Personal Safety Unit - Level 7

The Internet is not anonymous. Your address, screen name, and password serve as barriers between you and others. You need to maintain this barrier by not giving out private information. Why would anyone want this information?

Personal Information Name Address School Age Phone Number Friends’ names Family names Age Social Security Number To keep you safe, this information should not be given out on the Internet:

User ID/Screen Name A User ID is a “nickname” you select to identify yourself in , chats, etc. DO NOT USE the following personal information: - Your real first or last name - Your location (i.e. bedfordgirl, everettguy) - Your zip code - A suggestive name or word (i.e. sexyman42, hotbabygirl)

Passwords Don’t tell anyone your password. Don't write your password anywhere. Make sure nobody can guess your password. If you think there's even a chance someone else might know your password, change it. Make sure no one is standing near you when you enter your password.

Think About It When you fill out a profile online, can/do you determine who will look at it? Could a criminal, thief, murderer, etc view it? Where else have you seen personal information asked for when online? Some examples include website registrations, contest forms, pop-up advertisements, shopping, etc. How do you know if these requests for information are valid? Do you personally know the person asking? Have you validated the site?

Think About It You should NEVER reveal information online without your parent’s knowledge or permission. However, with a parent’s help, you may be able to safely fill out necessary information online.

Let’s Brainstorm Why do students feel safe on the Internet? What are some dangers on the Internet? What are some good things on the Internet? How can you stay away from the dangerous things?

Watch out for… Dangers On the Web Inappropriate sites Inappropriate sites - There are some sites you should not go to. They can be pornographic, hate-filled, or upsetting. When you accidentally come across a site you know you shouldn’t be in, close out of it quickly. If you still have trouble, try logging off completely or rebooting.

Faulty Information Sites Faulty Information Sites - Don’t trust everything you read without checking and double-checking references. Watch out for… Dangers On the Web

Make sure you ask your parents before giving anyone private information. Private/personal Information Private/personal Information – Some websites ask you for private information before you can access their stuff.

Watch out for… Dangers On the Web Your Own Website Your Own Website – Many teens now have their own websites. However, you have to be careful about what information you display.

Watch out for… Dangers in Chatting and Socializing Chats and blogs can result in revealing information you wouldn’t normally reveal. This can leave you open to someone who might want to harm you.

Tips to Remember when Chatting 1.Keep online interaction online. Don’t agree to meet or phone people met online. 2.Don’t give out personal information. 3.Keep your parents or guardians informed of online interaction. 4.Use Chat rooms that are moderated. 5.Be suspicious of someone who wants to be your friend and turns you against your parents, teachers or friends. 6.Private chats aren’t always private – when you meet offline friends online in a private chat room be careful. Others can often enter and lurk. 7.Try to choose a gender-neutral online screen name

Watch out for… Dangers in Newsgroups, Forums, and Social Networking Sites 1.The most important thing to remember is to AVOID including personal information in postings. Don’t reveal anything identifying about yourself. 2.Realize that by posting something, you are making it public. 3.Be careful not to participate in a group, which might be illegal or hateful.

In your groups Draft a set of rules for home use to guide safe Internet use. Take into account rules your parents might want included, what you have learned, etc

Share Share your rules with your class What have you learned today? Remember: Personal/identifying information should never be revealed online, whether to a person, in a profile, on a website, etc. Anyone met online is a stranger.

Lesson 3 Online Strangers, Predators, and the Grooming Process

Activity Directions: Your teacher will pass out the sample chat activity page. You will be timed, as quickly as possible, write in the unsafe behaviors and identities you find.

Review the Statistics –More than 74% of 5th graders surveyed by i- SAFE spent at least an hour online each week. –50% of 5th graders surveyed spend time in chat rooms. –More than 7% of those surveyed in 5th grade have met someone face to face that they first met online.

Strangers What is your definition of a stranger? What are common rules/advice for dealing with strangers in the physical world?

Strangers Online Those rules also apply to communication online! People met online are STRANGERS!

Online Predators Some people lie about who they are and what they want on the Internet for various reasons. Sometimes it is to steal an identity or to bully. Other times it is to meet children and teens to form an inappropriate relationship. These people are known as online predators.

Key Point A predator is one who stalks or uses lies, secrecy, or stealth, to get close enough to another person in order to easily hurt or harm them.

Key Point One who is a victim or one who is vulnerable to victimization by a predator is prey, no matter his or her age.

That’s a wrap! You now know the tips and tools that can help keep you safe online! Just remember, when you’re online you aren’t invincible. Rules can keep you safe.