I was going through some notes this past weekend and I came across a very special message dated last summer from one of our very special radio guests, Mary Kay Hoal.

In this FaceBook message I had a nice little surprise (see below) that brightened my day… but of course there is more to the story and the relationship we have been able to cultivate with Mary Kay over the past few years.

It has been really exciting watching the growth and level of experience that Mary Kay has developed and pursued on behalf of children everywhere!!

Recently Mary Kay has been featured in multiple media arenas and has some National Exposure as well that will make changes for all parents and advocates like Dave and Bill and the many others who have joined us on CHWR

I don’t think she will mind if I share this with you all, because we are on the same team, fighting for the same cause… and that is Keeping Our Children Safe!

Mary Kay’s message…

Hi Bill,

First of all, thanks for liking the story we shared about the incident with one of our members. The larger we’re growing, the more mistakes we’re seeing kids making in the site. I just wanted to say hi and thank you, and give you an update on what’s been going on in the site.

I know you won’t be surprised, Bill, that we have people purposefully lying and ignoring our terms of service. For example, we’ve had two adults join and try to friend kids in the site. Thankfully our technology and human oversight caught it, but it just underscores what you and I know already: that parents need to be involved and talking to their kids about online safety.

I see all of your advocacy for Yoursphere and what we’re doing, so I just wanted to say thank you so much for your continued support. This is a tough job that we have, changing things for kids and doing what’s right by kids.

Take care, Bill.

Best, Mary Kay

and my response, back to Mary Kay…

You are so welcome, you and your team do such a wonderful job of creating and maintaining an awesome social website!

My kids truly love your site!

Sorry to hear that you are being attacked, but when you become a highly visited site that happens, it happened on one of our sites a couple of years ago… and it took us months to get it back up and running! Apparently you have more than hit the Big Time!

Keep fighting the good fight, and if there is ever anything we can do to help, please let me know.

Mary Kay’s website is one of our TOP Three choices for parents who want the most fun, protection and safety for their children, while online!

Listen below to her past #CHWR interviews and you will understand why we consider Mary Kay one of our most favorites, and also because she is one of the leading children advocates here in the USA and world-wide!

Yoursphere.com Founder, Mary Kay Hoal Visits The CyberHoodSphere

Click play:

Mary Kay Hoal with BIG Announcements for Yoursphere!

Click play:

Find more info on Mary Kay’s: Parents Blog | Facebook | @Twitter

Learn IT, DO IT, Teach IT, Share IT, BE IT

Your CyberHood Watch Partner

Bill Wardell

 
Radio Security Journalist

© 2006 – 2012 CyberHood Watch® Blog

[Think IT Won't Happen To You? Safety For Our Children!]

Go to The CyberHood Watch on iTunes to listen to over 400 world-wide professionals & experts helping parents everywhere, by Keeping Our Children Safe online, click below to learn how-to protect yourself!!!

2012 New Year’s Resolutions It may be a new year, but the fight against drunk driving is still as imperative as ever.  So now, at this time of the year, a time of new beginnings, we are recommitting ourselves to making an impact in the fight against drunk driving and saving lives in 2012. This year, we resolve to: Serve 65,000 victims of drunk and drugged driving, as well as recruit additional volunteer victim advocates across the country to serve even more victims.  You can help becoming a MADD victim advocate or by spreading the word about MADD’s victim support services. Continue introducing new legislation to states that currently do not require convicted drunk drivers to use ignition interlock devices, and introduce legislation creating enhanced penalties for adults who drive drunk with children in the car.  Join us by going to the policy action site to email your legislators to take action. Equip more parents with the tools they need to talk with their teens about alcohol and expand our parent outreach, through schools during PowerTalk21® and Red Ribbon Week, to more than 65,000 parents.   Download our free parent handbook and share it with other parents you know that may want to start the conversation with their kids about alcohol. Walk Like MADD® with more than 20,000 walkers and raise at least 2.5 million dollars to help in our fight to eliminate drunk driving.  Get involved and make a difference by registering for a Walk in your community at www.walklikemadd.org. What are some of your resolutions?  Share them on Facebook.

