Online Safety

Mrs. Alejandro

Contents

• Statistics• Social Networking• Dangers of the Internet• Tips for Online Safety• Reporting Online Predators

Teen Online Statistics

• 95% of parents don’t recognize the lingo kids use to let people know that their parents are watching.

• 76% of parents don’t have rules about what their kids can do on the computer.

• 20% of children age 10-17 have been solicited sexually online.

• 75% of youth who received an online sexual solicitation did not tell a parent.

Teen Online Statistics (cont.)

• 89% of sexual solicitations are made in either chat rooms or Instant Messages.

• 15,000,000 youth use Instant Messaging• 73% of teens (12-17) have profiles on

social networking sites.• 45% have been asked for personal

information by someone they don’t know.• 30% have considered meeting someone

they they’ve talked to online.

Teen Online Statistics (cont.)

• 44% of parents were not aware of whether their children use privacy settings in their social media profiles to keep strangers out.

• MySpace deletes 25,000 profiles weekly of users who don’t meet the site’s 14-year old minimum age requirement.

• From 2007-2009 MySpace has deleted 90,000 accounts because they were created by registered sex offenders.

Social Networking

• Web-based services that allow individuals to:– Construct a public or semi-public profile within

a bounded system.– Articulate a list of other users with whom they

share a connection.– Share information, photos, ideas, songs,

videos, etc…– Access from a mobile device

Social Networking (cont.)

• Most used social networking sites by teens are Facebook and MySpace.

• Increasingly being used by school administrators and law enforcement agencies as a source of evidence against users.

• The average Facebook user has 245 friends.

Dangers of the Internet

• Online Predators• People are not who they say they are• Posting TMI (too much information)• Exposure to inappropriate content• Privacy violations• Cyberbullying

Tips for Online Safety

• Don’t believe everything you see online.• Bee leery of those who want to know too

much.• Keep your information to yourself.• Make sure your screen name doesn’t say

too much about you.• Post only information that you are

comfortable with others seeing.

Tips for Online Safety

• Remember that once you post information online, you can’t take it back.

• Consider not posting your photo.• Flirting with strangers online could have

serious consequences.• Be wary if a friend wants to meet you in

person.• Trust your gut if you have suspicions.

Tips for Online Safety

• Use privacy setting and sharing controls.• Keep your primary email address private.• Be very careful when someone offers you

something for nothing, such as gifts or money.

• Share online safety tips with others.

Reporting Online Predators

• If you or someone is in immediate danger call 911

• Tell your parents or a trusted adult.• Report the Internet Predator to your local

law enforcement agency.• Report the Internet Predator to the

website(s) where he/she conversed and/or attempted contact with you.

• www.cybertipline.com