Attorney General Terry Goddard
Have a Cyber-Safe Summer
Summer is here. Young people throughout Arizona (including my young
son Kevin) are turning cartwheels at the thought of almost three
months away from school. Surfing the Internet is now likely to take a
larger share of their time.
During June, Arizona recognizes National Internet Safety Month. As
online use continues to rise, so do Internet crimes, including cyber
stalking, cyberbullying, child pornography, Internet fraud and
identity theft.
Over the last two years, my staff and I have visited more than 70
middle schools and Boys and Girls Clubs across Arizona talking about
Internet safety. Most students tell me they spend between two and six
hours a day online. A majority say their parents have no idea what
they are doing online.
Social networking sites, such as Facebook or Myspace, are teen
favorites. Most have personal pages on MySpace.com, even when they
are years younger than the site’s minimum age requirement of 14. I
also learned that teens are quick to add new names as online
‘friends,’ thus removing important security features and giving
out personal information to strangers. Unfortunately, among the
millions of subscribers on these social networking sites, many will
not hesitate creating a false identity to get close to young people
and try to arrange a face-to-face meeting. Parents must focus on
these false ‘friends’ who pose a real threat to our sons and
daughters.
Another growing concern is cyberbullying. Young people no longer need
muscles to bully and torment their peers. Some young people use Web
sites, cell phones, instant messaging, chat rooms and blogs to
harass, threaten and ridicule. What may start as a joke can become
very serious. The impact on the victim can be devastating and even
tragic. The bullies may find they have committed a crime, exposed
their parents to liability and damaged their prospects for college or
a job.
Last year, WiredSafety.org surveyed 45,000 students and found that at
least 85 percent of middle school students reported being cyberbullied
at least once in 2007. In some cases, the percentage of students who
reported having been targeted by a cyberbully ran as high as 97
percent of middle school students. However, only five percent of
students who reported being bullied were willing to tell their
parents. Parents need to encourage young people to set an example by
not tolerating or participating in cyberbullying.
The Megan Pledge
Megan Meier’s story is a tragic tale of what can happen when
cyberbullying goes too far. She was 13 years old and took her own
life two years ago after being the victim of harassment and ridicule
online. Unfortunately, the abuse she suffered has become all too
common.
In my travels around the Arizona, I have seen damaging messages first
hand. One young woman at a school I visited had been the target of a
fake MySpace page set up to mock and intimidate her. The kids who set
up the page used a manipulated photo of the girl copied from her own
MySpace page. Thankfully, through the intervention of the School
Resource Officer, the bullying was stopped, and several students were
disciplined. The damage to the victim, however, was far more lasting.
We need to reclaim the Internet back from cyberbullies. By pledging
to not create, forward or tolerate hurtful messages, Arizona students
can take a stand against Internet cruelty. To find out more about how
you can take The Megan Pledge and commit to stop cyberbullying, visit
and
www.stopcyberbullying.org <http://www.stopcyberbullying
.
We must all take responsibility for the safety of our children ‘
parents, teachers, law enforcement officials, business and community
leaders. I am committed to protecting children from Internet
predators through aggressive prosecution, education and prevention.
Here are some tips parents can share with their children to help stop
cyberbullying and keep them safe from predators:
What to do when you encounter cyberbullying:
Ignore harassing or rude comments
Save or print the evidence
Tell an adult you trust
How to prevent cyberbullying:
Only share your password with your parent or guardian
Change your passwords often
Set your page and blog to private
Use privacy settings to block unwanted messages
Keep your personal information private
How much information is too much information:
Use a nickname that doesn’t identify your gender, age or location
Think before posting or sending photos ‘ they could be used to
hurt you now and later
Before posting any pictures, remove identifying information
Don’t post your plans or whereabouts online
Never meet in person with anyone you first meet online
Think about the possible consequences of what you post
Report inappropriate messages or images to law enforcement
For more information and updates on Internet Safety Month, please
visit the Attorney General’s Web site at www.azag.gov
The Attorney General’s Community Outreach personnel are available
to make an Internet Safety presentation at your school. Call
602.542.2123 for more information.
While we bring extra attention to Internet Safety in June, let’s be
cyber-safe all year!
Terry