[Counselors] Sexting info

Thu May 1 21:09:05 CDT 2014

Counselors,
Gayle Jones provided the resources that I have attached and the following.  I have also attached a flyer with her information.  She is a wonderful resource regarding safe schools.

Lisa Nelson
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
Field Coordinator for Student Preparation
Cell phone: 580.614.1328
lnelson at osrhe.edu<mailto:lnelson at osrhe.edu>
www.okhighered.org/epas<http://www.okhighered.org/epas>

“The kids who need the most love will ask for it in the most unloving ways.”  ~ Dr. Russell Barkley

From: Gayle Jones [mailto:grj51 at sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2014 4:59 AM
To: Nelson, Lisa
Subject: Re: Sexting info

Hi, Lisa:  See if any of this helps.

I have attached a couple of things from my files.....also that booklet from the FCC (which has all sorts of topics, actually for adults to TALK to their youth) about social media and possible harm.

I have attached some info here to check out.
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From www.onguardonline.com<http://www.onguardonline.com>.....
Remind Kids that Online Actions Have Consequences
The words kids write and the images they post have consequences offline.
Kids should post only what they’re comfortable with others seeing.
Some of your child's profile may be seen by a broader audience than you — or they — are comfortable with, even if privacy settings are high. Encourage your child to think about the language they use online, and to think before posting pictures and videos, or altering photos posted by someone else. Employers, college admissions officers, coaches, teachers, and the police may view your child's posts.
Remind kids that once they post it, they can't take it back.
Even if you delete the information from a site, you have little control over older versions that may exist on other people's computers and may circulate online.
Tell your kids not to impersonate someone else.
Let your kids know that it's wrong to create sites, pages, or posts that seem to come from someone else, like a teacher, a classmate, or someone they made up.
Tell Kids to Limit What They Share
Help your kids understand what information should stay private.
Tell your kids why it's important to keep some things — about themselves, family members, and friends — to themselves. Information like their Social Security number, street address, phone number, and family financial information — say, bank account or credit card numbers — is private and should stay that way.
Talk to your teens about avoiding sex talk online.
Research shows that teens who don't talk about sex with strangers online are less likely to come in contact with predators. In fact, researchers have found that predators usually don't pose as children or teens, and most teens who are contacted by adults they don't know find it creepy. Teens should not hesitate to ignore or block them.

AND......read this from another article....especially the BOLD print below.

eSchool News - http://www.eschoolnews.com -
How to practice safe social networking
Posted By staff and wire service reports On October 4, 2011 @ 1:03 pm
In eClassroom News, McClatchy, Safety & Security, social networking
Nearly a quarter of college admissions officials check out an applicants’ Facebook page, according to a new survey from Kaplan Test Prep.

The popularity of smart phones and social networking sites is keeping a growing number of students connected—to danger, deception, and a loss of academic or career opportunities if they aren’t careful.

Many students haven’t set secure privacy settings on their profiles, and they might not realize how easy it is for a Facebook friend to spread embarrassing content from a private profile. Add in impulsivity, multitasking, and the ability to instantly post or text from a mobile device, and the results can be disastrous, said Sameer Hinduja, the co-director of Florida Atlantic University’s Cyberbullying Research Center.
“I’ve seen personal and professional damage occur to individuals who posted or sent something online that will plague them for the rest of their lives,” said Hinduja, an associate professor of criminology.
For example, an 18-year-old in Orlando, Fla., texted a nude photo of his 17-year-old girlfriend—and ended up on Florida’s sex offender list. A job applicant at a Miami Shores university ranted online about having to take a typing test, and lost the chance for the position. And a 13-year-old Hillsborough, Fla., teen killed herself after sexting photos were spread around her school.
As a result, colleges and school districts say they’re making internet safety a priority in their training efforts. They’re holding workshops, adding internet safety to freshmen orientation exercises, and counseling students as they apply for colleges or jobs.
In a recent session at Florida Atlantic University, Hinduja warned students to lock down their privacy settings and resist the urge to put profanity-laden rants and drunken keg stand pictures on their profiles.
The practice of sexting—using a mobile device to send out explicit photos—has become mainstream, with more than half of college students acknowledging they’ve sent or received such an image, according to a recent University of Rhode Island study.

