Digital Abuse
Hope everyone is having a wonderful and safe holiday season. I bet some of you either got or gave cell phones in your holiday gift-giving. I also bet you didn’t know that you may have inadvertently enabled someone to become a victim of cyber bullying or digital abuse.
You laugh? Nope, Spike is being serious here. Digital abuse is on the rise and more and more teens are being targeted. A Thin Line, a website created by MTV to help educate teens about digital abuse, is an excellent place to start. You can read more about MTV’s accompanying study here.
Digital abuse is not just about cyber bullying, cyber stalking or cyber impersonation - studies also show that one-third of all teens use their cell phone for inappropriate texting and imagery. Wow, one third! That means that parents are not making our youth aware of the permanency of the digital forum. Once taken and sent, a picture becomes part of the digital universe and can resurface anytime when you least wish it. Most of you spend the time to talk to your youth about this and Spike applauds that. Remind them that even if they are responsible with their digital phones and cameras, other are not, so be careful not to put themselves in compromising positions where others can capture their image. (Too bad many of Hollywood’s stars don’t heed that advice!) Pay attention to your family members, talk about both the positives and negatives of the Internet and cell phones and help everyone stay safe. It would be sad to ruin little Suzy’s* run for president in 25 years by having pictures of some high school party show up just before election day!
More resources for parents and youth:
www.ftc.gov/youarehere
Federal Trade Commision site for youth and Internet safety
www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/kids/
National Health and Human Services’ site about cyberbullying
www.ncpc.org/cyberbullying
You all remember another famous animal helping kids be safe? NO! Not Smokey Bear, I am talking about McGruff the crime dog! Yep this is his site on cyberbullying.
The Internet is full of snakes; don’t let them eat you!
Spike
*”Little Suzy” is a fictional character and has no resemblance in real life to anyone anywhere that Spike may or may not have met. But she could be ANY OF YOU!