Rosalind Wiseman

Industry leaders in law enforcement, media, government, and technology advocated Tuesday at the StopCyberbullying Coalition Round Table in Washington, DC, for an education-based approach to address cyberbullying and sexting among young people.

Technology can be “dangerous tools when left without education surrounding them,” said speaker Robin Raskin of the Consumer Electronics Association.

The highlight of the summit, coordinated by Internet safety group Wired Safety, came early in the afternoon when Senator Bob Menendez, D-NJ, addressed approximately 50 attendees gathered in the Kennedy Senate Caucus Room. “Inadequate funding makes it difficult to get [cyber safety] programs into schools,” Menendez said. He is the author of the School And Family Education about the Internet (SAFE Internet) Act that would create grants for evidence-based education programs, currently under consideration by Congress.

Panelists, which included representatives from Verizon, MTV, Girl Scouts, Disney Online, the U.S. Department of Education, parents, and youth from Wired Safety’s Tween and Teen Angels programs among others, expressed the need to help all stakeholders – from kids to teachers, to government and service providers – learn how to recognize, report and stop inappropriate or abusive online behavior.

The key issue, many said, is bringing awareness to the parental controls and filtering capabilities already available through software and technology providers.

“Users are the first line of defense,” said Adam Conner, Associate for Privacy and Global Public Policy at Facebook.

For example, enabling Google’s SafeSearch limits explicit content coming up in kids’ browsing. Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and myYearbook allow users to block anyone they choose, and to report people who attack, harass, or send inappropriate content. Bystanders also need to play a role in calling out irresponsible behavior, Connor said.

Conference organizer and Wired Safety founder, Parry Aftab, said that outreach on cyber issues must not just inform, but offer succinct, easy-to-implement strategies to be successful. Several panelists also suggested that companies and government use entertaining and engaging means – like videos and interactive games — to spread awareness, particularly when directed at kids.

While in recent years many have pushed for laws to criminalize cyberbullying, at least one panelist spoke to the potential drawbacks to such legislation. “Law is a blunt instrument,” said Berin Szoka, Senior Fellow at The Progress and Freedom Foundation. “It doesn’t always do what you want it to do,” he said, citing possible free speech limitations. In written testimony to the House Subcommittee on Crime Terrorism & Homeland Security in September, Szoka wrote, “Criminalizing what is mostly child-on-child behavior will not likely solve the age-old problem of kids mistreating each other.”

Top Take-Aways from the StopCyberbulling Coalition Round Table:

• Be Tech-Savvy: No, you don’t need to have a Facebook account or play online games 24/7; but you do need to know the basics of what your kids are doing online and what you can do to keep them safe. Technology providers are aware of this problem, too, and many are developing videos and games to help parents understand the tech their kids use. Here are a few places to start: SafetyClicks, Wired Moms, Get Game Smart, Stay Safe Online, OnGuard Online, iKeepSafe.
• Communicate: Parents should monitor kids’ online and wireless activity, and discuss appropriate and inappropriate behavior. If possible, write and sign a technology contract that explicitly states what children are and are not allowed to do with their technology. Together, create and enforce consequences for breaking the rules. Additionally, kids often don’t report bullying to adults – discuss why this may be hard, but the benefits of each. Explain that an adult sometimes is necessary to help solve the problem, but that you’ll decide together how to handle the situation.
• Empower Adolescents: Technology is ubiquitous in the lives of today’s kids and teens—TV, cell phones, social networks, gaming, PDAs, and skype – so we can’t hide from it. Rather, we need to teach them how to use it ethically and responsibly. After all, lots of kids know what they’re doing when they harass someone online or take nude pictures of themselves – but they may not fully understand the consequences of those actions. Or, the victims of attacks may feel powerless to stop it. You can use Rosalind’s SEAL strategy as a starting place to teach kids how they can speak out when it’s happening to them or a friend.
• Support our Schools: Teachers and school personnel don’t always have the adequate resources to address issues of cyberbullying and sexting. Ask your child’s teacher or counselor what the school’s procedure is to report bullying, and ask if it also includes cyberbullying. Schools do have the right to intervene in cases of bullying – even if they occur outside of school – when it impacts the safety of the school environment. Ask if the school has an anti-bullying education program. If not, work with them and other members of the school community, including kids, to build one. Rosalind’s Owning Up Curriculum is one of many such tools available for teachers.

Special Giveaway!

Build-A-Bear Workshop was a sponsor of Tuesday’s panel. Their social networking site for younger children Build-A-Bearville incorporates cyber safety education and tools into its virtual world. We took home two adorable stuffed bears to give away (one “boy” and one “girl”).

Here’s how to win:

Tell us your favorite tip for online safety (a method you practice, a website, a book, ANYTHING) and enter it in the comments below before Friday, October 23 at 5pm ET. Winners will be chosen at random from among the entries.

Good luck!

Additional Resources:

• StopCyberbullying
• Education Resources Information Center
• OnGuardOnline
• iKeepSafe Internet Safety Coalition
• The Center For Education Reform
• Wired Moms
• TweenAngels
• TeenAngels
• WiredSafety
• Department of Homeland Security National Cybersecurity Division
• National Cyber Security Alliance
• Get Game Smart
• Raising Digital Kids