Authors: Shari DeGroff, Suha Tamim, and Clif Mims

Table of Contents

As soon as people started using the Internet, Internet safety became an issue of concern. The threats coming from Internet use are many. Identity theft, online privacy invasion, cyberbullying, and Internet predators are some examples. However, there are ways to get protection. With education, the use of available tools and with law enforcement, Internet safety can be achieved.

Internet Safety

• Cyberbullying: Bullying is one of the growing pains of early adolescence and the teenage years. With cyberspace, the problem is exacerbated due to the ability of the "bully" to use the Internet while remaining anonymous or by using a fake identity. Cyberbullying has become such a serious problem to the extent where several teenagers are driven to despair to the point of suicide.

Teach Digital: Curriculum by Wes Fryer articles, resources and links on cyberbullying and Internet safety.

Netsmartz Real Life Stories engaging multimedia presentations with corresponding lesson plans.
International Cyberbullying Conference, June 2008 a video of the conference with a panel discussion and guest speakers.

• Internet Predators: Children and teens often go online to connect with friends, search for information and get support. Sometimes, the people they are connecting with are not who they claim to be. They are Internet predators who use digital social networks to prey on children and teens, extracting personal information from them and luring them into inappropriate behavior.

Enough is Enough pedophile and pornography statistics statistical information kept up to date.
Take the nightmare out of your PC experience information for parents about Internet predators, Spyware, and Spam.

Internet predators and their prey who are the Internet predators and how can children be protected.
Internet predators: sexual exploitation of children information for parents about Internet predators plus links for teachers and teens.

• Identity Theft: Identity theft is the act of obtaining someone else's personal information and using it to assume that person's identity. Providing personal information with online activities is sometimes necessary but caution should be taken.

Avoiding identity theft tips on how to avoid identity theft.
The police notebook explains what identity theft is, how identity thieves get and use personal information, and how to recognize identity theft.

CRS Report for Congress, Identity theft: the Internet connection tips and explanation of identity theft.

Internet identity theft

Other Issues of Concern

• Online Privacy: Surfing the Internet is not as anonymous as one would like to believe. Online activities can be traced. However, there are tools and precautions that one can take to enhance online privacy.

EPIC online guide practical privacy tools.

Protecting your privacy on the Internet privacy threats on the Web.

Privacy protection tools for Internet users.

The searchers: Privacy protection tips for Internet users.

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• Intellectual Property: Protecting copyrights for materials available online can be a very difficult process due to the large number of people who view them and download them. In addition, there is confusion on how copyright can be protected for materials that are available online. Attempts are made to create laws to govern Internet material use and protect intellectual property.

Intellectual property in Cyberspace 2000 modules on intellectual property in Cyberspace.
Copyright fair use, misconceptions, and educational use.

Social Networking

• Social Networking

The Connected Classroom What is social networking?

Teach Digital: Curriculum by Wes Fryer proactive approaches to address cyberbullying and digital social networking.
Teach Digital: Curriculum by Wes Fryer Internet safety and social networking for parents.
Moral Metrics extensive list of online acronyms teens use, for parents and teachers.

Appropriate Use

• Cyber Citizenship

Digital citizenship definition and resources.

Learning cybercitizenship in middle school information and resources for teachers.
The cyber citizen partnership information and resources on cyberethics.
Cyberethics "Rules for Cyberspace" fun site for kids with explanation of cyberethics.

• Acceptable Use Policies (AUP)

Resources for Education

• Internet Safety Resources

AT&T Internet Safety Game fun interactive game for elementary students.

Effective Internet safety in schools a power point presentation on the implementation of Internet safety in schools.

NetSafe Safety Kit for Schools a comprehensive program on cybersafety for schools.

Internet safety: Office of Educational Technology, U.S . Department of Education links and resources.
Internet safety for teachers and students links and resources
Guidelines and resources on Internet safety in schools Virginia Department of Education.
Internet safety podcasts Six podcasts on several Internet safety issues.
CyberSmart offering a series of workshops for teachers on the smart use of the Internet.
A parent's guide for Internet safety signs of a child at risk and what parents should do.
Students Internet safety tips for students on protecting their privacy and their computers from virus and Spyware.
Cyber security tips U.S. Department of Homeland Security tips on Cyber security.
Cybercitizenship a worksheet for children.

• Videos

• Articles

Inadvertent exposure to pornography on the Internet
Constructing sexuality and identity in an online teen chat room
Adolescent Internet use: What we expect, what teens report

Internet Safety Task Forces

FBI: Cyber investigations what does the FBI do in the fight against Internet crimes?
The Internet Safety Technical Task Force Internet businesses, non-profit organizations, academics and technology companies working together on Internet safety.
Internet crimes against children task force (Pennsylvania) law enforcement agencies working to safeguard children against Internet crimes.

Internet crimes against children task force (Georgia) law enforcement agencies working to safeguard children against Internet crimes.

Social networking sites safety a joint statement by Facebook and the Attorneys General on Internet safety on Facebook.
Joint effort to promote industry-wide Internet safety principles a press release on the joint effort between MySpace and the Attorneys general on Internet Safety.

FBI in the News

FBI: Internet pedophiles a growing threat

FBI task force takes aim at the 'evildoers' of the Internet

Application in the Classroom

• Teaching Internet Safety in the classroom: Children are growing up in a wired world. Though parents are becoming more educated about the online environment, schools must teach social, legal and ethical issues associated with technology. These concerns have been translated into national and state standards, and implemented into the standards and skill sets promoted by esteemed organizations such the American Association of School Librarians, the Association for Educational Communication and Technology, the International Society for Technology in Education and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Schools are including Internet Safety instruction as a part of the curriculum. Cybersmart suggests several methods for teaching each aspect of Internet Safety. Perhaps, their website states, the topics can be divided amongst teachers such as assigning the technology teacher the internet safety and advertising units; the librarian, the research unit; the science teacher, technology; and the social studies teacher, manners. Most schools choose to teach all content within the context of a technology or library class.

Cybersmart Curriculum lessons and activities for grades K-12.
Easy Tech sample interactive unit for grades 3-5 "Sourcing and Ethics".
Woogi World a virtual world that teaches online safety in a fun, innovative way.

Ongoing Conversation

Notes, resources, ideas, activities, etc., related to this topic can be posted here by anyone in an effort to continue the conversation.

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