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Lt. Anthony Ritter New Jersey State Police
Cyber Crimes Bureau
Good evening, I am Lt. Anthony Ritter of the New Jersey State Police, Cyber Crimes Bureau.
I will be taking the next few minutes to explain to you:
- What cyberbullying is.
- What is contributing to this new phenomenon.
- Tools and mediums being used by our kids.
- How you should react to cyberbullying when you come across it.
- How law enforcement responds to these incidents.
- And finally I will provide you with some real-life cyberbullying stories.
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n Using electronic communications to
harass, threaten, antagonize, or intimidate another person.
n This includes emails, instant messages, text messages, chat room and/or web log postings, i.e. myspace.com , etc…
n Posing as someone else for purposes of harassing them or others.
n Using a persons picture or a digitally enhanced image without their permission.
Cyber Bullying Is Defined As:
CYBER BULLYING IS DEFINED AS:
Bullet 1: Using electronic communications to harass, threaten, antagonize, or intimidate another person.
Bullet 2: This includes emails, instant messages, text messages, chat room and/or web log postings, such as myspace.com, etc…
Bullet 3: Posing as someone else for purposes of harassing them or others.
Bullet 4: Using a persons picture or a digitally enhanced image without their permission.
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Contributing Factors
n The Availability of Electronic Communication Devices and Access Points
n Perceived Anonymity Provides a False Sense of Security
n Popularity of the Internet
The Internet: A New Medium for Harassment
THE INTERNET IS A NEW MEDIUM FOR HARASSMENT, LET’S LOOK AT THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.
Bullet 1: The availability of electronic communication devices and access points such as laptops, PDA’s, cell phones, digital cameras, digital recorders, wireless internet access.
Bullet 2: Perceived anonymity provides a false sense of security. Cryptic screen names, false identities, and online lingo only provide anonymity on the surface.
Every packet of information sent back and forth across the Internet has the address of the senders computer and the address of the receivers computer.
You are NOT really anonymous.
Bullet 3: Popularity of the Internet. There are approximately 1 Billion users on the Internet today. There are over 200 Million in the United States alone and many are up to no good.
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Once Something Is Posted Online It Can
NEVER Be Retracted
Once Something Is Posted Online It Can NEVER Be Retracted.
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Tools of the
“Always On” Generation
What are the Tools of the “Always On” Generation?
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ICQ
MSN
AIM
Yahoo!
Instant Messaging & Chat Rooms:
INSTANT MESSAGING & CHAT ROOMS
While you may be amazed at how your child is capable of multi-tasking 12 conversations at once, Instant Messaging and Chat Rooms can be dangerous and addicting when unregulated and under supervised.
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MySpace.com
MYSPACE.COM
Known as an “Online Social Networking” website, MySpace alone claims 41 million subscribers worldwide already - more than 90 percent between age 14 and 30 - and is pulling in 150,000 more each day.
That is how "you can tell who the popular kids are," said one high school freshman. She also asked for anonymity, not only because of racy photos but also because she lists herself in her profile as 16, which she hardly is.
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friendster.com
FRIENDSTER.COM
“We are conditioned to follow each other's lives through the Web.” said Steven Friedman, a high school senior.
"It is," as he put it, "just the next evolution of social interaction."
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facebook.com
FACEBOOK.COM
Facebook requires your school email address in order to participate, which forces most of the older predators to hunt elsewhere, but does little to stop the exuberantly charged youth.
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Hate Websites
HATE WEBSITES
Getting pages like this taken offline is easy for the most part. The problem that created this situation may also be resolved “offline”. Sometimes simply talking face to face with authorities is all that is needed.
Arresting and prosecuting children is not a solution we aspire to achieve, stopping the behavior is.
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Text Messaging & Camera Phones
TEXT MESSAGING & CAMERA PHONES
Text Messaging “attacks” can cause increased charges on your pho ne bill.
Cell phone cameras are used for “upskirting ” humiliation and locker room antics which can quickly spread nude photos of your child around the world.
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Polling Sites
POLLING SITES
Polling Web sites, which are growing in number, invite students to identify individuals by both flattering and unflattering characteristics, such as the most obese person at their school, the boys mostly likely to be gay, and the girls who have slept with the most boys.
The predictable consequences for students subjected to this shameful treatment are depression, hopelessness, and withdrawal.
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Bias Intimidation
BIAS INITIMIDATION
Victimization because of race, color, religion, gender, handicap, sexual
orientation or ethnicity in combination with another crime will raise the level of the crime by one degree.
This means a fourth degree harassment complaint that includes bias intimidation becomes a crime of the third degree with higher penalties.
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We All Play a Role in Internet Safety
Students Students
Parents Parents
Law Enforcement Law Enforcement Educators
Educators
WE ALL PLAY A ROLE IN INTERNET SAFETY
Awareness Programs – Such as these, teach parents what’s going on.
School Policies – Creating and implementing active, living policy documents that everyone must regularly read and acknowledge eliminates the fear of reporting bullying incidents by students.
Supervision by Parents – Computers that are in plain view with parental oversight and daily interaction. Communicate about activities and have them regularly identify their online friends to you.
Teaching Programs – Schools must teach children “netiquette”, values, and good communication skills with empathy toward the child’s environment.
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n DO NOT respond, this just entices the sender.
n Report the sender to the Internet Service Provider and Local Authorities.
n Save any email messages so they may be properly investigated.
n Print or save the chat or web page.
Reacting to Cyber Threats
REACTING TO CYBER THREATS
Bullet 1: DO NOT respond to what has been sent, this just entices the sender.
Bullet 2: Report the sender to the Internet Service Provider and Local Authorities.
Bullet 3: Save any email messages so they may be properly investigated.
Bullet 4: Print or save the chat or web page.
Not all incidents are criminal. Freedom of speech is still a constitutional right for ALL Americans. Call a legal or law enforcement professional to determine if the intent of the incident has crossed the lines where it warrants civil or criminal action.
REMEMBER: Tinkering with potential computer evidence could result in it being inadmissible in court – CALL A PROFESSIONAL RIGHT AWAY.
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n 2C:12-3 Terroristic Threats
n 2C:12-10 Stalking
n 2C:13-6 Luring (Child)
n 2C:13-7 Luring (Adult)
n 2C:16-1 Bias Intimidation
n 2C:20-25 Computer Criminal Activity
n 2C:20-31 Wrongful Access, Disclosure of Information
n 2C:21-1 Forgery/Possession of Forgery Devices
n 2C:21-17 Impersonation: Theft of Identity
n 2C:24-4 Endangering Welfare of Children
n 2C:29-3 Hindering Apprehension
n 2C:33-4 Harassment
Responding to Cyber Threats
RESPONDING TO CYBER THREATS
Depending on circumstances, one or more of these criminal charges may be applied. Civil actions may be taken in addition to criminal actions.
REMEMBER: Parents and guardians are ultimately responsible for their child’s activities.
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There is NO right to privacy on the
Internet
There is NO right to privacy on the Internet.
18 Here is a real life story provided by the National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children entitled "Cyberbullying: You Can't Take It Back”.
Video Source: http://www.netsmartz.org/resources/reallife.htm
19 Here is another real life scenario provided by the National Center for Missing
and Exploited Children entitled “Cyberbullying: Broken Friendship”.
Video Source: http://www.netsmartz.org/resources/reallife.htm
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Lt. Anthony Ritter New Jersey State Police
Thank you and Welcome to Parenting in the 21
stCentury!
Thank you for your attention.
Questions and Handouts.
