It really takes a collaborative effort between parent and child.
Parents must now manage their children's online activities across multiple platforms – gaming consoles and devices, cellphones, tablets and more - using the parental control technologies built-in to each. Parents must set rules and continuously educate themselves and their children to both the risks and protections of the sites and services their children use. Lastly, parents must keep talking to their children about what they are doing on the Web, what they like about it and what they don't. This is a great way to identify and address potential problems before they escalate.
There is no silver bullet. As technology evolves, we must remain diligent in protecting our children. Twenty years from now, I can only imagine looking back and remembering the easy days of social media and devices.
Redefine privacy? Really?
I have read numerous articles suggesting that Facebook along with other social networking sites are redefining privacy. If we are suggesting redefining privacy, perhaps we are using the wrong term altogether. How can one be private on a platform made for sharing? It's the expectation of privacy on a public platform that's causing the problem. Read the entire article at: iKeepSafe's Safe Keeping Blog.
