Transcript Blogging - Douglas County School System

Blogging Safety:
A Tutorial for Parents
Developed by the Douglas County School
System Technology Department
What is a Blog?
A Blog or Weblog (web+log) is a
journal posted on the Internet. It is
basically a diary. It may contain
pictures and or text and may be
viewed by anyone.
Blogs are often hosted free of charge
by companies who place ads on blog
pages.
Too Much Information
Blogs can be written about anyone or
anything. They are not typically monitored
or regulated.
According to Microsoft, recent studies show:
Teenagers write half of all blogs
2 out of 3 include their age
1 out of 5 include their full name
Too Much Information
The Dangers…
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While many teens enjoy blogs and use them as
a way to vent or express themselves, they are
not alone on the web.
 Sexual predators often search blogs and try to
put together enough information to locate a
child. They often join a blog ring and befriend
teens to get additional information. All they need
are a few key pieces of information.
 Reverse phone number look-ups can find a
street address.
 Mapping sites (Mapquest, Yahoo Maps) will
even provide a map to your front door!
Examples
 The
following examples of blogs belong to
students living in Douglas County.
 Identifying information has been hidden.
 These were found by simply searching for
blog rings.
Examples
Examples
Examples
Examples
Cyber Bullying
 Cyber
bullying is sending or posting
harmful or cruel text or images using the
Internet or other digital communication
devices.
 Cyber bullying is emerging as one of the
more challenging issues facing educators
and parents as young people embrace the
Internet and other mobile communication
technologies.
Blogging Guidelines
•Never offer any personal information including your
last name, contact information, home address, phone
numbers, schools name, e-mail address, last names of
friends or relatives, instant messaging names, age, or
birth date.
•Never post provocative pictures of yourself or anyone
else, and be sure any images you provide do not reveal
any of the previously mentioned information. Always
remember to look at the background of a picture, too.
•Assume what you publish on the Web is permanent.
Anyone on the Internet can easily print out a blog or
save it to a computer.
•Keep blogs positive and don't use them for slander or
to attack others.
Warning Signs for Parents
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Your child quickly changes the computer screen or turns
off the monitor when you enter the room.
Your child is hiding disks or CDs.
Your child spends an inordinate amount of time on the
Internet or is online late into the night.
You discover unusual charges on your credit card
statements. Be especially suspicious of phone charges
that identify themselves as "Web Site." Many
pornographers don't provide their names to avoid raising
parental concern.
You notice changes in your child's behavior (mention of
adults you don't know, secretiveness, inappropriate
sexual knowledge, sleeping problems, etc.).
What Can You Do?
 Educate
yourself and your child.
 Talk to your kids and establish guidelines
for Internet use, including blogs. Remind
them that what they write is visible to
ANYONE searching the blog site.
 Report threats and bullying.
 Visit the links provided at the end of this
presentation for more information.
Resources
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www.isafe.org
http://www.fbi.gov/publications/pguide/pguide.htm
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/children/kidblog.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/children/parentsguide.ms
px
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7668788/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3774389.stm
http://www.netfamilynews.org/nl050603.html#1
http://www.loveourchildrenusa.org/parent_cyberbullying.php
DCSS Board Policy on Bullying:
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http://web.douglas.k12.ga.us/adobe/JCB.pdf
http://web.douglas.k12.ga.us/adobe/JCDA.pdf (rule 6)
http://cyberbully.org/
http://www.schoolcounselor.com/safetynetlinks.asp
http://www.protectkids.com/parentsafety/