Warning to Teenagers Before They Start Dating

Published: June 3, 2012

 

 

BOISE, Idaho — After studies emerged more than a decade ago showing that the highest rates of physical and sexual assault happen to women ages 16 to 24, programs to prevent abusive relationships have concentrated on high school and college students.

Students from North Junior High School in Boise, Idaho, worked on their “ChalkHeart” projects at the Boise Art Museum last month.

 

Some initiatives have shown promise, but overall statistics remain largely unchanged: the most recent government report stated that nearly one in 10 high school students said they had been physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend.

Now a diverse group that includes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and federal lawmakers is trying to forestall dating violence by addressing even younger students: middle schoolers. The goal is to educate them about relationships before they start dating in earnest, even though research shows that some seventh graders have already experienced physical and emotional harm while dating.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/04/us/middle-school-students-focus-of-anti-violence-effort.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120604

 

Lenni Frazier – Positive Vibes in Ghost Writer

Aw yeah. Aw yeah. Lenni from Ghostwriter tears up the mic with Gaby, Hector and Jamal “Boom Shakalaka Boom” Jenkins. I guess Tina and Alex were too cool .  This video is full of positive messages for young people. Take a listen and suggest it to your child.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wODIc8ohbg4

This was sent to me by Maiko Watson

www.myspace.com/maikowatsonmusic

 

Net threats result of kids’ online behavior

By Anick Jesdanun, Associated Press

NEW YORK — Almost every lesson on Internet safety warns against posting personal information such as phone numbers and school names.

Researchers are now suggesting, though, that such advice, however well-intentioned, doesn’t necessarily make children safer from predators and related threats.

In a recent study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, researchers found no evidence that sharing personal information increases the chances of online victimization, such as unwanted sexual solicitation and harassment.

 

JOURNAL ARTICLE: Targeting the Right Online Behaviors

 

JOIN THE WEB CLUB: Preteens take up social space online

Rather, victimization is more likely to result from other online behavior, such as talking about sex with people met online and intentionally embarrassing someone else on the Internet.

“For a long time, we really didn’t know,” said Michele Ybarra, one of the study’s authors. “It made sense if you post or send information you increase your risk. It’s also a very easy message: Don’t post personal information and you’ll be safe.”

But Ybarra, who is president of the non-profit Internet Solutions for Kids, warned that parents and educators must now reassess the lessons, saying resources may be wasted on tips that do not address the underlying problem.

Instead of discouraging children from communicating, she said, the better approach is to teach them about what at-risk behaviors to avoid and warning signs to spot.

“We now need to be a lot more specific and accurate in our message,” she said.

The research, published in February, was based on telephone surveys of 1,500 Internet users ages 10 to 17.

In a separate study of 2,574 law-enforcement agencies, researchers found that online sex crimes rarely involve offenders lying about their ages or sexual motives. The 2004 study, published in Journal of Adolescent Health, said offenders generally aren’t strangers, and pedophiles aren’t luring unsuspecting children by pretending to be a peer.

“Most of these sexual-victimization (cases) happen at the hands of people they know, and a lot happen at the hands of peers,” said Janis Wolak, co-author of both studies and a researcher with the University of New Hampshire’s Crimes Against Children Research Center.

The research also found that online victims tend to be teens with troubles offline, such as poor relationships with parents, loneliness and depression.

“A lot of parents, I think, can breathe a big sigh of relief,” said Anne Collier, editor of the online newsletter Net Family News. “If their kids are just socializing with their friends online, they are going to be fine.”

Nancy Willard, author of Cyber-Safe Kids, Cyber-Savvy Teens, said predators don’t need to be snatching kids by piecing together clues from personal information when they can go for the low-hanging fruit — the teens specifically engaging in at-risk behavior, such as posting sexually provocative images in their profiles.

Many Internet-safety experts remain skeptical that parents and educators can let their guard down on the posting of personal information at sites like Facebook and News Corp.’s MySpace.

“The only way they can get into trouble is if they end up meeting the stranger, and that’s going to come from giving out personal information,” said Susan Sachs, chief operating officer with the non-profit Common Sense Media. “It’s pretty clear to connect the dots between personal information and predators.”

Monique Nelson, executive vice president of the Internet safety group Web Wise Kids, said kids “don’t have the sense of … knowing when a predator would be grooming them” so a blanket message against posting personal information is a good first line of defense.

Amanda Lenhart, a senior research specialist at the Pew Internet and American Life Project, agrees that the attention on personal information may be misplaced, but she said caution may still be wise.

“There is something to be said for preserving your privacy for other reasons,” Lenhart said, noting that too much information could come to haunt teens when they apply for college or jobs. “Safety is not necessarily the No. 1 reason.”