Conversations about students staying safe online should start at home.
Berkeley County School District’s Security and Emergency Management team is hosting public meetings at some of the schools for parents to attend to learn more about social media dangers (your child does not have to be zoned for the school in order for you to attend). Dates for those meetings will be forthcoming.
In the meantime, parents are encouraged to go over the following material and stay vigilant in making sure their children understand the proper way to conduct themselves online.
The hope is for parents to continue to have these conversations with their children about what it means to maintain good digital citizenship and to be responsible when texting, messaging and using social media.
At these upcoming meetings, Security and Emergency Management officer Cheretha Kinlaw-Hickman will cover different social media sites and applications with parents and will allow parents to ask additional questions about any apps that are not covered in the presentation – parents can also e-mail her at hickmanc@bcsdschools.net.
There are a lot of resources available to parents that Kinlaw-Hickman will go over as well.
“We are here to assist them in whatever ways possible,” Kinlaw-Hickman said. “If you see something, say something – that’s the only way we can assist.”
Kinlaw-Hickman will particularly hit on the following topics:
Digital Citizenship
Digital citizenship refers to using the internet and technology responsibly (i.e.: following the rules of good behavior online, being respectful to people when communicating online, avoiding potential dangers, etc.).
Berkeley County School District educates students on digital citizenship at the beginning of every school year. However, the district encourages parents to be a part of the discussion when it comes to ensuring students behave responsibly when they are using social media or doing anything on their cell phones and computers.
A general rule of thumb is for students to simply remember the “golden rule” and treat others the same way they would want to be treated online, and also to remember there is no true anonymity when it comes to posting content.
“The biggest thing is parents speaking to children and letting them know that nothing’s anonymous,” she said. “If you wouldn’t want your parents, your teachers, your friends…to (see it), then you shouldn’t post it. Nothing is a secret on the internet.”
Digital footprint
Someone’s digital footprint is the record of all their interactions online that’s posted, viewed, shared, copied or created by themselves or others, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
A lot of the repercussions can be long-lasting; they can affect students later on in life when they are applying for colleges, scholarships, jobs and more.
“These things can come back to haunt you,” Kinlaw-Hickman said. “It doesn’t matter that you were young at the time; it represents you. That’s your digital footprint.”
Catfishing
This is when someone uses images and information (often taken from other people’s social media accounts) to create a new, false identity online; sometimes using an individual’s entire identity as their own, usually to “lure” them into some sort of relationship.
Parents are advised to monitor their children’s online profiles to make sure they are not putting out any personal information about themselves.
“You don’t want your kids’ birthdays and personal information – social security numbers, home addresses, and things like that – being on there,” she said.
Students also need to be careful of listing specific characteristics about themselves online – things like their favorite color, sports team, foods and hobbies – so that a predator does not see that information and try to use it to “befriend” the student online.
To further protect themselves, parents should remind their children that they should never give out any of their passwords – not even to friends – and to come up with passwords that are hard to guess.
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is an ongoing universal issue among children – particularly pre-teens and teenagers.
Cyberbullying is defined as the “willful and repeated harm inflicted through use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices, by sending cruel or harassing text messages, posting embarrassing information or rumors to social media, or making vile comments in an online setting.” Although, there is no federal law in place regarding cyberbullying, the state of South Carolina refers to this as a form of Criminal Harassment.
Berkeley County School District is committed to keeping students and staff safe. There are ways for parents and students to report any form of bullying, including cyberbullying, anonymously through the district’s “See Something, Say Something” campaign.
If anyone who observes or has been a victim of bullying, threats, or a crime at school to “say something” on the district’s 24-hour free and anonymous tip line (1-855-OK-SAY-IT) or submit the report via the district mobile app. The reports are checked daily by the Security and Emergency Management team. Read more.
“If you hear it or see it, and if it’s not pleasant, report it,” Kinlaw-Hickman said.
Sexting
This is the sending of nude or sexually explicit images via electronic communication, (smart devices & computers) whether by text, chat, social media or email.
Kinlaw-Hickman can teach parents about the repercussions of committing some of these actions; for example, a person cannot be legally charged for receiving nude or sexually explicit images – but the sender can be charged.
Social Media
Kinlaw-Hickman will also touch on the more popular social media sites that pre-teens and teenagers like to use, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat. Kinlaw-Hickman said parents should educate themselves on the apps’ is privacy settings, and to talk with their students to learn more about the apps they are using and check to make sure they are abiding by the privacy rules.
Parents should regularly stay up to date on what kind of apps their children are using. Kinlaw-Hickman encourages parents to have their children show them their apps and ask questions like:
- Explain to me how this app works
- Tell me what you like about these apps
- Tell me what you don’t like about these apps
Also, all these things that parents tell students to do…they should be doing it themselves as well.
“Kids are like sponges – they absorb, and they’re going to copy whatever they see you do,” Kinlaw-Hickman said. “So we want them to be good examples of using social media and the social media apps – and the devices in general.”
Information about the meetings covering social media dangers will be posted online as they are announced.
Original source can be found here.
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