1. “3 Rs” of Internet Safety: Rights,
Responsibilities and Risk Management
Larry Magid
(not pictured above)
CEO, ConnectSafely.org
Founder, SafeKids.com
Larry@ConnectSafely.org

2. NOT THAT TIRED OLD INTERNET SAFETY
LECTURE
• We know, you’ve heard lots of Internet safety
lectures, but this is (at least somewhat)
different.
• In many ways, the Internet is safer than
the physical world
• People tend to focus on the wrong risks
• Youth have rights as well as responsibilities
• There are risks but they can be managed
• Adults need to respect young people
and their rights

3. WHICH IS SCARIER?

4. .
Sometimes we focus on the wrong risks
WHAT’S MOST SCARY MIGHT NOT
BE MOST DANGEROUS
Illustrations from Washington Post based on data from Centers for Disease Control
(tiny.cc/sharkdata)

5. AFTER 9/11, FLYING WAS
“DANGEROUS”
So people drove more and deaths
per passenger mile went up

6. SOME PARENTS FEAR INOCULATIONS
Which means fewer kids are
protected against preventable
diseases

7. FEAR CAN PARALYZE
And lead to irrational decisions

8. BUT FEAR CAN ALSO BE
PROTECTIVE

9. WHAT ARE THE RISKS?
• Harassment and bullying
• Posting material that could harm your
reputation
• Security
• Privacy
• Legal and financial risks
• Exposure to inappropriate or unwanted
material
• Online predators and physical molestation

10. RISE OF THE WEB & VICTIMIZATION OF
CHILDREN
Blue line represents 58% decline in
child sex abuse from 1992 to 2008.
Source: Updated Trends in Child Maltreatment, 2008:
Finkelhor, Jones and Shattuck: Crimes Against Children
Research Center
Sex crimes reported to police and child
welfare authorities and sex crimes self-
reported by victims are down
Fewer teen pregnancies and births for 15-17
year olds
Teen suicide down
Percentage of kids engaged in extra-
curricular activities up
Source: The Internet, Youth Safety and the Problem of
“Juvenoia” by David Finkelor, director of Crimes Against
Children Research Center

11. INTERNET PREDATORS…
 It’s very rare
 Very few (<5%) predators pose online as kids
 Much higher risk from people the child knows
 Still, precautions are in order
 Concern should be based on how people act, not who
they are or where you meet them
Predator panic subsided, but then came ….

12. CYBERBULLYING PANIC!

13. IT’S A PROBLEM, NOT AN EPIDEMIC
Chart: Cox Communications Teen Online & Wireless Safety Survey
Data is not consistent but the consensus
is that about 20% of kids experienced
cyberbullying

14. In a 2013 nationwide survey, ‘
• 20% of high school students reported being
bullied on school property in the 12 months
preceding the
• An estimated 15% of high school students
reported in 2013 that they were bullied
electronically in the 12 months before the
• During the 2012-2013 school year, 8% of
public school students ages 12-18 reported
being bullied on a weekly basis.
Source: Centers for Disease Control’s Understanding Bullying Fact
Sheet
CDC BULLYING DATA 2013

15. “The percentage of youth (2-17) reporting physical bullying in the
past year went down from 22 percent to 15 percent between
2003 and 2008.”
Source: Trends in Childhood Violence and Abuse Exposure ..
Finkelhor, et al)
“Between 1992 and 2013, the total victimization rates for students
ages 12–18 generally declined both at and away from school. This
pattern also held for thefts, violent victimizations, and serious
violent victimizations between 1992 and 2013.”
(Source: Nat’l Center for Educational Statistics)
AND MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

16. Research has shown that if people
think their peers bully, then they are
more likely to bully. So let’s not
artificially “normalize” bad behavior.
It’s not normal, it’s not common and
it’s not acceptable.
WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT

17. TYPES OF CYBERBULLYING
 Posting mean things about others
 Creating or joining a “hate” group about
someone
 Spreading rumors or gossip
 Excluding someone
 Stealing someone’s identity or creating a fake
profile

18. CONSEQUENCES OF BEING MEAN ONLINE
YOU CAN
 Hurt others
 Harm your reputation
 Get you in trouble with school or law
 Be impacted way in the future

19. IT’S NOT BULLYING, BUT …
 You can be sad by what you see others post
 Parties you weren’t invited to
 Things they have or are doing that make you jealous
 Friends of theirs that are not your friends
 REMEMBER: What people post is selective. Their lives
aren’t as perfect as they may appear.

20. RISKY BEHAVIORS
 Sending rude or mean messages
 Sharing inappropriate photos
 Posting anything that can harm your reputation
 Talking about inappropriate subjects with strangers
 Sharing your devices or passwords with others
 Using untrusted apps or software

21. REPUTATION MANAGEMENT
 Having no information about you online can be
damaging to your reputation. People might wonder
whether you’ve ever accomplished anything
 The more good stuff there is about you online, the
harder it is to find the bad stuff
 Know how to manage your social media profiles and
delete things that could give the wrong impression
 Learn how to politely and effectively ask people to
remove posts about you that might be harmful or
embarrassing
 But remember there is always the risk that something
you post can be copied, pasted and reposted

22. SEXTING CAN GO WRONG
 Sharing intimate photos may seem like an act
of love.
BUT
 They can accidentally or deliberately be shared with others
 Sharing a photo meant only for you is a violation of trust
 They be can used to bully or intimidate you
 You could get in trouble for having ANYTHING to do with certain
types of photos
 Only sure way to avoid negative consequences is to not do it
 And by the way, it’s not as common as you might think

23. KIDS HAVE RIGHTS
 You have free speech rights & the right to assemble
(online & off). The first amendment has no age limits,
 You have the right to control your own image (within
limits)
 It’s a crime to post certain types of images without the
consent of the subject
 You have the right to say no
 You have the right to block or unfriend
 You have the right to report abuse
 You have a right to privacy, which includes controlling
your own information

24. CYBER SECURITY
 Much higher risk than other issues
 Children are at significant risk of
identity theft
 Important to have strong, secure
and unique passwords
 Know your apps – get them from
legitimate places and read privacy
disclosures
 Lock your phone & other devices
Heads of CIA & DHS were
victims of email hacks in 2015

25. MEDIA LITERACY
 Knowing how to find & cite sources
 Not spreading false information & rumors
(Snopes.com is your friend)
 Use your critical thinking skills
 Understand the difference between opinions
and facts
 Recognize bias, spin and misleading
information
 Know how to use services’ privacy & security
tools
 Today, everyone on social media is a media
personality

26. RECOMMENDATION:
These words from the National Cyber Security Security Alliance make a lot
of sense:
STOP to THINK and then, by all means
DO CONNECT

27. THANKS
Larry Magid
CEO, ConnectSafely.org
Founder, SafeKids.com
Larry@ConnectSafely.org