Thanks to good folks @MADD for providing this great information, insights and facts to help US to protect our family members!!

Learn IT, DO IT, Teach IT, Share IT, BE IT

Your CyberHood Watch Partner

Bill Wardell

 
Radio Security Journalist

© 2006 – 2012 CyberHood Watch® Blog

[MADD Messenger: 2012 New Year's Resolution!]

Go to The CyberHood Watch on iTunes to listen to over 350 world-wide professionals & experts helping parents everywhere, by Keeping Our Children Safe online, click below to learn how-to protect yourself!!!

Last week I was thinking about one of our first and favorite guests on CHWR and how much she had grown over the past three years. We are so proud and happy for Vanessa, her success, and her continued support, work and dedication to the youth and their relationship with mom and dad. Vanessa has created a wonderful system that she calls Radical Parenting… here is last weeks CHW post about Vanessa.

Back to great cyber minds thinking alike I blogged about her website and all the great things she had accomplished and lo and behold I checked my email and she had sent me a personal note about her new book, and asked if I would share this with our audience and help spread this wonderful message! So, my answer was a 100% yes. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn what your teens are really thinking and going through in this new digital age!

Click cover to get your copy:

Anyone especially parents of teenagers, should get a copy of this wonderful book!! See what others are saying; A Parenting Book… written by Kids! By Vanessa Van Petten, creator of RadicalParenting.com and author of the parenting book, “Do I Get My Allowance Before or After I’m Grounded?”
(www.radicalparenting.com/books-and-products/book-youre-grounded/)

When I was 16 I thought it was my Dad’s goal in life to make me miserable. I was convinced that he had a running list of all the ways he could embarrass me in front of my friends, trick me into doing more chores or make my curfew earlier.

Our relationship would have continued to devolve until one day I saw my Dad reading a parenting book. I flipped through it while my Dad was in the bathroom and realized a lot of the things he did that drove me crazy he was getting right out of this book! I looked at the other parenting books on our shelves and realized that they were all written by adults. I wondered—has anyone ever asked teens to write to their parents?

I decided to build a website where teens could answer questions and write to parents called RadicalParenting.com. I couldn’t believe how quickly it grew and how happy both teens were to get their voices out and parents were to have a new outlet for connecting with their kids! We now have over 120 teen writers who give advice.

Teenagers, when given a neutral space LOVE talking to parents and often offer some of the best insight because they are going through it themselves. We have also be so excited to help parents who feel like they cannot reach their kids and teens.

I think teens and parents can work together to overcome their differences and learn to work best together. We have just come out with our book: Do I Get My Allowance Before or After I’m Grounded and it is a radical approach to parenting because it is written from the kid’s perspective! We would love for you to check it out—if you are brave enough to see what kids have to say!

Here is what Publisher’s Weekly had to say:

“Van Petten, founder of the popular Web site RadicalParenting.com, offers parents a candid view of the contemporary teen’s world in this eye-opening text. Van Petten uses actual stories about teens and their often anxious, angry, or befuddled parents to introduce each chapter. Pointing out that she is neither a parent nor a teen (nor a doctor, therapist, or counselor), the college-grad author has nevertheless earnestly investigated her subject and includes current research on teens as well as hundreds of “real quotes, interviews, e-mails and advice from actual teens.” Van Petten explores a variety of timely subjects, including peer relationships, teen/parent communication, bullying, technology, and “risky business” (smoking, drinking, sex, and more). Her outlook on technology and “Internet savvy” is particularly incisive, emphasizing not only the hazards of “time-suck” activities (i.e., Facebook, chatting on IM, and texting) but also the many social and academic benefits of the digital universe. Like a crafty spy, Van Petten comfortably segues from parent to teen perspective, and while noting that each adolescent is unique, she skillfully opens doors to the collective teen psyche. “
–Publishers Weekly

