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Protect Yourself |
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Cyber-Bullying - Protect Yourselfand Your Family
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| Over 100,000 million strangers can visit you at home every time you sign onto your computer, and they are not always honest about who they are or what their intentionsare. Because the technology is impersonal. most people do not think twice about providing personal infomation through their user names or profiles, or even divulging personal details during online "chat". |
If you are online, guard your real identity, Pick a user name that does not give your name, gender, age, birthdate, or that might be offensive to anyone. NEVER use your primary e-mail account for ANYTHING!
- Only give your username/phone number(s) to family and close friends
- While you're online, DO NOT give people any "hints" to help them figure out who you are or how to find you in real life. In fact, go online and search for yourself!
- NEVER give anuone your password!
- NEVER let anyone use your computer!
- DO NOT fill out PROFILES! or if you do, be very vague, and change them regularly. Where do you live? Under the stars, Age? Probably older than you!
- Do not believe everyone or everything you see or read online. Senders can play tricks or lie.
- Behave ethically and responsibly. Apologize if you offend someone.
- Do Not Open e-mail from senders you do not recognize.
- Do Not Open Attachments.
- Do Not Forward e-mails. (If you want to forward, Copy the message, open a new message, paste it and then send it. Don't Spread The Harm)
- Never meet in person anyone you've met online without an adult knowing about it and accompanying you to ensure your safety.
- Immediately tell an adult you trust if you feel uncomfortable or pressured or if you are receiving any requests or materials you know are niappropriate, vulgar or illegal.
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Danger lurks on the Internet |
| "You wouldn't walk down a dark street in an unfamiliar neighborhood alone, would you? |
| You wouldn't divulge where you live or work to a stranger in an elevato, would you? |
| Surprisingly, many otherwise sensible people throw caution to the wind when they're online, assuming, apparently, that they are completely safe. |
| They're not, no matter how computer savvy they think they are |
| Jayne Hitchcock, founder and president of Working To Halt Online Abuse (WHOA) (www.haltabuse.org) and author of NetCrimes and Misdememeanors: Out maneuvering the Spammers, Swindlers and Stalkers and Who Are Targeting You Online (www.netcrimes.org) |
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If you are being bullyied or harrassed online. Try to stop it before things get out of hand.
- Ignore the chat/remarks/messages
- Do not open any messages from that sender
- Block the caller's/sender's messages
- Don't answer your phone - let the caller leave a message
- Never reply or respond to the person bullying or harrassing you!
- Leave the area or stop the activity for a while
- Do not return to that site until it is safe
- Sign off the computer if you have to
- Save the messages (do not delete them!)
- Make note of the cyberbully's username.
- Create a special folder on your hard drive (name it "Abuse"), and save all the nasty messages to that folder. Copy and paste text to a word document if necessary, noting the date, time and where you were on the computer when the message was recieved.
- Immediately tell an adult you trust. It is not your fault and this is not something you can handle by yourself. Be safe, not sorry!
- Finally: Send a one line message, one time only to the cyberbully, stating simply and clearly: "Do not communicate with me in any way or form from this point forward." (Period. End!) The do not communicate again!
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