The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children^'s CyberTipline received a report about a user on a social networking site who posted a sexually explicit image of himself and detailed sexual activity on school property. Investigators identified the 17-year-old boy in the profile and checked his computer, finding 76 pornographic pictures. The teen said that the photos had been e-mailed to him by classmates.

Upon further investigation at the school, officials uncovered serious incidents of cyberbullying involving a group of students who passed around sexual photos of classmates online without their permission. Fifteen victims, age 15 to 17, were identified. The victims pointed to a group of male students who were sharing pornographic pictures of themselves and asking female classmates to do the same.

The victims complied because they felt pressured, had crushes on the boys, or suffered from low self-esteem. Some victims did not realize the seriousness of the situation because "everyone was doing it." They were unaware their images were being shared throughout the school. One student charged $25 to view images of a victim.

Investigators have tracked down hundreds of images and at least one video, and anticipate identifying more victims. It is undecided at this time what criminal charges will be filed.

The Internet facilitates the sharing of images with a larger audience than teens may realize. We urge parents and guardians to talk with their teens to help prevent teens' mistakes from possibly affecting their future.

The above words introduce the Congressional Internet Safety Resolution which designates June 2008 "National Internet Safety Month" and reinforces a national commitment to Internet safety. The NetSmartz Workshop honors that commitment while reflecting on more than 7 years of working with communities to educate them about online safety issues. Internet Safety Month offers us the opportunity to look over our timeline, celebrating our history and current progress, while simultaneously challenging us to evaluate our content in order to create richer and more innovative materials.

We would like to invite you to be a part of the evaluation process by joining us on June 18^th for the inaugural meeting of the NetSmartz Internet Safety Task Force. The task force will contribute to the assessment and development of new NetSmartz content. We are seeking input from leaders who are experienced in the fields of education, social service, and other related areas. If you are interested, contact Jaida Bender at jbender@ncmec.org or 703-837-6332 for more information.

If you ever wished you could escape into another world, you needn't look any further than the Internet. Virtual worlds have become a tremendously popular online destination for millions of people. These online communities attract all ages and lifestyles to partake in alternate reality fantasies. Users choose avatars, or digital representations of themselves, such as cute, little penguins in Club Penguin or elves in World of Warcraft. They can do anything and everything including play games, operate businesses, wage digital wars, marry other avatars, ride bikes, and take vacations. Whatever the reason, children and adults are flocking to these virtual worlds and more are being created everyday.

While some users join virtual worlds to escape reality, some are bringing reality into the game, Second Life in particular. Recording artists like Jay-Z have had virtual concerts in Second Life; major
corporations have islands there in which they hold meetings and training for employees; there was even a Congressional hearing in Second Life. Not to be outdone, politically-conscious avatars in World of Warcraft held a virtual march in support of Ron Paul, presidential candidate.

Virtual worlds aimed at the younger set are particularly popular, such as Teen Second Life. Remind younger users to check first with their parents or guardian before providing personal information when signing up for virtual worlds; to choose age-appropriate, non-revealing screennames and avatars; and to frequently change passwords to protect against theft and impersonation. In the meantime, sign on and check them out for yourself. You might just end up moving in.

Ryan Halligan. Jeffrey Johnston. Megan Meier.

These are children whose names have become inextricably linked to the issue of cyberbullying. Their pictures and stories have been plastered across newspapers, magazines, YouTube videos, and Web memorials denouncing cyberbullies and mourning the victims. Their families have taken their stories public in order to fight this growing trend among adolescents. Although these names represent a minority of victims who committed suicide due, at least in part, to cyberbullying, there is a multitude of other victims whose stories have not been told—children who continue to face cyberbullying everyday. Who is best suited to tell their stories?

They are best suited to tell their own stories, and their stories can make a difference. It seems so easy to trade insults over IM (instant messaging), write mean messages on someone's social networking page, or trash-talk while gaming because children are generally unconcerned with consequences. Perhaps this is why cybebullying is so widespread. Ryan Halligan, Jeffrey Johnston, and Megan Meier are all startling examples of what happens when people do not consider the consequences of their actions.

Ignore the message. Don't ignore the problem.

NetSmartz^® advocates three simple rules for children facing cyberbullies. These rules can prevent cyberbullying from escalating, and can also prevent the victims from becoming cyberbullies themselves.

1. Don't respond to the message.
   
2. Save the evidence.
   
3. Tell a trusted adult.
   

Watch the NSTeens video, Terrible tEXt, to see these rules in action.

One vital lesson NetSmartz wants children to learn is to ignore the message, not the problem. As a well-meaning adult, you have an ideal opportunity to step in and encourage children affected by cyberbullying to speak out and fight this kind of victimization.

Educate. Engage. Empower.

Educate children about cyberbullying.

