Articles in the School Security category

Greatest online threat to teens? Teens themselves

According to a recent report released by Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society, children are far more likely to be bullied by their peers than approached by an adult predator online. Shocking? No, not really.

The report is the product of the Internet Safety Technical Task Force, created in February 2008 in accordance with the Joint Statement on Key Principles of Social Networking Safety announced in January 2008 by the Attorneys General Multi-State Working Group on Social Networking and MySpace. The scope of the Task Force’s inquiry was to consider those technologies that industry and end users—including parents—can use to help keep minors safer on the internet. However, the findings on the types of threats minors face are the interesting part. Sadly, the report makes no real recommendations for technologies to improve online safety.

The report finds that kids interacting on social networking sites are relatively safe from online predators. Although sexual predation on minors by adults, both online and offline, remains a concern, “the image presented by the media of an older male deceiving and preying on a young child does not paint an accurate picture of the nature of the majority of sexual solicitations and Internet-initiated offline encounters.” BoardBuzz thinks the report is trying to say that our kids are pretty sophisticated online. Nevertheless, there is some controversy over these findings.

As the Washington Post reports:

In other words, children are about as savvy online as they are offline, said Ernie Allen, president of the Alexandria-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which contributed to the report.

“The vast majority of kids in this country have heard the messages about the risks online and are basically dealing with them as a nuisance, as a fact of life, and aren’t particularly vulnerable,” he said. “This report should not be read as saying there are not adults out there doing this.”

But some state attorneys general are upset about a report that, they argue, lulls parents into a false sense of security. One, South Carolina’s Henry McMaster, recently blasted the report, saying its findings are “as disturbing as they are wrong.”

“Rapid technological advances with mobile phones, PDAs, video gaming systems and online social networking sites place our children more at risk from predators than at anytime before,” he wrote in a letter posted online. “Our arrest rate is only limited by the amount of resources.”

BoardBuzz thinks the issue here is one of media exposure. For the most part, the everyday bullying and harassment of children online goes largely unreported even though they “are the most frequent threats that minors face,” the report says. Children concede that sexual harassment and propositions occur between minors, but such incidents “are understudied, underreported to law enforcement, and are not part of most conversations about online safety,” it adds. BoardBuzz was intrigued by some of the statistics the study provides in this area:

  • Children identify most sexual solicitors as being other adolescents (48%; 43%) or young adults between the ages of 18 and 21 (20%; 30%), with few (only 4%; 9%) coming from older adults and the remaining being of unknown age (Finkelhor et al. 2000; Wolak et al. 2006).
  • Not all solicitations are from strangers; 14% come from offline friends and acquaintances (Wolak et al. 2006, 2008b).
  • Youth typically ignore or deflect solicitations without experiencing distress (Wolak et al. 2006); 92% of the responses amongst Los Angeles-based youth to these incidents were deemed “appropriate” (Rosen et al. 2008).
  • Of those who have been solicited, 2% have received aggressive and distressing solicitations (Wolak et al. 2006).
  • Though solicitations themselves are reason for concern, few solicitations result in offline contact.
  • Social network sites do not appear to have increased the overall risk of solicitation.

Too little is known about the interplay among risks and the role that minors themselves play in contributing to unsafe environments. So says the report, and BoardBuzz wholeheartedly agrees. If you keep up with the news, you’re probably familiar with the story of six high-school students in Greensburgh, Pennsylvania arrested on child pornography charges. Three were girls who allegedly took pictures of themselves, and were charged with manufacturing, disseminating, or possessing child pornography. Three were boys who were found with the explicit photos on their phones and were charged with possession of child pornography. Apparently, this is a new and alarming trend called “sexting” where teens send nude or provocative photos to one another via mobile phones. We’re not sure if legal prosecution is the best strategy though. Research conducted by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy last month revealed that 20% of teens in the U.S. say they have sent or posted lewd photos or video of themselves.

BoardBuzz is left wondering what we should do with such information? According to a 2006 National Crime Prevention Council study, 40% of teens surveyed had experienced some form of cyberbullying in their lifetime. Clearly, anti-bullying and online safety efforts are a must. The Post says that the feds will be looking at this issue more than ever this year. “Under recently passed bills, the Department of Commerce and the Federal Communications Commission have been assigned roles to begin online safety awareness programs and evaluate technologies that filter inappropriate content away from children. What’s more, the Obama administration is planning to appoint the nation’s first chief technology officer, and the topic of online safety is likely to be a priority for that office.” That sounds like a good start.

