HISTORIC CHILD INTERNET SAFETY LEGISLATION INTRODUCED
Bill Authorizes $175 Million Over Five Years to Programs Educating Children and Teens on Safely Using the Internet
Orange County, Calif. and Washington, D.C., May 13, 2009 – Web Wise Kids applauds the introduction of landmark legislation that would authorize $175 million funding over five years to programs educating children how to safely, securely and ethically use the Internet and mobile technologies. Sponsored by Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schulz (D-FL), the School and Family Education about the Internet (SAFE Internet) Act would provide critical resources to America’s educational infrastructure to train educators in online risk prevention and empower students and parents with hands-on opportunities to use technology safely for generations to come. Web Wise Kids is represented by Jemal Public Affairs in Washington, D.C. and in state capitols nationwide. The bill introduction caps over a year of education and adovcacy of Jemal Public Affairs on behalf of Web Wise Kids and the Internet safety education community nationwide.
“Web Wise Kids applauds Senator Menendez and Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz for their leadership in sponsoring this bill and recognizing the critical importance of programs to keep children safe in a cyber world,” said Web Wise Kids CEO Judi Westerberg Warren. “Today’s digital world presents a tremendous opportunity for innovation but also significant challenges to keep children safe. Our kids’ futures depend on their understanding and leveraging technology in a smart way. We urge swift passage of this legislation which will help prevent online victimization of millions of children.”
The bill would establish a competitive Internet safety education grant program for state and local education agencies and non-profit organizations to promote the safe use of digital technologies. The legislation authorizes over $175 million over five years for the grant program, which will be administered by the U.S. Department of Justice in collaboration with the Departments of Education and Health & Human Services. The grants would also provide much-needed professional development training to educators so they have tools to teach children safely use the Internet.
Senator Menendez said: “The way to meet the challenges and opportunities the Internet presents isn’t to deny our children access to this great resource but to make sure they know how to use it wisely. Just as we make sure our children know not to talk to strangers, not to bully kids on the playground, and not to give out their personal information, we have the same responsibility to teach them to apply these values online. That’s why I’m introducing a bill to make Internet safety the strong federal priority it should be.”
“The Internet has opened up the world for our children, but it has also opened up our children to the world,” said Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a mother of three young children under 10. “Educating children must be our first line of defense to keep them safe from the dangers of online predators, cyber-bullies, ‘sexting,’ and other online dangers. This bill will help fund high quality, engaging, and age-appropriate Internet safety education programs to teach our children how to be smart and safe online and reduce their risk of being victimized by Internet crime.”
Virtually every tween and teen in the country is using the Internet daily. Some 93% of youth ages 12 to 17 are online (Pew Internet & American Life Project, April 2007). This meteoric rise in children’s use of the Internet to gain knowledge and socialize with one another has also led to a disturbing rise in risky online behaviors such as ‘sexting,’ kids sharing nude photos from cell phones and cyber-bullying where kids use the Internet or mobile devices to send hurtful messages to peers. According to the National Crime Prevention Council, about 43% of teens have been victims of cyber-bullying in the last year. Child predators also migrate to the Internet. A startling 32% of teens online admitted to being contacted by strangers and 23% of teens contacted by a stranger said they felt scared or uncomfortable (Pew Internet & American Life Project).
The Broadband Data Improvement Act, signed into law October 2008 by President Bush, requires the majority of schools nationwide to have Internet safety programs but included no funding to help schools meet this requirement. Currently, students receive almost no education on Internet safety despite data showing youth face enormous risks online. State and local agencies place the majority of responsibility of teaching Internet safety on educators who have received little or no professional training to help students safely navigate the Internet. This historic bill encourages collaboration between schools and nonprofit organizations with expertise in Internet safety education to develop programs that teach young people to how to be savvy, safe and smart in today’s digital world.
About Web Wise Kids
Web Wise Kids is a national non-profit organization dedicated to preventing online child victimization by providing innovative tools to assist youth to stay safe online. Web Wise Kids implements interactive Internet safety programs nationwide in conjunction with school systems, law enforcement, teachers, community-based youth organizations and others. The Web Wise Kids products were chosen to participate in the federal initiative Project Safe Childhood. Web Wise Kids programs have reached over six million children and thousands of parents nationwide. For more information, visit www.webwisekids.org or call + 1 714-435-2885.
About Jemal Public Affairs
Jemal Public Affairs represents Web Wise Kids in Washington and in state capitols nationwide. Operating in California, Florida and Washington, D.C., Jemal Public Affairs provides services to government, nonprofit and corporate clients in the areas of legislative and political advocacy, strategic communications, coalition building, business and fund development and corporate responsibility. Jemal Public Affairs has an excellent record of working with diverse corporate, community and government audiences to find solutions for clients. For more information, visit http://jemalpublicaffairs.com/ or call +202-263-1120.
School And Family Education about the Internet Act (SAFE Internet) Act
Short summary: This bill would establish an Internet safety education grant program. It would initially fund research to determine best practices in Internet safety education and create guidelines for the grants. Then, using those guidelines, grants would be awarded to the following eligible recipients:
1. a partnership between a State Educational Agency (SEA) and one or more Local Education Agencies (LEA); or
2. a LEA of a State; or
3. a non-profit organization; or
4. a partnership between a nonprofit organization and –
a. one or more SEAs; or
b. one or more LEAs; or
c. a consortium of schools.
For the following purposes:
1. identify, develop, and distribute Internet safety education programs, including, but not limited to, educational technology, multimedia applications, online resources, and lesson plans;
2. provide professional training in Internet safety and Internet media literacy to teachers, administrators, and other staff;
3. develop youth online risk prevention programs;
4. train and support peer-driven Internet safety education initiatives;
5. coordinate and fund research initiatives that investigate youth online risks and Internet safety education;
6. develop and implement media campaigns to promote awareness of youth online risks and Internet safety education; and
7. educate parents about identifying and protecting their children from online risks;
Grant applications that have one or more of the following characteristics will be prioritized in the selection process:
• are collaborative
• target at-risk children
• provide services at no-cost to schools
• accommodate multiple languages
• accommodate differing levels of technological sophistication
• have a plan to continue program after grant funds run out
Funding: Authorized at $35 million per year from FY2010 through FY2014.
More details:
This legislation would authorize a five year grant program, under which each grant will be awarded for a two year period. Grant guidance and awards will be administered by the DOJ, in concurrence with the Department of Education, and the Department of Health & Human Services (the applicable agency heads), and in consultation with education, internet safety, and other relevant experts. This grant guidance will also be in line with established principles and research-based recommendations as provided in the Act. The applicable agency heads shall contract with an independent research organization to conduct an initial investigation of current Internet safety education programs and youth online risk.
This research group shall have 3 months to report the following:
1. The nature and prevalence of current Internet safety education programs and any evidence-based research conducted on them already;
2. Findings regarding at risk children; and
3. Any other area the applicable agency heads shall require.
This research group shall also identify gaps in Internet safety education and youth online risk research.
As the grant administration process continues, and as the appropriation level permits, the applicable agency heads shall contract with the research organization to continue research in the identified gap areas. The research organization shall report its findings back to the applicable agency heads and the findings shall be included in the Final Report to Congress.
Funds appropriated under the grant program may also be used to support media awareness campaigns, which will be another way to disseminate the research and messages out to schools, parents, teachers, and kids.
This Final Report will use this research, grantee reports, and testimony from hearings, to further refine best practices in Internet safety. The goal is to use independent, more comprehensive research and objective studies of the effectiveness of individual Internet safety programs to confirm what really works, and what protects children best.