Hinduja conducted a study on sexting at middle and high schools and found that 13 percent of children aged 11 to 18 had received a naked or semi-naked photo of someone from their school. Nearly 8 percent admitting sending a photo.

Hope Witsell, 13, suffered from vicious bullying after a suggestive photo she texted to a boy got out at her middle school, according to the St. Petersburg Times. She hanged herself in 2009.

In a high school outside of Milwaukee, at least 31 male students reported they were seduced into sending naked photos of themselves after receiving a Facebook request from a pretty young girl. But it wasn’t actually a girl. On the other end was an 18-year-old named Anthony R. Stancl, who threatened to expose the photos if they didn’t have sex with him. He was sentenced last year to 15 years in prison.

Sexting has also has led to child pornography convictions in Florida. The most famous happened four years ago when Phillip Alpert of Orlando, who had just turned 18, forwarded naked pictures of his 17-year-girlfriend to her family and friends after an argument. He is now a registered sex offender.

“He was unable to live with father, because his house was too close to a school,” said his lawyer, David Lawrence. “He got kicked out school and couldn’t get a job.”

Minors also have been prosecuted as sex offenders for sexting, although Florida passed a law this year that decriminalized sexting charges among minors for first-time offenses.

The stakes also are getting higher as more employers and colleges start to check out applicants through their social media pages and Google searches.

Nearly a quarter of admissions officials check out an applicants’ Facebook page, up from 10 percent in 2008, according to a new survey from Kaplan Test Prep. And a 2010 survey from Microsoft showed that nearly 70 percent of all companies used the web to research job candidates.
Hinduja said people should focus on creating websites and social media profiles that present a positive online presence.
“Colleges, grad schools, employers—they get a boatload of applications,” he said. “What’s the quickest way to thin out the pile? Run your first and last name through Google.”
Here are Hinduja’s tips for safe social networking:
• Learn about and use the privacy and security settings on social networks. Consider restricting access to your page to a select group of people—for example, your friends from school, your club, your team, your community groups, or your family.
• Think twice before posting pictures you wouldn’t want your parents or future employers to see.
• Be cautious about how much personal information you provide on social networking sites. The more information you post, the easier it might be for a hacker, thief, or stalker to commit a crime.
• Install a security suite (antivirus, antispyware, and firewall) that is set to update automatically.
• Use tools to manage the information you share with friends in different groups. If you’re trying to create a public persona as a blogger or expert, create an open profile or a “fan” page that encourages broad participation and limits personal information. Use your personal profile for trusted friends.
• Let a friend know if he or she posts information about you that makes you uncomfortable.
• If someone is harassing or threatening you, remove the person from your friends list, block the person, and report the incident to the site administrator.
• Make sure that your password is long, complex, and combines, letters, numerals, and symbols. Ideally, you should use a different password for every online account you have.
• Be cautious about messages you receive on social networking sites that contain links. Even links that look they come from friends can sometimes contain malware or be part of a phishing attack.
• Be aware that people you meet online might be nothing like they describe themselves, and they might not even be the gender they claim.
• Flirting with strangers online could have serious consequences. Because some people lie about who they really are, you never really know who you’re dealing with.
Copyright (c) 2011, the Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.). Visit the Sun Sentinel online at www.sun-sentinel.com<http://www.sun-sentinel.com/> [2]. Distributed by MCT Information Services.
________________________________
URL to article: http://www.eschoolnews.com/2011/10/04/how-to-practice-safe-social-networking/
URLs in this post:
[1] Image: http://www.eschoolnews.com/files/2011/10/facebook.jpg
[2] www.sun-sentinel.com<http://www.sun-sentinel.com>: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Copyright © 2011 eSchool News. All rights reserved
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Here is another article....