NSBA’s Legal Clips recently reported that California has joined the growing number of states that have passed laws against cyberbullying. According to U.S. News & World Report’s “On Education” blog, as of January 1, officials in California schools may suspend or expel students who harass their peers through cyberbullying. Like California’s law, anti-cyberbullying laws passed in other states call on school districts to develop policies regarding cyberbullying detection and punishment. Other states with cyberbullying laws include: Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, and Washington.

NSBA’s Technology Leadership Network (TLN) has posted free resources on cyberbullying and state laws, including a free package of materials offered in partnership with CyberSmart! to “offer schools the opportunity to begin a dialogue with students and build a sustained cyberbullying prevention campaign to continually remind the school community about safe, ethical online use.”

There are certainly new alarming ways for children to get into trouble online. What do you think? How does your district deal with cyberbullying and other online safety issues?

Andrew Paulson|January 28th, 2009|Categories: Boardbuzz, Educational Technology, School Security, Student Achievement|

Teens’ online habits

The MacArthur Foundation just released a new study on teens and their online habits.

Billed as the most extensive examination of Internet and new media usage by U.S. teenagers, “Living and Learning with New Media” was conducted over three years by more than two dozen researchers who interviewed and observed more than 800 youth and their families.
Their findings: Kids are learning valuable technical and social skills that aren’t always understood or appreciated by adults.

“It may look as though kids are wasting a lot of time hanging out with new media, whether it’s on MySpace or sending instant messages,” says Mizuko Ito, the study’s lead researcher. “But their participation is giving them technological skills and literacy they need to succeed in the contemporary world. They’re learning how to get along with others, how to manage a public identity, how to create a home page.”

Hear Ito talk more about what she and other researchers discovered:

Then check out American School Board Journal’s current cover story, “Protecting Students Online,” which explores how educators can keep students safe while still embracing and integrating the tools of the 21st century.

Naomi Dillon, Senior Editor

Kathleen Vail|November 24th, 2008|Categories: Curriculum, Educational Technology, Governance, Leading Source, School Security, Student Achievement|

Protecting students online

As usual, I amassed a mountain of information for my latest ASBJ cover story, “Protecting Students Online” now available at ASBJ.com.

As the title suggests, ensuring students are productive, learning, and most importantly safe when they go online is more complicated than even I had originally thought. Of course, news reports have made cyberbullying and sexual predators well-known threats (though recent studies have refuted the prevalence of online stranger, saying it is overblown by the media.)

Rather it was the other, lesser-known hazards (at least to me) that were surprising. Who knew there was an entire cyber-subculture that promoting, or at least promulgating, eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia? Or that gang members had taken to the Internet to recruit and brag about their exploits, an activity that even has its own moniker: net banging.

It makes sense when you think about it, though. Just about anything you can find in the real world has its virtual counterpoint. So what’s an educator or a parent to do in this risk-laden world? Some, as you’ll discover, rely on filters, blocking questionable or even unfamiliar material. That’s only a temporary solution, however, says Sophie Reid, a clinical psychologist and research fellow at the Centre for Adolescent Health at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Australia.

“When a child comes to us and says I want to go rock climbing, you don’t say it’s too dangerous or I’ll do it for you,” says Reid who was one of the panelists at an online safety conference last spring. “Instead you go to a reputable establishment, put them on rope we know won’t break, stand at the bottom, attach the other end of the rope to us and let them go up; if they fall, we’ve taken up the slack.”

Reid says educators and parents need to take the same approach when addressing online youth safety.

“We need to engage young people in their space, we need to be a reliable and helpful presence on the Internet because that’s where they’ve gone,” she says.

Naomi Dillon, Senior Editor

Kathleen Vail|November 23rd, 2008|Categories: Curriculum, Educational Research, Educational Technology, Governance, Leading Source, School Security, Wellness|

School safety and security — online now

The December issue of ASBJ is online now. Read our coverage package on school safety and security.

Senior Editor Naomi Dillon gives tips on how school leaders can keep their students safe online in the new Web 2.0 world, while allowing them to explore and reap the benefits of social networking.

