Superintendent Warns of Consequences of “Sexting” and Encourages Discussion

Brentwood Union School District Superintendent Dana Eaton is encouraging parents to have conversations with their kids about the dangers of “sexting” and use of social media.

As Brentwood police continue to investigate allegations of more than a dozen students from four schools involved in a “sexting” ring by sharing sexually explicit pictures from cellphones, they are looking into a allegation that an Adams Middle School boy possibly coerced a girl into sexual acts on campus—he may face criminal charges.

Schools involved in the investigation include Adams Middle School, Bristow Middle School and Edna Hill Middle School in Brentwood  and Excelsior Middle School in Byron according to a Brentwood Police Press Release. Ages of the students range from 12-to-14 years old.

Eaton says it’s time for parents to become proactive and educate their kids on the dangers of social media. He would like to see them form partnerships with not only the school district, but with the police department as well in terms of better educating youths on the dangers that are out there in today’s word.

“We do not yet have a full understanding of what took place, however, we will talk to the police after the investigation is completed to see what else we can do to reach out to the parents and kids to help prevent this from ever happening again,” said Eaton. “There needs to be a partnership between the schools and parents in preventing this type of behavior.”

As a parent of a middle school student, Eaton admits the “sexting” has him concerned and his attention is finding a way to reach kids about the consequences.

“Kids don’t realize their consequences in a digital world. It’s much different than when we were kids,’ said Eaton. “I am a parent of a middle schooler and I think it’s frustrating that students don’t see the seriousness of what happened. I think that though discipline is the goal for a consequence of an action, our hope is that it’s an opportunity to teach them so they do not make the same mistake again as they get older because the consequences only get bigger.”

Eaton credits the Brentwood Police Department for its outreach and being proactive in educating the community on the dangers of not only social media, but also the danagers of using the internet and how to protect yourself. He also says the school does offer some education, but not on a large scale as the police did in February.

“I want to give credit to the Brentwood Police Department because in the last few months they have offered social media safety to the parents. It was advertised out to all the parents and they have been proactive in education the public,” explained Eaton. “We have online safety training that takes place in the schools from Middle School to High School, but they are reminders in discipline instances.”

Eaton explained that the training provided at the school is in a classroom for their technology class and in one-on-one sessions in disciplinary matters. He admitted he thinks it’s a given that they will give a training at some point in the near future to the students—potentially working with the police department.

Eaton says that he anticipates a discussion about a district wide presentation on internet safety however it’s not yet come up in the 48-hours since the Brentwood Police Press Release was issued. He also plans on working closely with the Brentwood Police Department on any training involved in social media safety.

“I think social media safety training is a given some form of training will occur given the circumstances,” said Eaton. “The consequences are real with real world technology.  We need to educate kids about those consequences.”

The Police Department is currently working with the District Attorney’s Office to submit the cases for review and filing of appropriate criminal charges.

These Tips Were Provided by the Brentwood Police Officers Association on March 6.

*****PROTECTING YOUR KIDS ON SOCIAL MEDIA******

These Tips Were Provided by the Brentwood Police officers Association on March 6 about

With social media being a huge part of our society, there are nearly 2 billion users of social media (Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, and Linkedin). As parents it is tough to monitor everything your child is doing online, with so many avenues to access it (media players, laptops, tablets, and cell phones). The best practice for any parent is to talk to their kids about their usage and teach them good practices. Here are some tips to help parents.

Tip #1: Don’t Be An Ostrich.
Burying your head in the sand just won’t work. Believing “I’m not going to let my child join a social network until…..” isn’t the best tactic to take. If you don’t get involved in steering your child in the right direction then they’ll sign themselves up without you knowing. Check your internet browser history to see what times social media was accessed to see if your child is using it without your permission. Check their wireless devices to see what applications have been downloaded and their browser history.

Tip #2: Know The Rules.
The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a law that protects your child online. It’s against this law for any child under the age of 13 to join social networks like Facebook or MySpace. We never teach our children to lie, so don’t let them lie to join a site.

Tip#3: Not Okay Offline = Not Okay Online.
Mainstream social networks like Facebook are adult intended. Whether it’s the inappropriate photos that are allowed; our personal data being tracked and sold; or the illegal content that is sadly shared, the fact is we wouldn’t knowingly allow our children to be surrounded by these activities so we shouldn’t online.

Tip #4: The Sooner The Better.
Don’t wait until your child says: “I want to join XYZ site.” Start them out early as a member of a kid-centric site that you have researched and feel comfortable with. Social networking will be a part of your child’s life, so make sure you’re involved in helping them make a healthy choice early.

Tip #5: Set Limits.
As with all our kids’ media time, limit it. Make sure they have a healthy dose of outside activities before sitting down to enjoy their social media time. And when they do, limit their screen time.

Tip #6: Dialogue.
Talk to your kids about what they are doing online, and don’t stop talking. It’s important they know you’re interested and involved.

Tip #7: Protect Your Child’s Identity.
Your child’s identity and online safety is immediately at risk if they provide their first and last name, birth date, school, phone number or physical location. A website asking for this information should be a “red flag”. A kids social network that complies with privacy laws – asks for your email for permission, your child’s birth date (to determine if <13), and a desired screen name.

Tip #8: Round Out Your Family Safety Net.
After you’ve set your children up with their age appropriate safety-focused social networking account, be sure to activate the rest of the safety controls across all devices and tools. For starters, safety enable all idevices, Google SafeSearch and YouTube Safety Mode.

Tip #9: The Kids Channels Are Here!
It used to be only ABC, CBS, NBC, then along came cable where suddenly kids could enjoy programming just for them. The same has happened in social media. Networks made specifically for your children, offer kid-specific activities while safety and privacy are key.

The following companies have social media websites built for ages 7-11. Kazaana, Scuttlepad, Everloop, Yoursphere, Giant Hello, Sweety High, and Kidzworld.

Tip #10: Have Fun With Your Kids.
There’s so much exploring, creativity, education and engagement that your children will gain from their social networking experience. Be sure you sit down with your child and enjoy the experience together.

Social media is a great way to keep in touch with family and friends, but it is also the forum for outsiders too. Be careful with who you are sharing information with online. Be safe everyone!