CyberSafety

How Much Do You Know?

•According to www.netlingo.com the following statistics are true:

4,000,000 children are posting

content to the Web everyday

15,000,000 kids use Instant Messaging

44% of online teens with profiles like

Facebook and Myspace have been contacted by

a stranger

71% have reported receiving

messages from someone they do

not know

1 out of 17 kids have been harassed,

threatened, or bullied

58% of 4th through 8th graders have

reported that mean or cruel things have been said to them

online.

Facebook deletes 25,000 profiles weekly

of users who don't meet the site's 13-

year-old minimum age requirement

Most kids will not report inappropriate Internet contact to

their parents because they are afraid of

losing Internet privileges

There are a number of state and federal laws

designed to protect kids (and adults) from Internet

harassment, bullying stalking and other

activities.

Public computers in places like school, at the library or clubs usually have filters on

them to protect kids from inappropriate stuff, but sometimes things get

through anyway.

Learn to Protect Yourself!!!!!

The Internet is a wonderful tool, but it operates behind a screen. Know that what you

see, isn’t always what you get.

What can you do to keep

yourself safe online?

Don’t give out personal information.

If a website requires your phone number, street or e-mail

address, talk to your parents or a responsible adult to decide if it’s

ok or not.

Never talk to strangers online.

You shouldn’t respond to emails, instant messages, or chat room message boards from people

you don’t know.

Never agree to meet an online ‘friend’ who’s a

stranger in real life.

The only thing you know about online friends is what they choose to tell or share with you. Unfortunately, some people use the Internet to trick kids.

Tell an adult if someone online wants to meet up with you.

Don’t share passwords.

Keep them safe from others.

Be careful about sharing pictures.

Make sure they’re appropriate. Remember,

once you post something on the Internet, it’s there forever

and ever.

Cyberbullying is when a minor torments, threatens,

harasses, humiliates, embarrasses or otherwise

targets another minor using the Internet, cell phones or

interactive technology.

Don't be a bully online.

It’s against the law, and kids can be prosecuted for it.

If you know of someone being bullied, you can report to an

adult anonymously.

Install filters and anti-virus software on home

computers.

Some sites are trustworthy, but it’s hard to know which ones

won’t send you spam, or steal a credit card number

Tell an adult if something inappropriate appears on your screen.

Filters can’t catch everything.

Look for web addresses that start with HTTPS

The S stands for Secure, those sites hide any info you send so it

can’t be stolen by hackers

Know that the Internet is a public space.

Anything you post, good or bad, can be tracked

back to you and your IP address.

Report anything that makes you feel uncomfortable.

Check with a trusted adult to make sure that whatever pops

up on your screen is ok.

Happy Surfing!!