Teen Sexting Tips
These tips are re-posted from our sister site, ConnectSafely.org<http://connectsafely.org/>
“Sexting” usually refers to teens sharing nude photos via cellphone, but it’s happening on other devices and the Web too. The practice can have serious legal and psychological consequences, so – teens and adults – consider these tips!
It’s illegal: Don’t take or send nude or sexually suggestive photos of yourself or anyone else. If you do, even if they’re of you or you pass along someone else’s – you could be charged with producing or distributing child pornography. If you keep them on your phone or computer you could be charged with possession. If they go to someone in another state (and that happens really easily), it’s a federal felony.
Non-legal consequences: Then there’s the emotional (and reputation) damage that can come from having intimate photos of yourself go to a friend who can become an ex-friend and send it to everyone you know. Not only can they be sent around; they can be distributed and archived online for people to search for pretty much forever.
Not just on phones. Sexting can be done on any media-sharing device or technology – including email and the Web. Teens have been convicted for child porn distribution for emailing sexually explicit photos to each other.
Many causes. In some cases, kids are responding to peer pressure in a form of cyberbullying or pressure from a boyfriend or girlfriend (they break up, and sometimes those photos get sent around out of revenge). Sometimes it’s impulsive behavior, flirting, or even blackmail. It’s always a bad idea.
Parents: Talk with your kids about sexting in a relaxed setting. Ask them what they know about it (they may not have heard the term, so “naked photo-sharing” works too). Express how you feel in a conversational, non-confrontational way. A two-way dialog can go a long way toward helping your kids understand how to minimize legal, social and reputation risks.
The bottom line: Stay alert when using digital media. People aren’t always who they seem to be, even in real life, and sometimes they change and do mean things. Critical thinking about what we upload as well as download is the best protection.
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What to do

We’re not in a position to provide legal advice, but we can tell you that laws vary from state to state, each jurisdiction enforces the law differently, and the applicable laws were written before sexting was “invented.” With sexting, the same minor can be both perpetrator and victim when producing and sending photos of him or herself – a very tricky situation under current laws.

Parents:
* If your children have sent any nude pictures of themselves, make sure they stop immediately. Explain that they’re at risk of being charged with producing and distributing child pornography. If they’ve received a nude photo, make sure they haven’t sent it to anyone else.
* Either way, the next most important thing is to have a good talk. Stay calm, be supportive and learn as much as you can about the situation. For example, see if it was impulsive behavior, a teen “romance” thing, or a form of harassment.
* Consider talking with other teens and parents involved, based on what you’ve learned.
* Some experts advise that you report the photo to your local police, but consider that, while intending to protect your child, you could incriminate another – and possibly your own child. That’s why it’s usually good to talk to the kids and their parents first. If malice or criminal intent is involved, you may want to consult a lawyer, the police, or other experts on the law in your jurisdiction, but be aware of the possibility that child-pornography charges could be filed against anyone involved.
Teens:
* If a sexting photo arrives on your phone, first, do not send it to anyone else (that could be considered distribution of child pornography). Second: Talk to a parent or trusted adult. Tell them the full story so they know how to support you. And don’t freak out if that adult decides to talk with the parents of others involved – that could be the best way to keep all of you from getting into serious trouble.
* If the picture is from a friend or someone you know, then someone needs to talk to that friend so he or she knows sexting is against the law. You’re actually doing the friend a big favor because of the serious trouble that can happen if the police get involved.
* If the photos keep coming, you and a parent might have to speak with your friend’s parents, school authorities or the police.

These tips were written in April 2009, after several reported cases of teens being prosecuted for taking, distributing and possessing pictures of themselves or friends. While we are aware that such activity is inappropriate and risky, we do not feel that – in most cases – law enforcement should treat sexting as a criminal act. Except in the rare cases involving malice or criminal intent, law enforcement should play an educational role, along with parents, community leaders, school officials and other caring adults.
If you’d like to print these tips out, here’s a PDF version<http://www.safekids.com/wp-admin/pdfs/sexting_tips.pdf>. Please contact admin at connectsafely.org<mailto:admin at connectsafely.org> This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for permission to reprint or post.

Hope this info is helpful.
Gayle Jones

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