Wednesday, April 29, 2009

wiredmoms intro video

WiredMomslearn about wiredmoms and some of wiredsafety's initatives. we need more help - always!

McAfee, Inc. Introduces First Online Center to Assist Victims of Cybercrime

McAfee, Inc. Introduces First Online Center to Assist Victims of CybercrimeThis is an important resource for victims of cybercrime and abuse. It helps uncomplicate reporting of cybercrimes and let's consumers know if they are likely victims, based on their Internet use patterns and, if they want, scans of their system.
And it's free.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Monday, April 27, 2009

McAfee Keeps Families Protected Online | BestStuff

McAfee Keeps Families Protected Online | BestStuff

Protect our children: From Themselves - 4/25/09 - New York News and Tri-State News - 7online.com

Protect our children: From Themselves - 4/25/09 - New York News and Tri-State News - 7online.comThe NY metro area ABC news team has been putting together an annual special on protecting kids. I have been doing this since 1999, and each year it gets better. Check out our interviews on cyberbullying, and the other segments. The teen in this segment is one of my Teenangels, a program that was created as a result of the first spcial I did for this series.
Watch it, you might learn something! :-)

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Friday, April 24, 2009

Cumberland teen charged with Facebook threat - PennLive.com

Cumberland teen charged with Facebook threat - PennLive.comThreats are threats, online and offline...

Menendez will unveil plan to boost cyber safety for students - NJ.com

Menendez will unveil plan to boost cyber safety for students - NJ.comOne of the problems we face is the lack of quality research in what works and what doesn't in cybersafety ethics and education. Senator Menendez has proposed legislation to create funding and a targeted educational approach to cybersafety. We were delighted to have him join us in announcing the bill while sharing his goals for family cybersafety.

Authorities Claim Teens' Brawl Taped for Internet | TriCities

Authorities Claim Teens' Brawl Taped for Internet | TriCitiesMore and more, teens and tweens are acting out for their 15 megabytes of fame.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Huge NJ Child Porn Ring Busted

21 individuals were arrested, five of whom were underage, in a multi-county child porn bust announced by Bergen County Prosecutor and NJ's Attorney General. The images found on their computers ranged from 2 year olds being molested to other children below the age of puberty.

Congratulations to a great team of law enforcement agents and agencies!

want to help stop this kind of thing? Follow WiredMoms on twitter. We're building a cyberarmy of moms!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

WiredMoms...

I have been talking about creating a cyberarmy of moms ot help keep everyone safer online, as well as their own kids.

I met this extraordinary woman who can help me make this happen.

to join or just hang out a bit, follow us at wiredmoms on twitter

we've got lots of surprises!

When all parts of your life collide – on Facebook!

Many of us have family members we wish we could disown. We are convinced that their DNA could have nothing in common with ours and suspect they were switched at birth. We also have ex’s, well I better not go there…

Kids we went to camp with who knew we still wet the bed at 8. The first boy who we ever kissed and locked braces with accidentally. The job we were fired from at 24, or the employee we just terminated. Our pastors, priests and rabbis, for whom we try and look pious. Our bosses for whom we try and look dedicated and sober. Our children for whom we want to look responsible and steadfast.

We know people who knew us when we had a full head of hair, were a cheerleader (or couldn’t make the squad), were thin, were prom queen or class geek. They knew our old noses, when we struck out and if we cheated on tests.

We have close friends who know lots of things about us, but everything. Our new romantic interests don’t know all about our past. And our past romantic interests haven't figured out how to reach out to the new one(s).

We spend our lives building walls between our work life, play life, community life, being-on-good- behavior life, school life, early life, the life we want others to think we have, the life we really have, our partying-hard life and our past we- want- no- one- to- ever- find- out- about life. And then, with a few random friend requests and friends of friends we are outted to the world!

Our boss knows that your calling in sick last Monday was a direct result of your partying too late Sunday night when he sees a pic of you wearing a lampshade and nothing else. And our kids will find out we actually inhaled – lots! The best impression we hoped to make with our new boyfriend’s parents is ruined by our old boyfriend’s private store of provocative pics we were stupid enough to share with him.