Vanessa Van Petten is one of the nation’s youngest experts, or ‘youthologists’ on parenting and adolescents. She now runs her popular parenting website, RadicalParenting.com, which she writes with 120 other teenage writers to answer questions from parents and adults. Her approach has been featured by CNN, Fox News, and Wall Street Journal. She was also on the Real Housewives of Orange County helping the housewives with troubled teens. Her next book, “Do I Get My Allowance Before or After I’m Grounded?” is being released in September 2011 with Plume Books of Penguin USA.
(www.radicalparenting.com/books-and-products/book-youre-grounded/)

Learn IT, DO IT, Teach IT, Share IT, BE IT

Your CyberHood Watch Partner

Bill Wardell

 
Radio Security Journalist

© 2006 – 2011 CyberHood Watch®

Author: Joanna

The problem with children is that they get hurt. This is one of the basic truths of growing up; there is no avoiding the fact that at some point in a child’s life he or she will suffer some sort of injury or disease. No matter what a parent does will prevent that, but that does not mean that any good parent will stop trying. However, there are some ways that a parent can ensure that their kids will not be laid up for too long and will have proper insurance.

Four Insurance Tips for Proper Protection

1. Make sure that coverage is up to date.
2. Make sure that child has regular check-ups and immunizations.
3. Make sure that proper safety gear is worn at all times.
4. Make sure that proper training is available.

Maintaining Protection

Making sure that health insurance coverage is up to date should be pretty obvious. However, there is one small wrinkle here: The child may not always be covered. As children grow up, some insurance carriers charge different rates for children than for adults. An example of this is car insurance; most carriers have noticed that teenagers tend to have the lion’s share of accidents due to the lack of experience and excess of exuberance. Some carriers allow for a family rate, but others charge extra for teen drivers. Another potential issue is that there may be a age limit before a child must get his own policy. In short, make sure that the child is covered and do not be afraid to ask questions if that somehow changes.

Maintaining the Child

As part of this maintenance, the child should be getting regular check-ups and all immunizations should be up to date. This will help make sure that illnesses will be limited in effect, and that most simply will be prevented from happening. At the same time other illnesses will be detected, usually in time to be treated. One of the biggest advantages of insurance is that, not only are accidents easier to deal with, preventive measures are also cheaper; by taking advantage of this, health costs can be lowered, and any cost being lowered is always a good thing. A child with a healthy relationship with his doctor is usually a healthy child.

Prevention is Always Cheaper

The proper safety equipment for any task always makes that task easier and safer. The same applies to protection gear for any sport; not only is the athlete protected against most injuries, but he also has greater confidence in what he can do.

This applies off the field as well, especially to skateboarders.

The problem will always be teaching them this, as kids like using their reflexes more than their toughness, thinking that helmets and pads slow them down. Parents need to teach them better than that; the proper safety gear is not necessarily a hindrance.

Training Prevents Injuries

Helmets and safety pads prevent injuries. This is just the beginning, as training is also required. In most martial arts, the student learns how to fall in order to prevent injuries later on. As the student learns more ways to attack, he also learns more ways to absorb impacts. The same applies to sports; in football one does not learn just to deal damage, but how to absorb and resist the shock of an attack. This training helps prevent damage as the child is better able to anticipate where damage may come from and thus prevent or at least minimize damage.

This idea of proper training applies to tools and vehicles as well. Although there is no way to prevent all accidents from happening, it is possible to limit them through making sure that the child knows how to properly use, maintain, and put away whatever he uses. Using the proper safety equipment, such as goggles, should be emphasized. All of this training and protective gear, combined with proper insurance, will help to insure that the child is not only less likely to get injured, but that if he is injured he can be taken care of. Also, make sure that the children’s school safety regulations are correctly written!

Don’t Forget This

Guarding a child against disease or injury is virtually impossible. This is not to say that constant vigilance is a bad thing, just that parents need to keep in mind that any environment carries the possibility of injury or illness. There are a number of ways of dealing with the possibility; making sure that the child is covered by insurance is probably one of the best ways, as it allows for the possibility of dealing with any problems that develop. Insurance not only deals with the majority of things that kids find themselves in, but it also makes parents feel a little better as well.

