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It was a sad day in La Grande, Oregon on 28 January. The family of Jadin Bell, took him off life-support and he passed. Who is Jadin Bell? Jadin was a 15-year old high-school sophomore who had tried to commit suicide on 19 January by hanging himself in the playground of Central Elementary school. What may have driven Jadin to take his life?
Safer Internet Day 2012 (SID2012) serves as great opportunity to remind ourselves of the need to exercise a bit of caution as we traverse the wired side of life. What impresses me the most is the multi-lingual, multi-topic approach taken to spread the message of how to stay safe online.
There are days when you read a piece in the news and shake your head in disbelief. That was the case yesterday when I read of a couple (Anthony Wayne Hart, 47 and his wife Kathy Lee Hart, 43) indicteded in Madison County, Virginia on charges of “human traffiicking” of their daughters. The grand jury indictment read, “arranging for their 13 and 14-year-old daughters to provide companionship and affection to male individuals in exchange for money and goods …” The incidents took place between 10 October 2009 and 24 February 2011.
Human Trafficking, News
In David Schwimmer’s TRUST, the teenage character Annie finds herself the subject of great deal of unwanted and undeserved attention by her high school classmates in a manner in which constituted to all would be unacceptable and falls within the realm of cyberbullying (as the bullying occurred using online media). We all have encountered instances where those who did not conform or who had experienced something not of the ordinary come under undo scrutiny and are isolated for the experience by their peers. The scrutiny often times manifests itself into ridicule, sarcasm or insults as those who are observing from afar attempt to differentiate and exclude themselves from the experience.
In David Schwimmer’s TRUST, bad things happen to Annie, a good child. She is by all appearances a typical teenager – totally wired, online and available, 24/7/365. In the physical world, parents see with whom their child interacts. As the parents witness this interaction they are able to help guide and influence their child’s choices. The number one rule for every family: “The child must not engage in any personal meetings with an individual whom they have only met online without explicit parental permission.”
Bully Bullying Cyberbullying Bullycide – These four words continue to appear with ever greater frequency in the lexicon of the modern American family. We hear these words on the evening news, in our newspapers, and online in all forums. We live in 2011, but to see how we treat one and other from afar, you’d think perhaps the calendar had rolled back a few centuries. You see – individuals be they young or not-so-young are bullied both at school and at work. The tragedy is, our youth of today, by and large are not prepared for today’s always-on world, even though they live it 24/7. The fact that in 2010 we lost 34 children where bullying was a principal issue in their decision to end their lives speaks volumes. There were 33 who committed suicide. Then there was one young man who was killed while trying to extricate his sibling from two bullies who were pummeling his sibling, he was shot and killed. Each of them has a story, I share these…
Kudos to the American Bar Association (ABA) for amending and adopting their resolution 107A which urges “… federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local officials, to prevent and remediate the existence and dangers of bullying, including cyberbullying and youth-to-youth sexual and physical harassment.” In my view this is very much a step in the right direction…
If we are able to collectively work together, we can save a life, we can save many lives and in doing so we will demonstrate to the children, every day is worth living.
… in 2010, by my count, 30 children ranging in age from 9-19 took their own lives as they were unable to cope with the bullying which they were being subjected. These families who lost their child …
A question which every parent should be asking themselves, “How does my child access the internet?” “With whom is my child engaging?” The array of answers may startle you. So make no assumptions. Why does it matter? Knowing how your child accesses the internet and with whom they are engaging are the first steps in crafting an online safety plan for your child. I have said it before and will repeat, our family is our responsibility.
The following appeared in the Canadian online magazine Security Matters: Location Based Services: Do you know where your data is? Do you know where your data is? By Christopher Burgess Everywhere you look, retailers and other entities are offering to collect your data using one of the many location-based services available to collate your whereabouts ...
No doubt you are aware of the tragic loss of life which occurred in Cooperstown, North Dakota late last week, when 16 year old Cassidy Joy Andel, posted a disquieting message upon her Facebook page, “My time has come, and so I’m gone. To a better place, far beyond,” and then took her life, she ...
Were you aware that hunger, food insecurity is one of the root causes of individuals finding themselves victimized by Human Traffickers? You might be asking yourself how is this possible. In urban and rural situations both within the United States and abroad the number of families living under the poverty level continue to increase. In the United ...
On 15 September, the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security conducted a hearing on ”Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking” in the United States. (NB: A minor in the United States is an individual under the age of 18.) On ongoing issue in the United States which every year touches over 100,000 children. The sex trafficking and exploitation of ...
In the United States there are programs within the public school systems to assist children with reduced resources to be able to have a light meal cum snack before school and a reduced price lunch during school. When the child goes home, they eat what is placed on the table which if they are fortunate their parent/guardian will prepare, but as often as not, they themselves must prepare. What if there isn’t any food at home? The child goes hungry? Not if there is a Backpack Program.
Hunger, NewsBreakfast is the meal which energizes us for the day. Unfortunately, not all in the United States have the means to provide their families with this all important meal. One in six families are food insecure in the United States – 300,000,000+ is our population, that means 50,000,000 citizens worry about their breakfast. Did you ...
Hunger, NewsI recently spoke at an event in Seattle on the security aspects of Social Media, both from the business and personal perspective. One question which I fielded surrounded whether or not there is risk to children via the various social media networks (i.e., Facebook) or should one accept that if someone really wants to hurt ...
News, Online Safety, Safety & SecurityJon Carmichael was a 13-year-old eighth grade student from Joshua, Texas who took his own life in late March 2010. Jon hung himself in his parents barn. He had been bullied at school.
BullyingKimberly Linczeski was a 12-year-old sixth grader who attended Ontonagon Area Junior-Senior High School in Ontonagon village, Michigan. She took her own life on 3 March 2010.
BullyingMontana Lance was a nine-year old fourth grader when he took his life in the nurses station restroom at Stewart Creek elementary school in The Colony, Texas in January 2010.
BullyingAuthor, Speaker, Humanitarian, Leader, Senior Security Advisor
My focus is on Safety, Security, Intelligence, Intellectual Property and Humanitarian issues.
I place particular emphasis on the protection of both the young and the elderly of our society.
You may contact me directly via:
Christopher@BurgessCT.com
