Children’s Access to the WebMichael Owen

Welcome to the Internet

DANGERS OF THE INTERNET

Dangers of the Internet

•Pornography•Online Predators•Social Networks•Addiction•Cyber-Bullying

Pornography

Exposure at 14 or lower can increase chances of:

• Sexual illnesses• Unplanned pregnancies• Sexual addiction

Studies show…

Among 600 males and females:• 91% of males and 82% of females had been

exposed to hard-core pornography• Of those, 66% of males and 40% of females

wanted to act out those sexual behaviors• At the high school age, 31% of males and 18% of

females admitted to doing sexual acts a few days after exposure to them

Another study shows…

Men exposed to pornography over six weeks showed:

• Increased sexual insensitivity toward women• Trivializing rape• Distorted perceptions of sexuality• Desiring more bizarre or violent pornography• Devaluing the sanctity of monogamy and

marriage• Viewing non-monogamous relationships as

normal and natural behavior

Online Predators

Method of attack happens in two stages:

1) Gain trust and confidence

2) Begin inappropriate behavior

The typical process…

• Chat rooms and social networking sites• Initiate conversation• Look for problems with parents, teachers, etc.• Sympathize with the child• Send pornographic photos• Toll-free number• Send cell phone• Meet in person

Signs to Watch Out For

• Spends a lot of time online• Receives phone calls, mail, and/or gifts form

people you don’t know• Withdraws from usual activities• Switches screens quickly• Separate e-mail or IM accounts• Find pornography on the computer

Social Networks

• Address and phone numbers

• Pictures of car and house

• Trip announcements• Other sensitive

information that can reveal your identity

Internet Addiction

• Neglecting friends and family

• Neglecting sleep to stay online

• Physical changes• Neglecting work

and/or chores

Cyber-Bullying

• IM/Text messages• Stealing passwords• Blogs/Web sites• Sending pictures• Internet polling• Interactive gaming• Sending pornography• Impersonation

FAMILY SOLUTIONS

Software Solution

• Prevent access to inappropriate sites• Limit time allowed on internet• Schedule time of day allowed on internet• Block games based on ESRB ratings• Monitor IM

Recommended Software

Hardware Solution

• Usually in the form of a router• Replaces whatever router currently being used• Has built in protection software• Covers entire home network• Can be tough to configure

Recommended Hardware

Mobile Solution

• Children are not always home• Mobile devices are on the rise• Offers protection when not on home network

Recommended Mobile Solutions

Social Network Protection

• Targets sites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Google+, etc.

• Monitors everything posted by user and to user from friends

• In the form of an app• Requires user to leave the app installed

Recommended Social Network Protection

Spyware

• Logs everything from keystrokes to screenshots• Overkill for most parents• Very useful in situations where child is engaged

with a pedophile

Recommended Spyware

Is any of this ethical?

• Parents have a right to monitor their network• Parents also have a right to protect their children• Once child is 18, then spyware may no longer be

ethically sound

GOVERNMENT SOLUTIONS

Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA)• Requires all public K-

12 schools and libraries to install software that “blocks or filters internet access to pictures that are (a) obscene; (b) child pornography; or (c) harmful to minors.”

Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)

• Service providers must police their site

• If any copyrighted material is found on the site it can be taken down without any notice

• Goes against the DMCA Title II

The xxx Domain Name

• ICANN approved the .xxx domain name and it become available in December of 2011

• Not required to switch domain names• Many have not switched over• Offer incentives to encourage the move

Education

• Many problems could be avoided• Older generation did not grow up with

computer/internet• First line of defense should be parents• Then, the school system

So what now?

• Software/Hardware Solutions• New Domain Names• Education

Sources

• Family Safe Computers. Online Predators. 16 April 2013 <http://www.familysafecomputers.org/predators.htm>.

• —. Socail Networking. 16 April 2013 <http://www.familysafecomputers.org/social.htm>.

• Federal Communications Commission. Children's Internet Protection Act. 12 April 2013 <http://www.fcc.gov/guides/childrens-internet-protection-act>.

• Hughes, Donna Rice. How Pornography Harms Children. 2001. 13 April 2013 <http://www.protectkids.com/effects/harms.htm>.

• Kruger, Lennard G. Internet Domain Names: Background and Policy Issues. 3 January 2013. 22 April 2013 <http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/97-868.pdf>.

Sources Cont.

• McDonald, Mark. Adding More Bricks to the Great Firewall of China. 23 December 2012. 13 April 2013 <http://rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/23/adding-more-bricks-to-the-great-firewall-of-china/?ref=internetcensorship>.

• Rubenking, Neil J. Keep Your Child Safe Online. 13 December 2011. 12 April 2013 <http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2346997,00.asp>.

• Sohn, David and Andrew McDiarmid. The Stop Online Piracy Act: Summary, Problems & Implications. 13 April 2013 <https://www.cdt.org/files/pdfs/SOPA%202-pager%20final.pdf>.

• Stop CyberBullying. Stop CyberBullying. 16 April 2013 <http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/what_is_cyberbullying_exactly.html>.

Sources Cont.

• Wikipedia. Digital Millennium Copyright Act. 13 April 2013 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Millennium_Copyright_Act>.

• Young, Kimberly. Net Addiction. 16 April 2013 <http://www.netaddiction.com/>.