People we are interviewing with for a new job can post on your wall with all your work team watching. And that purple mohawk you sported at 16 might end up becoming the golf buddy’s pic of the month. Playing paintball on weekends, when everyone thought you were on the Hamptons playing tennis might alter your swanky image. And that unguarded moment when you left your house in your sloppiest sweats, bunny slippers and without brushing your hair to get a quart of milk, hoping you wouldn’t run into anyone you knew, becomes your claim to fame as your pic is tagged and spreading like wildfire.

Welcome to the collision of your past, present and future - the good, the bad and the ugly. We no longer have any secrets or places to hide them. We can never get a fresh start. We are what we are…and everyone will know what that is.

Think about it.

Suspect held in Craigslist killing charged in 2nd crime - USATODAY.com

Suspect held in Craigslist killing charged in 2nd crime - USATODAY.comParry Aftab makes it clear that the problem is not with craigslist, but with risks posed by any interaction with strangers. Inviting anyone into your home to check out your used sofa, buy a car or work as a nanny comes with risks. So does dating someone you don't know well. Do your homework. Check out the person on Google. Do they live where they say they do? Do they have a listed phone number? Google their email address, if they are using one. Call their local police department and ask if they are known to the department as being a problem or a good neighbor. Search for other ads they may have posted. Is the ad too good to be true? If so, move to the next one. No deal is that good! If you are interested in finding romance, check out wiredsafety's cyberromance tips (wiredsafety.org). Looking for a job or to hire? Meet in a public place, check out the business telephone numbers and see how long they have been in business. Ask for references and check them out and make sure it's a real reference, not just someone posing as someone else. Don't bring lots of cash with you to buy that hot tub unless you also bring a sumo wrestler friend or two. Don't take a check if you are releasing the good before it clears, and even then, some kiting schemes won't show a bad check for weeks.
Use your head. We get hurt when we get greedy, move too fast and forget what our moms taught us when we were in kindergarten.
It's buyer beware.
Now, go find that great deal on a hot tub on Craigslist, just be careful!

Monday, April 20, 2009

1+1=10 « Maxine Clark’s Blog

1+1=10 « Maxine Clark’s BlogEver since I gave up my law practice to donate my time and money to protecting kids and everyone online, I was been blessed with meeting special people and opportunities along the way to give me a greater reach to do good.
On Saturday I met Maxine, Build-a Bear Workshop's real momma bear. I feel sorry for all those in her incredible team who had to keep track of Maxine and my conversation as we jumped from who should be involved, to how we know people to help the other to amazing ideas to help kids and families of special kids, sick kids and all kids.

Cyberbullying is a problem that affects kids starting in 2nd and 3rd grade, peaking in 4th grade and again in 7th-8th grade.

We teach everyone to Stop, Block and Tell! stop, don't answer back, block the person, bear or message and tell a trusted adult (or panda in the case of our sumo pandas).

If we can teach all the kids to stop, block and tell, we'd take a bit bite out of cyberbullying. (We work with McGruff too :-))

Can't wait to sit at Maxine's feet and learn her secret sauce and source of incredible and kind energy.

The Dangers of 'Sexting' - Sex Scandals, Real People Stories : People.com

The Dangers of 'Sexting' - Sex Scandals, Real People Stories : People.comA follow-up on People's original piece a few weeks ago on sexting. For clarity, we need two new laws (or modifications of existing laws). We need to enhance the penalties for harassment when sexual images or sexual threats are involved. We also need to reduce the penalties and level of crime for child pornography when images of underage teens are sent voluntarily to another minor.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

MediaPost Publications Proposed NJ Law Would Require Social Nets To Police Sites 03/31/2009

MediaPost Publications Proposed NJ Law Would Require Social Nets To Police Sites 03/31/2009

Lawyer wants federal sexting law - UPI.com

Lawyer wants federal sexting law - UPI.com

Effort begins to standardize sexting penalty - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Effort begins to standardize sexting penalty - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Mother speaks out for 'sexting' bill | Cincinnati Enquirer | Cincinnati.Com

Mother speaks out for 'sexting' bill | Cincinnati Enquirer | Cincinnati.Com

High schools crack down on cyber-bullying - Local - Merced Sun-Star

High schools crack down on cyber-bullying - Local - Merced Sun-Star

Issues that make people passionate...

