Cell Phone Safety

Tom Dewey, Principal

Anytown Elementary School
//7essing the T7:th
There have been lots of rumors and
gossip lately. We want to talk
honestly today and teach students
the right way to communicate.
Cell phones are useful tools, but only
when used appropriately and with
good judgment.
Cell Phone S:7;ey
#aise your hand if..
ou own a cell phone
ou use text messaging
ouve taken photos with a cell
phone camera
ouve ever forwarded a message
hat Di/ the o7l/ Do Befo7e Cell
Phones an/ Texting?
ou got your stuff done on time.
Kids talked to their parents in person.
We used quarters at pay telephones.
Parents owned cameras that took
photos.
People used complete words, not
BFF, LOL, OMG, or .
Wrote personal letters and mailed them
with a licked stamp.
M had an apostrophe (m).
557o57iate Uses of Cell Phones
Calling for a ride after the game
Appropriate conversations from
home with friends you know
Keeping in touch with your family
so they know your whereabouts
Contacting authorities in an
emergency (911)
na557o57iate Uses of Cell Phones
Texting during class/school
Taking embarrassing photos
Sending insulting, angry, or mean
messages
Cheating or lying
Bullying
Starting fights
Hurting feelings
#emin/e7 -o:t School #:les
Cell phones must be turned-off and
locked in your student locker.
If you need to use a cell phone
afterschool, go to the main foyer of
the school or outside the building.
Cell phones may not be used in the
gym, locker rooms, restrooms, etc.
School Conseq:ences
Cell phones discovered on your
person are confiscated and only
returned to parents.
Usage of cell phones during school
day or in the building results in
afterschool detentions (or more).
Cell Phones Ke5t n Locke7s
ocked, put away, not visible, and
shut off.
Cell Phone Came7as Not Use/
n special days, we may announce
that you can bring a camera, but
you may NEVE# use a cell phone
camera at school.
Cell Phone Texting Not Use/
Texting on cell phones shall not
occur in the school building.
ene7al Safety Ti5s
nly give your mobile number out
to people you know and can trust.
Never reply to text messages from
people you dont know.
Make sure you know how to block
others from calling your phone.
Cell P7o;i/e7s ant Ha55y Pa7ents!
Children represent a huge market
for cell phone companies.
They want to help parents monitor
and control your cell phone usage,
because PA#ENTS pay the bill!
Call the cell phone company for help
on setting-up your phone for
maximum safety. It is in their
business interest to help you!
hat Belongs on Yo:7 Cell Phone?
J:st ask yo:7 5a7ents!!!
If you wouldnt show it to your
parents, dont photograph it.
If you wouldnt text it to your
parents, dont write it.
If you wouldnt say it to your
parents, dont call it.
Accept the Consequences
%he things you say or do
with your cell phone
could have long-term
consequences for you.
hat oes On Yo:7 Cell Phone, Stays
on Yo:7 Cell Phone.an/ E;e7ywhe7e!
Dont assume any privacy. Every time
you send a message:
It gets stored on the cell phone companys
computer server.
Government safety agencies may have
screened your messages ("Patriot Act).
our parents can access your messages from
the web site.
Deleted messages are retrievable.
hat about forwarding?
#emem-e7..Nothing is P7i;ate
ou may think your text message is
safe and private, but you cant
control which people will forward
your message to others.
Forwarded electronic messages are
the fastest way to spread gossip
and rumors.
ow many people could have
access to a text/photo?
7om the Hea/lines
News articles discuss teens getting prosecuted by
law enforcement for cell phone behaviors.
MG, teens "#" sexting: Article in Salon Magazine
What all parents should know about kids and their
mobile phones: Article in Australian Women's
Weekly
Felony charges for teens: NBC Television #eport
Cell Phone 'Sexting' A Problem, Teens Say: KSAT
Television #eport from Portland, regon
Teens are sending nude photos with cell phones:
Article from E-School News
Six Pennsylvania Teenagers Charged with Felony
Crimes: Article from MSNBC
Sexting
Inappropriate cell phone usage is a major
teenage problem from ages 10-18.
The slang term "sexting or "sex texting
refers to a nationwide phenomenon of
children sending nude or semi-nude
photos of their private parts.
"Sexting is illegal, even if you are just
taking and sending pictures of yourself.
#eal Ki/s & #eal T7o:-le
%is week, tree teenage girls wo allegedly sent
nude or semi-nude cell pone pictures of
temselves, and tree male classmates in a
western Pennsylvania ig scool wo received
tem, are carged wit cild pornograpy.
In October a %exas eigt-grader spent te nigt
in a juvenile detention center after is football
coac found a nude picture on is cell pone tat
a fellow student sent im.
from CBS News on January 15, 2009
#eal Ki/s & #eal T7o:-le
According to researcers at Rocester %ecnology of
Institute almost one-tird of teens in grades 10-12 ave sent
or received sexual content online and tey use cell pones.
For cildren in grades 4-6, tat number is still one in ten.
Attorneys like Dallas lawyer Clint David say te practice is
trouble waiting to appen. It is te eigt of insanity to take
a picture of yourself naked and send it to anoter person,
says David. At least one teenager as landed in jail because
of is alleged actions involving 'sexting.