Learn IT, DO IT, Teach IT, Share IT, BE IT

Your CyberHood Watch® Partners

Dave Ballard & Bill Wardell

Radio Security Journalists

© 2006 – 2011 CyberHood Watch®

As a parent trying to keep your teen out of trouble, you may have covered all of the bases by now by monitoring television, friends, and even computer time. But have you talked with your teen about the dangers of “sexting“?

Sexting is the newest teen trend that presents a variety of dangers to both teens and their parents. Of course, teens text often to their friends, and as a parent, you may have a difficult time getting your teen’s texting habit under control. You are likely aware by now about the dangers of texting and driving for teens and adults alike, but it is important to take it a step further as a parent and monitor exactly what your teen may be sending via text message to friends or strangers.

Studies have confirmed that one in five teens from ages 13 to 15 have received or sent a text message that contains inappropriate text or images.

While it may be perfectly fine for your teen to send a picture of her new dress to a few girlfriends, where do you draw the line to prevent her from sending images to friends that are much more inappropriate? Not only is this type of sexting detrimental to your teen’s emotional health, but it could get her in trouble with her school and the law.

As a parent hoping to prevent sexting, the first thing that you must do is to be informed. By understanding how your teen’s specific model of cell phone works, you will be able to review any images that are sent and check the phone bill for strange numbers.

Even more importantly, open the lines of communication about sexting. Teens are in an experimental phase, but if your teen does not understand how seriously dangerous sexting is, then she may be tempted to try it. As a parent, you must first emphasize that these scandalous images should be kept private to protect your teen’s emotional health, and on top of that, sexting is also illegal. If a minor is caught with inappropriate images, they could be charged with child pornography, even if they are the subject of the picture.

Even a small act like passing around inappropriate pictures of others could be a type of bullying that may be punishable by law. If your teen is a participant in a sexting activity, she could be in danger of punishment through both school and state or federal law.

It is our responsibility as parents to open the lines of communication about sexting. Not only does sexting put your teen at risk of legal trouble, but it will also leave her vulnerable to emotional issues like depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.

About the Author:

Bethany Ramos is an expert in social media and Internet marketing that co-owns her own business, The Coffee Bump. For a great selection of the Bodum french press, check out Bethany Ramos’ website today!

NO… Monday MADDness Today!! Just Great GLADDnes to know that; The CHW Partners Dave and Bill are as COOL, as MATT Lauer…

Or maybe, Matt is as COOL… as Dave & Bill

Enough Is Enough (EIE) President Donna Rice Hughes will join the TODAY Show Monday morning, March 7th at approximately 8:15am to discuss parenting in the digital age with NBC’s Matt Lauer.

As an Internationally known Internet safety advocate, expert and author, Donna has championed EIE’s mission to make the Internet safer for children and families since 1994. Under her leadership and vision, EIE created the Internet Safety 101 program with the U.S. Department of Justice and other partners.

Donna is also the Executive Producer, host and instructor of the Internet Safety 101 DVD teaching series, the cornerstone element of the Internet Safety 101 program, which educates, equips and empowers, parents, educators and other caring adults with the knowledge and resources needed to protect the children under their care from online dangers.

Listen to the interview that we did on: 01/12/2010 with Donna Rice Hughes last year, or just [click play] below.

Donna Rice Hughes, joined Dave and Bill The CHW Partners, to share her experiences and thoughts about The Internet Safety 101: Empowering Parents Program… and EIE goals for 2010!

You can see what EIE posted about, Enough Is Enough President Donna Rice Hughes featured on CHWR: InternetSafety101.org

Are you prepared to protect your kids from “The Perfect Storm”?

Watch Enough Is Enough’s (EIE) “Perfect Storm” video on YouTube
to learn how you can become educated, equipped and empowered to protect your children from the dangers online to they can enjoy a safe, educational and rewarding experience in the digital world.

Learn IT, DO IT, Teach IT, Share IT, BE IT

Your CyberHood Watch Partner

Bill Wardell

Radio Security Journalist

© 2007 – 2011 CyberHood Watch

In these modern days, there are a variety of avenues for keeping in touch with family and friends. Social networking sites such as Facebook, Multiply and the likes are popular sites wherein one can keep in touch with family and friends and also a site to gain more friends.

