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A few tips shared during the presentation: Give kids a code of conduct. Remind them not to post/IM/text anything they wouldn’t say to that person’s face; Discuss cyber-bullying with kids and ask if they know anyone who has been bullied; Talk about the importance of privacy and how to protect it; and discuss their online identity and possible risky behavior. “Raise good digital citizens!” a slide stated.

 I will tell my parents right away if I come across any information that makes me feel uncomfortable.

7.   I will not give out my Internet password to anyone (even my best friends) other than my parents.

Video games can be very addicting; in fact, some people accuse developers of making the games addictive on purpose. The following are 10 cases of video game addiction that get more and more extreme. 10 Skipping School I’ve skipped school before, but this kid takes the cake for the most elaborate excuse. A 15-year-old from Perth, Australia, skipped school to play online games for over 16 hours a day, over a full three weeks. How did he do this? Every morning he put on his school uniform until his mother went to work. As soon as she left, he would change out of it and started playing. His mother would return home after he was supposed to have come home from school. To cover for himself at school, he had informed the school he was having surgery. His parents finally caught on to his ruse when the school contacted them to check up on him. 9 Teen Burns Classmate How many of us have gotten into a schoolyard scuffle? We’ve all been there, but a boy in Beijing took it to the next level. Apparently having lost himself in the game, World of Warcraft, he “became” a fire mage in his mind, and set his classmate on fire. For those who don’t play World of Warcraft, I’m sure it’s fairly easy to deduce what a fire mage does by putting two and two together. 8 Fifty-Hour Starcraft Session I’ve pulled all-nighters before while playing games, but a man in South Korea almost pulled off three all-nighters…in a row. After a 50-hour Starcraft session, the South Korean man collapsed and died from heart failure. It was presumed that his death was caused by exhaustion, because he had only stopped to use the washroom and for short periods of sleep. There have been other cases in China where people have been playing anywhere from 3 to 15 days. However I chose to include this one because it received attention from a major news agency. 7 Suicide over a Game On December 27, 2004, Xioyi left a suicide note saying he wanted “to join the heroes of the game he worshiped.” The thirteen-year-old then jumped off a tall building after playing World of Warcraft for 36 hours straight. His parents are now suing the Chinese distributors of the game for $12,500. 6 Girl Dies Because of Neglect A three-year-old South Korean girl died of neglect when her parents spent more time raising a virtual girl than her. The game they had been playing was Prius Online, a game similar to Second Life where players work virtual jobs and well… live a second, virtual, life. The couple had left for a 12-hour gaming session at an internet café, leaving their daughter unattended. Upon returning home, they found her dead. googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1350520431768-2');

Over half of adolescents and teens have been bullied online, and about the same number have engaged in cyber bullying. More than 1 in 3 young people have experienced cyberthreats online. Over 25 percent of adolescents and teens have been bullied repeatedly through their cell phones or the Internet. Well over half of young people do not tell their parents when cyber bullying occurs.

Over 80 percent of teens use a cell phone regularly, making it the most popular form of technology and a common medium for cyber bullying About half of young people have experienced some form of cyber bullying, and 10 to 20 percent experience it regularly Mean, hurtful comments and spreading rumors are the most common type of cyber bullying Girls are at least as likely as boys to be cyber bullies or their victims Boys are more likely to be threatened by cyber bullies than girls Cyber bullying affects all races Cyber bullying victims are more likely to have low self esteem and to consider suicide

Talks to teens about cyber bullying, explaining that it is wrong and can have serious consequences. Make a rule that teens may not send mean or damaging messages, even if someone else started it, or suggestive pictures or messages or they will lose their cell phone and computer privileges for a time. Encourage teens to tell an adult if cyber bullying is occurring. Tell them if they are the victims they will not be punished, and reassure them that being bullied is not their fault. Teens should keep cyber bullying messages as proof that the cyber bullying is occurring. The teens' parents may want to talk to the parents of the cyber bully, to the bully's Internet or cell phone provider, and/or to the police about the messages, especially if they are threatening or sexual in nature. Try blocking the person sending the messages. It may be necessary to get a new phone number or email address and to be more cautious about giving out the new number or address. Teens should never tell their password to anyone except a parent, and should not write it down in a place where it could be found by others. Teens should not share anything through text or instant messaging on their cell phone or the Internet that they would not want to be made public - remind teens that the person they are talking to in messages or online may not be who they think they are, and that things posted electronically may not be secure. Encourage teens never to share personal information online or to meet someone they only know online. Keep the computer in a shared space like the family room, and do not allow teens to have Internet access in their own rooms. Encourage teens to have times when they turn off the technology, such as at family meals or after a certain time at night. Parents may want to wait until high school to allow their teens to have their own email and cell phone accounts, and even then parents should still have access to the accounts.

* Set privacy options.

* Explain to your children that they can't take back what they've written.

* Know who is looking at your profile

Parents need to be the one trusted place kids can go when things go wrong online and offline. Yet they often are the one place kids avoid when things go wrong online. Why? Parents tend to overreact.

Parents need to be supportive of your child during this time

Let the school know so the guidance counselor can keep an eye out for in-school bullying and for how your child is handling things.

Justin, Demi, Selena, Rihanna - and COPPA By Lesley Fair October 4, 2012 - 1:29pm It's not likely we'll succumb to Bieber Fever.  We're of a generation more susceptible to the Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu.  But a company that ran official fan websites for pop stars may be feeling the effects of an FTC law enforcement action alleging violations of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act and COPPA Rule. The defendant, Artist Arena, operated authorized sites for Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, and the mononymous recording artist Rihanna.  (It is, too, a word.  Ask Cher or Fabio.)  Visitors to BieberFever.com, DemiLovatoFanClub.net, SelenaGomez.com, or RihannaNow.com could join fan clubs and subscribe to online newsletters.  Fan club members also had access to social networking functions, like creating personal profiles, posting on walls, or "friending" other members.  Of course, to take advantage of those features, people had to provide personal information. The details of the registration process varied depending on the site, so you'll want to read the complaint for the specifics.  But the 25-words-or-less summary is that Artist Arena allegedly collected kids' names, addresses, email addresses, birthdates, gender and other info without properly notifying parents and getting their consent.  According to the complaint, the company violated COPPA by knowingly registering over 25,000 kids under 13 and collected and maintained personal information from almost 75,000 other kids under 13 who started the sign-up process, but didn't finish it. What about Artist Arena's promises that it wouldn't collect children's personal information or activate kids' registrations without parental consent?  The FTC challenged those claims as false. The settlement imposes a $1 million civil penalty, bars future COPPA violations, and requires the company  to delete the information collected illegally. Looking for specifics on COPPA compliance?  Visit the BCP Business Center's Children's Privacy page.  

Safety Pledges

Internet Safety Pledges "House pledges" or "acceptable-use policies" can help provide clear guidelines for safer Internet use. NetSmartz recommends using the "Internet Safety Pledge" to promote safety discussions and create safer boundaries.