Two education lawyers give advice on how you can spot potential sexual predators on your teaching staff.

A school security consultant points out the red flags that should alert you to potential security problems in your schools.

Kathleen Vail, Managing Editor

Kathleen Vail|November 20th, 2008|Categories: Governance, Leading Source, School Security|

School summit seeks solutions for violence

The Washington Post reported today on a school summit that met in Maryland to discuss the realities of school life. About 200 students came together to talk about the problems bullying, brawling, and school violence have created in their own schools and neighborhoods.

State Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick called the summit after three unrelated violent incidents last April. At the summit, she shared the numbers from the previous school year; Approximately 1,800 weapons were confiscated and there were nearly 13,000 altercations and fights. According to the article, Grasmick told the students who gathered:

“This needs to stop,” Grasmick told the students. “You live in these schools every single day, and when behavior becomes more important than learning, it becomes an inhibition to learning. . . . We are asking you to speak candidly.”

Not only did these students share their troubles, they also offered their solutions including peer mediation programs, which offer a chance to reconcile miscommunications before the escalate into more violent forms.

Students also attributed the cause of most school violence incidents as a reflection of problems between neighborhood cliques.

School violence is a serious matter, and BoardBuzz shares in the concern for the students and teachers affected by it. We hope other schools are also proactively working to address the problem and sit down with students. Does your school district have any working solutions? Leave us a comment to tell us about it.

admin|November 7th, 2008|Categories: Boardbuzz, School Security|

Sexual aggression in young children

Once upon a time, the worst thing a 6-year-old had to worry about at school was the playground bully.

Now far worse is possible. Little kids are getting sexually assaulted by other little kids at school. One recent victim was 5 years old. His assailant: A six-year-old.

The disturbing reality is that sexually aggressive behavior remains a problem for today’s young people—and increasingly younger people.

The issue has grown so serious in the Los Angeles area, the Los Angeles Times reports, that 200 school, law-enforcement, and other officials met recently at a conference sponsored by the Rape Treatment Center at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and the Los Angeles Unified School District.

As reported by the Times, Gail Abarbanel, founder and director of the Rape Treatment Center, said a rising number of incidents makes clear that action is needed.

“We all need to be vigilant, and we need to collaborate to protect the students involved in these incidents: the victims and victimizers, the other students in the school, and the school or school district,” she said.

(more…)

Kathleen Vail|October 23rd, 2008|Categories: Educational Research, Governance, Leading Source, School Security, Wellness|

Safe and anonymous

According to the National Institutes of Health, bullying is widespread in American schools, with more than 16 percent of U.S. school children saying they had been bullied by other students during a single term (semester). The U.S. Department of Justice reported, in a 2001 survey, that 29 percent of students in grades 9-12 reported that someone had offered, sold, or given them illegal drugs on school property in the previous year. Twenty-six U.S. states have either enacted or are considering anti-bullying legislation. Twelve states, including Florida and Michigan are currently reviewing legislation designed to curb bullying in schools.

What’s a kid to do, with bullies and peer pressure on one side and the desire to avoid the stigma of being a “snitch” on the other side? Go online of course! According to a story released by the Associated Press yesterday, schools are now using web sites to allow anonymous reporting of bullying, crime, drugs, and harassment. Justin Bergener, creator of SchoolTipline says that he hopes students who might otherwise be too scared or shy to speak up will be willing to post on the site. “There really is this culture and code of silence that’s particularly prevalent in middle schools and high schools,” Bergener said.

School administrators sign up for a subscription service and are receive text or e-mail messages with incident reports. Depending on how the service is established, tips can be provided with no personal information or students might have to create a logon and password to access the system, but would still allow them to be anonymous.

Regardless of how the information is sent, schools see a benefit in using these online systems as another tool in preventing some really unfortunate events. “They’d rather have 10 good ones and one false one than none at all,” Bergener told The Associated Press on Monday. And BoardBuzz thinks that, as Martha Stewart would say, “This is a good thing!”

admin|October 15th, 2008|Categories: Boardbuzz, School Security, Student Achievement, Wellness|

Walks aren’t just for exercise

Following yesterday’s International Walk to School Day, BoardBuzz was on the look-out to see what we could find about children walking to school to create healthier lifestyles and living environments. On our search, we came across an article in The Los Angeles Times, that told us for some communities, their top concern isn’t exercise or the environment; it’s safety.