• Teach them about what is considered cyberbullying and what isn't.
  
• Make sure they understand the possible consequences of cyberbullying.
  

Engage children in a cyberbullying dialogue.

• Take it seriously! Sometimes sticks and stones matter, so have them discuss their feelings about cyberbullying.
  
• Let your children tell you about their experiences online; Internet safety experts can't tell their stories better than they can.
  

Empower children to lead the fight against cyberbullying.

• Give them tips that focus on prevention such as not posting personal information or provocative photos that someone could use against them.
  
• Encourage children to start an awareness group at school or online to educate their peers about cyberbullying.
  

The Monterey County District Attorney's Office has partnered with the FBI to bring NetSmartz to elementary-aged students in their community. As part of this initiative, Monterey's Salinas City Elementary School District has integrated the bilingual program into its curriculum. Using NetSmartz, educators hope to teach students how to recognize online risks and to empower them to be safer when going on the Internet.

Since the beginning of 2008, the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Enforcement Unit has presented the NetSmartz Workshop program to over 2,200 students, parents, and community members within the state. Thanks to their outreach efforts, the children, tweens, and teens of South Dakota will "UYN" when going on the Internet!

Would you like to be featured in the next issue of NetSmartz News? E-mail information about your Internet safety activities, subject line "NetSmartz News/EEE," to newsletter@netsmartz.org.

The First Issue

As a program of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), the NetSmartz Workshop shares their vision of a world made safer for children through the cooperative efforts of parents and guardians, educators, and law-enforcement agencies. For the past eight years, NetSmartz has created quality interactive, educational materials designed to help youth and adults learn about Internet and real world safety.

School by school, we have established a presence in all 50 states, providing communities with the necessary resources to address the constantly changing cyber landscape and the new risks that these changes present. In order to keep you up-to-date with these shifting trends, we are publishing NetSmartz News, a quarterly newsletter which discusses current Internet issues and their possible risks to our children. Recent news headlines have convinced me that our newsletter could not have begun at a more appropriate time.

Recently, six Florida teenagers filmed themselves beating a classmate; it is alleged that they planned to post it online in retaliation for comments that the victim made on a social networking site. Although incidents rarely escalate to this level, it has called national attention to one of the most pressing Internet safety issues—cyberbullying. According to a report by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, one-third of teenagers report that they have been the targets of cyberbullying. Children, parents and guardians, educators, and law-enforcement agencies have all been affected by this problem and are looking for effective methods to halt its spread. This issue of NetSmartz News offers you a place to start.

NetSmartz works to educate, engage, and empower communities about on- and offline safety risks because we believe that real change happens when communities work together to resolve their problems. I invite you to be part of the solution.

Herbert C. Jones, Vice President

External Affairs

Macomb Online Safety Team

The Macomb Online Safety Team (M.O.S.T.) in conjunction with the Hancock/McDonough and Adams/Pike Regional Offices of Education held their second Annual Internet Safety Event: Grab the Cyberbully by the Horn…Keeping Kids Safe from Internet Bullies on Tuesday, April 1, 2008. Targeted toward parents in the community, the event focused on cyberbullying and featured Tina Meier as the event keynote speaker. Tina has spoken out several times about the suicide of her daughter Megan from a horrific incident of cyberbullying.

June is Internet Safety Month and the NetSmartz® Workshop wants to congratulate you on your work to educate, engage, and empower kids about online safety. As you take this month to celebrate, I encourage you to make further use of our resources in order to communicate the importance of making safer online choices.

Start a dialogue with your children by co-signing the NetSmartz Safety Pledge, allowing room for them to share their thoughts on Internet safety as well. Then, get cooking with the NetSmartz Teachable Recipes, designed to help make Internet safety more "digestible." Showing interest in your children's online lives will help increase their confidence to make safer choices when faced with online risks such as predators, cyberbullies, and scammers.

Throughout the summer, NetSmartz will be conducting our Internet safety presentations for youth and adults allover the country; make summer an opportunity to spark a commitment to Internet safety for your own community. I urge you to use NetSmartz Internet safety presentations at local festivals and special community events geared toward families. Summer camps and libraries are often seeking information on safety issues, so offer them the benefit of your expertise. It is our combined efforts that will make Internet safety a year-long priority.

Join us in our recognition of Internet Safety Month!

Herbert C. Jones, Vice President

External Affairs

Take a pledge this summer with your kids!

Did you know you can use uncooked spaghetti noodles to help your child understand the importance of getting support from trusted family members? Or that salty cookies can represent the kind of unsavory Internet users your child should learn to avoid? Discover all of this and more with the new NetSmartz Teachable Recipes. By combining basic Internet safety lessons with culinary fun the Teachable Recipes make safety interactive.

Get cooking with your kids today!