What are the effects of these social networking sites to the children? Adults use these sites to keep in touch and even for business. With just a click the mouse, people can keep track of their otherwise long lost acquaintances.

Children too use these sites to keep in touch with friends and meet new ones. The problem with children using these sites is that a total stranger who could do harm could potentially gain the trust of a child and thus take advantage over him. We are all familiar with the old adage “Don’t talk to strangers”.

In social networking sites, this adage is seldom followed. A child could innocently interact with a stranger through the use of his computer thus exposing himself to potential risk. This danger is not new; even the law enforcers in other countries acknowledge it as a threat prompting them to create special units just to track down sexual predators on line.

There are many cases where a child fell prey to these predators just because they entertained those seemingly innocent personal messages of the sexual predator.

If there are dangers in using these social networking sites, benefits can also be derived in using these sites, especially for children. For one children at a young age become exposed in using the computer, promoting computer literacy. Children also are being introduced to new cultures since many people from different cultures interact, using these sites.

The world practically became smaller due to the internet and these social networking sites. Children may learn new languages and other things that they would not learn readily form their classrooms. Interaction with among peers became easier.

True to all new things, social networking sites can do more good than harm to children if the child is properly monitored and guided by adults. This is the only way to ensure that child reaps the benefits of this medium of communication.

About the author:

G.S. Lacdao is a freelancer who writes for Special Education Parents Action Community where you can find information about education for children with special needs, and share stories with other members via the online forum.

Dear Cyberparents,

This is our recommendation to you and all concerned parents everywhere that Yoursphere is a fantastic platform for kids and teens alike. It’s especially great for parents because you can rest assured that the team at Yoursphere is protecting your children day in and day out!

Read the story here: www.sfgate.com/

The best part is, that as a parent you are involved in registering your child, they are not allowed to register without their parents. This is a great protective measure to make sure parents know what social networks their children belong too.

Yoursphere is the place for you kids… not Facebook!

Learn IT, DO IT, Teach IT, Share IT, BE IT

Your CyberHood Watch TEAM

Radio Security Journalists

© 2007 – 2011 CyberHood Watch

What Should You Do If You Think Your Child Is Being Cyberbullied?

The answer comes to us via one of our most favorite & influential guests to be on CHWR in the past 3 years… Vanessa Van Petten…

Cyberbullying is a major problem for teens and kids. In this video Vanessa explains what parents can do if they think their child is being cyberbullied. Great advice for parents everywhere!

Vanessa Van Petten, youthologist and teen author of the parenting book “You’re Grounded!,” manages RadicalParenting.com, a parenting blog written by 119 teen writers, ages 12-20 to help parents and adults get an honest and open view into the world and mind of youth. Van Petten’s work and blog have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Teen Vogue, CNN, Fox News, Real Housewives of Orange County and much more! She won the Moms Choice Award in 2009 and her work is read by over 300,000 adults. get more info…

Vanessa talks the talk and walks the walk… make sure to get her 2 books and make them a part of your families education of the internet issues (Cyber Security) facing your children, and also raising children in this new (Digital Age) 21st century generation gap

