Message from the Attorney General
June 6, 2007
terry goddard
Have a Cyber-Safe Summer
For most kids, summer vacation this year means spending many more hours online. That time is often put to good use. The Internet can be a terrific learning tool, providing access to a wealth of information and interactive learning experiences.
But the Internet can be dangerous. While social networking sites such as MySpace.com and Internet chat rooms allow young people to stay in touch, plan events and get the latest gossip, they can also lead to trouble. Many teens use these sites to post pictures and personal information. They use blogs as their personal diaries and journals for the world to see.
Unfortunately, sexual predators are among the people lurking on the Internet. Even the smartest children may not realize that everyone with Internet access, including predators, can see the pictures and personal information they post and twist that information for sinister ends.
This past school year, my staff and I visited 45 middle schools and Boys and Girls Clubs across Arizona talking to nearly 15,000 students, parents and teachers about Internet Safety. According to the students, most spend between two and six hours a day online! The majority said their parents had no idea what they were doing.
Most middle school students knew all about social networking sites and had pages on MySpace.com, even when they were years short of the site’s minimum age requirement of 14. I learned that students are often quick to add new names as “friends,” thus removing important security features and divulging personal information to strangers. There are reportedly 182 million subscribers on MySpace.com. Among these millions are many who do not hesitate to paint a false picture of themselves in order to get close to young people and try to arrange a face-to-face meeting.
Cyberbullying is another hazard now appearing on social networking sites. Kids no longer need muscles to bully and torment their peers. Some young people use Web sites, cell phones, instant messaging, chat rooms, blogs and other cyberspace options to harass, threaten and ridicule. What may start as a joke, once launched into cyberspace, can be very serious. The impact on the victim can be devastating and even tragic. The bully may find they have committed a crime, exposed their parents to liability and/or damaged their own prospects for college or a job.
Some Internet safety tips:
- Talk to your children about what they do online. Ask them to show you the Web sites they visit and any pages they post. Know who they talk to online.
- Search for your child's name using search engines like Google or Yahoo! You may find a profile or Web page your child posted or a page or comments about your child posted by someone else.
- Establish computer rules regarding time limits and allowed Web sites in writing. Make it clear that no pictures or personal information can be posted to the Internet without your permission.
- Know the names on your child’s “friends” list and/or their instant message “buddy” list.
- Encourage your child to tell you about any Web sites or email messages that scare them or make them feel uncomfortable.
- Report inappropriate messages or images to law enforcement. If your child has been solicited by someone online, or if someone sends obscene or harassing messages, immediately contact local law enforcement or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's CyberTipline at 1-800-843-5678 or www.cybertipline.com. Don't delete these images from your computer; let the police retrieve them.
- Learn about blocking and monitoring programs for your computer. Monitoring software will allow you to supervise what your children do and who they talk to online. More information on these types of programs is available at www.getnetwise.org.
- Never allow a child to arrange an in-person meeting with someone they met online without parental permission and an escort.
- Help stop cyberbullying.
- Let kids know what online behavior you find unacceptable. Look for signs that your child might be a cyberbullying victim; these could include nightmares, school avoidance or sudden disinterest in the computer. Block messages from bullies and save evidence that may help identify a bully. Notify the school and, if there are threats or harassment, law enforcement.
I have put together a helpful brochure, Do You Know What Your Child is Doing Online?: A Guide to Internet Safety for Parents and Educators. It is available on the Attorney General’s Web site at www.azag.gov. Printed copies are also available by calling 602.542.2123.
June is Internet Safety Month – but let’s be cyber-safe all year!
Terry Goddard
