I-Safe

I-Safe is a free program produced by I-Safe America, a non-profit educational foundation based in Carlsbad, California, and funded by the U.S. Department of Justice and donations. Through educational programs it is equipping kids and teens with the skills and critical thinking they need to act safely and responsibly on the Internet, by making their own best-informed decisions.

I-Safe Mission
The Need for Internet Safety
I-Safe Empowers Students
I-Safe Curriculum
Practice Pro-Active “Protecting” vs. “Policing”
Predators “Groom” Their Victims
I-Safe Informs Communities
Some Valuable tips from the I-Safe curriculum about Internet Safety
For more information about I-Safe
I-Safe Glossary - explanation of commonly used technology terms

I-Safe Mission

To educate and empower youth to take control of their Internet experience. They provide awareness and knowledge that enables students to recognize and avoid dangerous, destructive, inappropriate or unlawful online behavior and to respond appropriately.

The Need for Internet Safety

The majority of teenagers’ online use occurs at home, right after school, when working parents are not at home. The following statistics illustrate the nature of the Internet and what young people can be exposed to:

90% of teens and young adults have gone online and half of those online plug in once a day or more.
While 75% of parents say they know where their children spend time online, the truth about kids’ Internet habits show 58% of teens say they have accessed an objectionable website: 39% offensive music, 25% sexual content and 20% violence.
62% of parents of teenagers are unaware that their children have accessed objectionable websites.
30% of all unsolicited e-mails contain pornographic information.
89% of online sexual solicitations were made in either chat rooms or Instant Messages.

These statistics and trends regarding Internet usages and accessibility/availability of pornographic material show that a significant percentage of Internet use involves material that is inappropriate for youth. Educating and empowering youth to hold themselves accountable for their online behavior and to make safe and responsible decisions are the most powerful tools that can be used to increase their safety while online.

I-Safe Empowers Students

The goal is to educate every student in grades K-12 with curriculum that is designed to:

Empower students to recognize techniques used by predators to deceive them.
Empower students to refuse requests for personal information.
Provide students with the tools they need to respond assertively.
Encourage students to report suspicious or dangerous contact.

I-Safe Curriculum

For grade K-8, the I-Safe Curriculum consists of five core lessons. Each lesson is 45 minutes in duration and involves active participation between the students and the instructor, group exercises and worksheets. The curriculum covers:

1. Living as a Net Citizen in the Cyber Community – teaches recognition that the cyber community is as tangible as the students’ physical community. There are dangers to recognize and avoid and their actions have real and tangible consequences in the physical world. Students will be able to recognize that there are rules of conduct in cyberspace and that they need to act responsibly.

2. Personal Safety as a Cyber Citizen in the 21^st Century – teaches accountability and responsibility relevant to online activities such as chat and instant messaging. The lesson also provides insight into localized events to emphasize that online activities, especially chat, are not anonymous and do have tangible, real world consequences.

3. Technology and the Computer Virus – enables student to recognize red flags indicating a virus, worm or Trojan horse may have been sent to them. The lesson teaches prevention techniques and responsible behavior as it relates to email.

4. Plagiarism & the Theft of Intellectual Property – teaches students how to appropriately use materials that are available on the Internet. The lesson offers an introduction to copyright protections and is designed to incorporate individual school district policies regarding plagiarism.

5. Law Enforcement and Internet Safety – is taught by local law enforcement officers and discusses the means utilized by online predators to entice, entrap and exploit victims via the Internet. Students are provided with tools to recognize inappropriate situations and avoid victimization.

A series of webcasts for grades 9-12 provide additional information on:

Privacy and the Internet
Cyber Relationships
Social Issues

Practice Pro-Active “Protecting” vs. “Policing”

Learn as much as you can about the Internet.
Practice pro-active protection by discussing the dangers inherent in using the Internet and empower your children to make wise decisions online.
Rather than policing their online behavior, maintain open communication so your children feel comfortable talking about problems they encounter online. (Ninety percent of the time your son/daughter has done nothing wrong.)
Treat chat rooms as if your child invited friends into his/her bedroom.

Predators “Groom” Their Victims by:

Meeting them in chat rooms and progressing to Instant Messaging or email, telephone, and ultimately direct contact.
Befriending victims, building their trust, and taking their side in arguments.
Asking the child or teen to keep their “friendship” secret, sometimes threatening violence.
Sending pornographic images to lower inhibitions, provide instruction, and arouse victims.

I-Safe Informs Communities

I-Safe is also extending the knowledge of Internet safety into the community in order to:

Educate parents about how to protect their children from online dangers
Provide Internet safety awareness through Community Outreach events such as assemblies, sports activities, events and concerts
Encourage Youth Empowerment so kids and teens spread the message of Internet safety among their peers, families and the community.

Some Valuable tips from the I-Safe curriculum about Internet Safety

Appropriate and inappropriate websites are equally easy to access – anyone can enter inappropriate websites inadvertently, but teaching students to carefully screen and read search results can help reduce the number accessed.
Teach children what to do if they reach an inappropriate site. Close the browser immediately and close down the computer if necessary (sometimes multiple popup windows occur).
Other examples of inappropriate sites for youth are gambling sites and hate sites.
Inappropriate E-Mails
- Know what SPAM e-mails are and how best to deal with them.
- Don’t open e-mail from people you don’t know.
- If an e-mail contains inappropriate materials, DELETE IT!
- Never reply to SPAM e-mail (this method is often used to verify e-mail addresses)
- Never click on the “take me off your list” or “Unsubscribe” links in SPAM e-mails (also used to verify your e-mail address and will just spawn more SPAM e-mails.)
- Filter incoming e-mails from known offenders
Never give out identifying information, such as Name, Address, School, or Phone Number online.
Be careful if anyone offers to give you something for nothing, such as tickets, gifts or money.
You never really know who is on the other end of an Internet communication. Someone can pose as a 16 year old boy and actually be someone very different.
You can have a cyber friend and be safe – you can always talk online with existing friends and family.
Copyright law protects movies, music, software, video games, books, websites, graphics, even your own original work.

For more information about I-Safe

Website: www.isafe.org
Address:

I-Safe America Inc.
5963 La Place Court, Suite #104
Carlsbad, California 92008

Phone: (760) 603-7911
Fax: (760) 603-8382
E-Mail: info@isafe.org