More great articles and resources for: CyberBullying

Learn IT, DO IT, Teach IT, Share IT, BE IT

Your CyberHood Watch Partner

Bill Wardell

Radio Security Journalist

photo courtesy of Eddie~S via Flickr
Another middle-aged client presented today with chronic anxiety related to bullying she experienced in elementary school. I am amazed at how frequently clients report some experience of bullying in their past that continues to affect them even 30 or 40 years later.
I almost wrote about this issue after the Rutgers student took his life in September. Unfortunately, bullying seems to have increased among teens aged 12-18, according to recent polls. Increases may be related to the ease of taunting one another in cyberspace where people can hide behind their LCD screens. More than half of 15-16 year olds say they have experienced cyberbullying. But, frankly, I am often astonished by the cruelty being exchanged on Facebook by adults my age and older.
Who becomes a bully? A recent study at DePaul University found that kids who felt they were being arbitrarily punished at home were more likely to become bullies. Ironically, studies suggest bullies are not suffering low self-esteem. Often the bullies turn out to be kids that have popularity, intelligence, and a drive for power and status. Similarly, the kids that get picked on are often not the “nerdy”, “fat”, or so-called “different” kids. As Rachel Simmons wrote in her book “Odd Girl Out,” the girls who got picked on were usually girls perceived as being smarter, prettier, or more athletic than the bully.
On the other hand, there does seem to be an increase in bullying toward homosexual young people. The incident with the Rutgers student really brought this to light. Fortunately, this incident also seemed to promote more public advocacy for this population. Dan Savage’s “It Gets Better” video campaign has received over a million hits, inspiring straight and gay people all over the world. Even the federal government has gotten involved by holding the first anti-bullying summit in August and setting funds aside for anti-bullying programs in schools.
However, experts on bullying behavior like Izzy Kalman believe anti-bullying programs are the wrong approach. Dr. Kalman states, “… Anti-bullying” policies that turn a school into a totalitarian police state in which it is a crime for kids to upset each other will intensify the bullying problem… What I am interested in is victims and victim behavior. When I teach you how not to be a victim, no one can bully you. You don’t have to wait for society to get rid of bullies for you to become happy.”
Perhaps we can use Izzy Kalman and Dan Savage’s example by using cyberspace to build up immunity to bullying and judgmental behaviors. One of the things I love about Dr. Connelly’s philosophy in RRT is that we promote the resilience of the client. That’s what I did with my client today. She said it never occurred to her to recognize the strength and creativity she demonstrated through the bullying incidents. Instead of focusing on old feelings of fear, she left the session voicing increased awareness of her fortitude.
What do you think is the best response toward bullying and cyberbullying behaviors? Support anti-bullying programs? Build up immunity to bullying? I think ideally it will have to be some combination of the two. Let me know your thoughts!

Todays Guest ROCKED the CyberHood Watch… by telling us that most adults and all teenagers do NOT understand enough to be using social media and some of the longstanding implicattions of sharing your personal INFO with others and the world…

Listen to the frist 30 minutes of the show… it BLOW you away!!

As, parents you need to know what Raj Goel has to say aobut using Facebook, Twitter, Gmail and other social networks like 4square and MySpace!!!

He has over 25 years experince in the IT world, and people listen when he speaks, also you check out some of his Slidecast Presentations here:

Goel is also a cyber forensics expert serving the needs of attorneys and forensic accountants. He conducts information security liability audits and IT valuations as well as tracking down and evaluating digital evidence. He is an experienced pre-trial consultant and expert witness in matrimonial proceedings, wrongful-termination suits, and in criminal defense matters.

He also has over 20 years of experience in software development, systems integration, network communications, and eCommerce applications for the legal, financial, banking, insurance, real estate, healthcare, and pharmaceutical industries.

Goel has been a featured speaker at the New York State Society of CPAs, New York Health Information Management Association, New York State CyberSecurity Conference, InfoSecurity Toronto, Credit Interchange Association, New York County Lawyers’ Association, and a host of other conferences. He has also been the featured presenter in Webinars for Brighttalk Security Summit (“Trends in Financial Crime”), the ICS2 Security Series (“Staying Compliant in a Rapidly Changing World”), Citibank (“Are You Googling Your Privacy Away”), and other companies.

He has authored numerous articles, his most recent being: “Trends in Financial Crimes,” and “Are You Googling Your Corporate Privacy and Security Away,” for InfoSecurity Magazine, plus a monthly “Ask the Technologist” column for Commercial Property News.

For more information about Raj and Brainlink you can go here:

Thanks again Raj for sharing your time with us today, and you’re welcome back anytime to the CyberHood Watch…

Learn IT, DO IT, Teach IT, Share IT

Your CyberHood Watch Partner

Bill Wardell

p.s. check out the press release we were talking about today, on the last half hour of the show here: CyberHood Watch in the News, about Pocket Porn!!