Over the last fifteen years since I have been a cyberlawyer and the last 12 years since I have been a voice in the kids online safety community there have been only a handful of issues that have moved everyone. The death of 13 yr old Christina Long at the hands of an Internet sexual predator 6 years ago, the suicide death of Meagan Meier after being tormented online at the hands of a middle-aged mother, Lori Drew 2-1/2 years ago, and sexting.

Jessie Logan was 18 when she took and shared a nude picture of herself with a boy she was seeing. He was 19. He shared the picture with a 16 year old girl who shared it with the world. When no one at her school would help her, and law enforcement turned a blindeye, Jessie appeared incognito on TV to share her story with other teens, warning them of the harassment and high costs of sharing nude pictures with others. Even then, the torment continued after after a schoolmate committed suicide for unrelated reasons, she hanged herself.

Her text messages had been deleted from her cell phone, when she tossed it into the center of her room before she died. No one knows what she had received before she died. She had just taken a shower and washed her hair and was spending the night with friends. It makes sense that the sudden change in mood had something to do with her constant tormentors.

But we'll never know.

When her mother, Cynthia, came out with Jessie's story and asked for tougher harassment laws and a lessening of penalties for young people voluntarily sharing their nude pics with other young people, instead of getting the sympathy she deserved for the loss of her only child, she receives torments of her own.

People post horrible things. And while the emails and posts are running 10 - 1 kind to mean, there are still too many mean messages.

Tina Meier received many mean messages too, following her going public about her daughter's tormentor. But Lori was very unsympathetic, so the messages were as much against a mother's horrible acts of targeting a vulnerable teen as for the Meiers.

But who is to blame in Jessie's case? A 19 year old boy she was seeing, a 16 year old girl who harassed her and a school and school resource officer who failed her? A legal system that wouldn't aid her in stopping the torment?

There is enormous sympathy for Jessie, and I am seeing a movement of young teens who are being more careful and helping spread the word about how much it hurts when you naked pic is circulated to everyone in town. Jessie wanted to help others avoid her pain and in death she will have a huge impact on helping others. The Jessie Challenge helps young people say "no" when asked for a pic, or say "no" when asked to pass it on, or say "enough" to this growing trend.

But there is even greater sympathy for boys and girls who are being charged as sex offenders, and if convicted of this serious felony, required to be a registered sex offender with all that entails. Boys are prosecuted more than girls are, for the same acts. People are angry about the inequity of that.

Even in her grief, Cynthia Logan is seeking equity for the kind of young people who harassed her daughter. She wants the penalities reduced when teens share their nude pics voluntarily with each other. She wants to make sure that teens are not charged as sex offenders, or required to register. She wants counseling, community service and public apologies when others are hurt. She wants an enhancement of the harassment laws when they use sexual exploitation as a weapon to hurt their victims, as well.

But more than anything else, she wants justice in her daughter's name. She wants to make sure that schools do their part when harassment takes place on campus during school hours. She wants achool resource officers to protect the students in their charge, even if they are 18-year-old seniors. They deserve protection as much as the sophmores, juniors, freshmen do. She wants apologies from the teens who made Jessie's life hell during the four months before her death. She wants kindness form the town in which she lives. She wants those who watch her on TV and read about her to understand her.

Many news outlets have mistakenly reported that I am her lawyer. I am not. I run the world's largest and oldest cybersafety charity. I am an unpaid volunteer, along with the rest of our all-volunteer charity staff. I happen to be a lawyer as well, but advise on policy and do not represent individuals. I am working with Cynthia to help raise awareness and find justice for Jessie and equity for other teens.

Those who post hateful messages attacking a grieving mother or blame Jessie for what her harassers did are missing the point. Unless we teach accountability and consequences to teens, far too many will do things they will regret. And when we, as teens did things we regretted we were lucky enough to have them contained in our small circles of friends, and communities. But the teens of today will find them everywhere. What you post online stays online - forever!

So, we need to balance all needs here:
1. The need for a balanced legal framework that punishes harassment at the right level, treats all actors equally, recognizes that the child exploitation laws should not apply to make stupid acts a felony sex offense;
2. The need for schools to be trained in how to handle cyberharassment and cyberbullying and be there to help when students are tormented and not make things worse;
3. The need to find help for students who are cyberharassed and cyberbullied and find themselves in the midst of hate campaigns, with people they can tak to, get help from and trust;
4. The need to teach parents that sexting and sexing ("sexing" is when any digital device is used, not only a cell phone) is far more common than they think and good kids are doing it, not only "those kids." And that parents have to stay informed, keep an eye on their kids and teach them about consequences and judgement;
5. The need for device manufacturers and service providers to help by creating awareness campaigns, abuse reporting buttons and taking action when their devices and services are used in cyberbullying and sexting campaigns.