A 16-year old Pennsylvania boy was arrested and carged
wit possessing cild pornograpy after police say e coaxed
a 15-year old girl into sending im explicit pictures.
from Fox News on December 9, 2008
#eal Ki/s & #eal T7o:-le
A 17-year-old Uta girl wo received two images of male
genitalia on er cell pone told er moter, wo told local
autorities. %ey responded by carging te alleged sender
wit a tird degree felony. %e girl said se first tougt te
potos depicted a ot dog.
%e girl, wose name was witeld by te Salt Lake %ribune,
apparently did not know te man, and its unclear wy e
sent it to er. If convicted, e could serve up to five years.
%e young victim told te newspaper tat se was in sock.
I felt like I ad done someting wrong, se said. I didnt
ever want to see tat until Im married.
In anoter incident of sexting, a Cippewa Falls, Wis., yout
was arrested for sowing off to friends nude potos of is ex-
girlfriend. %e potos were on is cellpone.
from http://www.minortroubles.com/?s=sexting
#eal Ki/s & #eal T7o:-le
Prosecutor David) Morse also announced Monday tat
e would not file carges against te girl or any of te
students at Pinckney Community Hig Scool wo
possessed or sent te nude potos. He said te
discipline doled out by te scool and parents was
sufficient. Scool officials suspended 19 students. %e
girl told police se was clowning around wen se
took te sexually explicit potos and two videos, wic
clearly sow er face and vaginal area.
Morse said e is making te same decision in a sexting
case at nearby Fowlerville Junior Hig Scool, were a
14-year-old girl transmitted a poto of er naked
breasts to friends, wo ten distributed it widely.
from http://www.minortroubles.com/?s=sexting
elony C7imes
Having nude photos of children and their
private parts is a felony crime.
In Illinois, felony crimes are punishable
by a one year prison sentence or more,
depending upon the circumstances and
the type/class of offense.
Felony convictions may prevent adults
from getting jobs that require criminal
background checks, such as police,
teaching, fire fighting, nursing, etc.
B:t m J:st a Ki/...
It doesnt matter what age the photographer is.
Taking or possessing inappropriate photos of
children are wrong and illegal!
School officials and law enforcement can and will
investigate these behaviors.
Wile teenagers may tink tat sending tese images to teir friends
or potential suitors is armless, any image tat portrays a minor in an
indecent manner or engaging in sexual activity is regarded as cild
pornograpy and people wo receive or pass on tese types of images
are risking criminal carges, weter tey are a minor or an adult. [.]
Parents need to become more aware of wat teir cildren are doing
wit teir mobile pones and personal computers because wat migt
seem like a armless image of temselves to be used privately can fall
into te ands of sexual predators and be posted across te internet.
"uoted directly from "What all parents should know about kids and their
mobile phones, Australian Women's Weekly
hy do we text or IM things that we
wouId never say or do in person?
When you are not face-to-face
(F2F), the human connection is
missing.
ou cant see the visual emotions of
the person.
ou cant "take it back.
It seems safe because you are
alone. ou take more risks.
hat Can Pa7ents Do?
%eac cildren te dangers of tis type
of beavior and advise tem to tink
before tey act.
Ensure cildren know tat tey are not to
send pornograpic images of temselves
to anyone eiter over teir mobile pones
or via te internet. Even minors wo ave
cild pornograpy in teir possession can
be carged under te law.
%eac cildren about te types of sexual
predators tat are out tere and may
prey on tem.
"uoted directly from "What all parents should know about kids and their mobile
phones, Australian Women's Weekly
hat Can Pa7ents Do?
Parents sould familiarize temselves wit te
new tecnologies tat are around, so tey
understand te potential for exploitation, as well
as wat teir kids are doing.
Parents need to overcome any embarrassment
tey may feel about talking to teir cildren about
sex, so tey can be effective wen educating teir
kids about te dangers associated wit cild
pornograpy.
If parents are going to give teir cild a mobile
pone, ensure tey are mature enoug to use it
appropriately.
"uoted directly from "What all parents should know about kids and their mobile
phones, Australian Women's Weekly, July 2008
Can schools take away my cell 5hone?
es. School officials may hold cell
phones when they have a
reasonable suspicion the phone has
been involved in inappropriate
activity that violates school rules or
the law. In some cases, they are
turned over to the police.
Can schools look in my locke7?
es. Students should not expect
any privacy in their school lockers.
ockers are school district property.
School officials with reasonable
suspicion may search your locker.
Can yo: look in my -ook -ag?
es. 105 ICS 5/10-22.6(e)
permits school officials to
search personal effects kept
in lockers and desks. School
officials with reasonable
suspicion may search your
book bag.
Does the school nee/ a sea7ch
wa77ant?
No. According to school code,
school officials may search students
without a warrant "when there are
reasonable grounds for suspecting
the search of a particular child will
turn up evidence the student has
violated or is violating either the law
or the rules of the school.
S:mma7y: na557o57iate Messages
Do not take, receive, or forward
inappropriate photos/texts ever.
If you receive something
inappropriate, notify your parents
and law enforcement immediately!
Delete it!
Inappropriate photos could be
illegal.
on't o It
No threats
No inappropriate
photos
No foul language
No hassling
No intimidation
No insults
No embarrassing
content
No "bad stuff
No bullying
eep Safe
If you wouldnt show it to your
parents, dont photograph it.
If you wouldnt text it to your
parents, dont write it.
If you wouldnt say it to your
parents, dont call it.
Cell Phone Safety
Tom Dewey, Principal
Anytown Elementary School