Internet Safety News
Safe School Web Sites
by Jen Stadler
As districts become more tech savvy, it is not uncommon for schools to publish their own web sites. School web sites can be a source of school spirit, source of pride, and way to recognize student achievements. Also many students enjoy learning web-site development and are rewarded by seeing their work online. But there is a question of safety. Specifically, is it safe to put a child's picture on the Internet?
In an article for eSchool News Online, Special Agent Peter Gulotta, media representative for the Baltimore, Maryland, division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was interviewed on the topic of school web sites. Gulotta works with an undercover FBI operation called "Innocent Images" which investigates and captures online predators and child pornographers. As part of their efforts to stop these crimes, volunteers from Innocent Images, along with local law enforcement, make presentations to teachers and parents.1
Child molesters using the Internet often initiate contact with their victims through online chatrooms, and they later visit school web sites looking for more information about the children they've encountered. The Internet has given child pornographers more sources of children's photographs to "cut-and-paste" for virtual child pornography. "An offender can use a computer to transfer, manipulate, and even create child pornography. With the typical home computer and modem, still images can easily be digitally stored, transferred from print or videotape, and transmitted with each copy being as good as the original"2 Your child's picture, posted on the Internet, could be used or manipulated into child pornography images as easily as it is for pornographers to use the "Save As" tool on their computers. The FBI recommends that schools do not publish any student photographs or personal information, including names or even activity schedules, on school web sites.3
Some educators disagree with this extreme approach, however, and like to publish photographs of students that do not give identifying information. "Students are motivated by seeing themselves on the web that translates into a lot of excitement in the classroom," said Mark Johnson, co-founder of HighWired.com, an Internet company that hosts web sites for schools.4
Many clubs and other organizations publish web sites to encourage creativity, create a sense of identity, and provide recognition to children who have made great accomplishments. In the interest of protecting children, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) created safety guidelines for publishing on the web. The BGCA guidelines specify that no identifiable information be provided on a web site. They advocate never publishing the home address, telephone number, e-mail address, school name, or any other significant identifying information that could be used to locate a child. If pictures are posted, only include the child's first name and possibly the last initial. The same is true of any identifying information related to posting a child's artwork or writing. If there is a special circumstance in which a child's full name is provided online, such as a special award or ceremony, explicit permission must be obtained from the parents or guardian.5
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) offers a guide to teachers concerned with protecting their students' privacy online. The FTC enforces the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, which requires commercial web sites to obtain parental permission before collecting any information from children who are younger than 13. Subject to a school district's policies, teachers may act on behalf of the parent in giving consent to collecting, using, or disclosing personal information about a child on a web site.6 The FTC's guide for teachers provides practical information on how educators can comply with child privacy laws.
NetSmartz recommends not putting any personal information on the Internet, as such information may be used by online predators to identify and track your child. Publishing a child's photograph on any web site can be a risk as the image could be used in creating or distributing child pornography. If your child has a personal web page, NetSmartz recommends against posting the child's photograph on the page. If your child is a member of a group with a web site, photographs of children published online should not be accompanied with identifying information. Group shots are preferable to individual pictures. The group may be identified as "members of the basketball team." Even a first name can be a tool that empowers those who use the Internet to identify and stalk children.
1"FBI Urges Schools to Ban
Web Site Student Photos, But Not All Educators Agree."
Cara Branigan. eSchool News. October 17, 2002, http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=1342&ref=wo.
2Kenneth V. Lanning. Child Molesters: A Behavioral
Analysis. Alexandria, Virginia: National Center for Missing
& Exploited Children. September 2001.
3"FBI Urges Schools to Ban Web Site Student
Photos, But Not All Educators Agree." Cara Branigan.
eSchool News. October 17, 2002, http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=1342&ref=wo.
4Ibid.
5"Protecting Club Members on Boys & Girls
Club Web Sites." Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Draft,
10/21/02.
6How to Protect Kids' Privacy Online: A Guide
for Teachers. Federal Trade Commission. December 12, 2002,
http:www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/online/teachers.htm.
Jen Stadler is an Internet Safety Analyst for the Parents & Educators component of the NetSmartz Workshop® at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children®.