Together we can address each of these, and if the people who are taking time to attack others or pass along misinformation and hype instead directed their time and efforts to helping, we'd be able to do so far faster and better than without them.

my 2 cents
Parry

Friday, April 17, 2009

Inside the Minds of Teens Who Post Sexual Images of Themselves - ABC News

Inside the Minds of Teens Who Post Sexual Images of Themselves - ABC Newssexing (using any device, as opposed to sexting using only a cell phone) has been going on for eleven years or longer. The first instance I encountered was in NY in 1998. But now it is even more popular and easier to do, spread and be used against others.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Mom, lawmakers push for 'sexting' misdemeanor | Cincinnati Enquirer | Cincinnati.Com

Mom, lawmakers push for 'sexting' misdemeanor | Cincinnati Enquirer | Cincinnati.ComNew bill creates flexibility for prosecutors to avoid sentencing kids under child porn laws when they voluntarily shared nude pics of themselves. I think this bill looks pretty good and the state representative pulled this together in an incredibly responsive way.

Friday, April 10, 2009

McAfee Security Insights Blog » Pictures online…Tag you’re it

McAfee Security Insights Blog » Pictures online…Tag you’re it

a picture is worth a thousand words! especially when our teens are at risk!

Pics, pics and pics! Taking, sharing and commenting on pictures and videos online is one of teens’ favorite pastimes. They take them using their cell phones, Xbox 360, pocket video cameras and wifi-capable digital cameras. They store them on their DS and PSP devices, computers, flash drives, media cards and online services. The good thing is that these pics let them share their creativity and lives with family and friends. The bad thing is that it lets them share their personal information, impulsivity and sexuality with everyone online. Sexting (when young people share nude or sexual images of themselves and friends with others using text-messaging on cell phones) and Sexing (when they use any digital technology, including cell phones to do this) is on the rise and far more common than parents know.

Good teens, model students and teen leaders alike are all likely candidates for “girls gone wild” online! They start at about 13 and continue throughout their teens. The younger ones do it to look “mature” and audition for the older boys’ attention. The older teens do it to show how much they “love” their boyfriend or to get even after a bad breakup, showing him how much he is “missing.” They do it from a slumber party for fun, or take the pic of one of the girls they don’t like in the bathroom, locker room or dressing room to use as a weapon to hurt her. And boys do it too. Not as often as girls, but far too often.

And a picture is worth a thousand words! Even the more careful teens will share pictures or videos online that give away far too much personal information about them. Their house may appear in the background, or their car with license plate in plain view. Their Girl Scout uniform can give away their troop, which in turn gives away their location and activities. And even if they are careful about what they post, their friends may not be.

What’s the takeaway? Sit down and ask to see their “pics.” Look through their collections on their cell phones, gaming handhelds and Xbox, on their computers, flash drives and media cards and on Facebook, MySpace, myYearbook and Youtube and at PhotoBucket and Flickr online photo-sharing sites. Look at their friends pics too and follow your teen’s tagged pics. (They will show you what that means.) Be interested, don’t be a snoop. You may have some fun, share in your teen’s life and help them be safer all at once! If you don’t ask…they won’t tell!

WiredSafety: the world's largest Internet safety, help and education resource.

WiredSafety: the world's largest Internet safety, help and education resource.want to learn more about WiredMoms and things you can do to keep yourself and your family safer this year? I just posted a new video overview on WiredSafety. We're recruiting a cyberarmy of moms. Got some time to learn and share? We Need You!!! :-)

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Send Your Sexting Questions to 'GMA' - ABC News

Send Your Sexting Questions to 'GMA' - ABC NewsOn April 15th, for a TV morning first. Good Morning America will host a 1/2 hour town meeting on sexting. On the 16th I will be on again, this time to answer questions submitted, live. Got a question, share it. This is a growing problem. Share your thoughts.