Most students in Santa Ana, California walk only a few blocks to school everyday. But in those short blocks to Garfield Elementary, students encounter litter, graffiti, broken sidewalks, rubble from construction sites, and more. For this community, the International Walk to School event became a day to focus on how to improve these students’ everyday walks to school.

Last month, with the help of teachers and public officials, over 200 students surveyed their walks to school and made comments and observations about things that made them feel at risk. The top concerns amounted to broken sidewalks, traffic, lack of crosswalks, speeding drivers, trash and graffiti, and yesterday these students presented their findings to parents, the police, and other community members.

With their results, they offered their solutions, which included adding more stop lights and stop signs and cleaning up the trash and litter. But, safety doesn’t stop there. Many parents are concerned about gang-violence in the community and how it can affect their children walking home. In this school, Principal Linda DeLeon does not let a student go home without a parent or a signed permission slip.

BoardBuzz is glad to hear about this community taking action to make things safer and we are proud of parents, teachers, and community officials for working together to make that happen. Does your school have anything to share about making walks to school safer? Let us know by leaving a comment.

admin|October 10th, 2008|Categories: Boardbuzz, School Security, Wellness|

Safety first

ABCNews.com reports today that a Rhode Island School district is the first in the nation to teach about dating. No, BoardBuzzers, not HOW to date… well, kinda sorta. Better yet how NOT to date.

According to the article, a “new law in Rhode Island called the Lindsay Ann Burke Act requires all public middle and high schools to teach students about dating violence in their health classes.” It’s all about teaching kids to recognize and avoid patterns of abuse in relationships. It seems Rhode Island’s law isn’t anything new. “One other state, Texas, mandates unspecified awareness education on dating violence for students and parents, while several other states encourage it.”

And the classes also teach students how to foster positive relationships. And, there’s even a segment on how to communicate, including such sage advice as calming down before you confront someone for spreading a rumor about you.

BoardBuzz thinks this is all a good thing. Keeping kids safe is never a bad idea, and judging by the popularity of social networking sites, kids these days are ALL about, well, networking. Learning how to interact with each other appropriately is good training ground for adult life. BoardBuzz might even be due for a refresher course itself!!! Say it isn’t so. Part of the mission of schools is to socialize youngsters afterall. Even so, BoardBuzz can’t help but wonder… where are the parents? Where, for that matter, is the family? The community? Teaching students about avoiding dangers is a good idea, but let’s not forget that the first school for navigating society is the home.

admin|October 6th, 2008|Categories: Boardbuzz, Educational Legislation, School Security, Student Achievement, Wellness|

Got an Emergency? Text a Student

School officials may despise students’ addiction to text-messaging on their cell phones, but a few administrators in Ohio admit the habit came in handy when they needed to get the word out about emergency school closures last week.

Southern Ohio had been hit by fierce windstorms that knocked out electricity and phone lines across the region. School districts there normally use an automated calling system for emergencies and school closures, but that proved ineffective.

And with electricity out, forget about checking the internet or turning on the television. Even the parents who still owned battery-operated radios found them to be of little use.

“The radio said to check online. That was impossible without power,” Toni Nako, of Symmes Township, told the Cincinnati Enquirer.

But the students with cell phones came to the rescue, when the few who were able to get information sent text messages to their friends to let them know schools were closed.

You have to wonder, though, would the students have been texting so quickly if schools were open?

“As a parent, I’m not sure I’d rely on [text messages],” Loveland Superintendent Kevin Boys told the Enquirer. “But our kids are so much more in tune with alternate communication than adults.”

Loveland’s automated calling system does call parents’ cell phones if a number is available, but the district has found that people switch numbers or carriers frequently. Boys said the district will be asking parents to update their contact information.

Check out the Cincinnati Enquirer’s story in Wednesday’s edition of School Board News Today, the daily news service for school board members.
Also, watch for this topic in the December issue of ASBJ, where technology columnist Joe Dysart discusses the benefits of text-messaging in an emergency.

Joetta Sack-Min, Associate Editor

Naomi Dillon|September 24th, 2008|Categories: Educational Technology, Governance, Leading Source, School Security|
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