Australian Teacher Fired for Sexting 15-Year-Old Student

December 12, 2011 1 Comment

Jeffrey Stanley Hughes of Australia had his teacher registration canceled by the Queensland Civil Administration Tribunal earlier this month for sexting a 15-year-old student.

The investigation looked into the 39-year-old teacher’s relationship with a female student whom he had been assigned by the school to help through some difficult family issues. The student had also babysat for Hughes and his wife three times.

Hughes and the girl exchanged over 1,000 text messages a month, which included inappropriate content and plans for a sexual relationship. Friends of the girl also reported seeing the two kiss three times.

The teacher will have his teacher registration revoked and will be ineligible to reapply for registration for three years. After that time he may reapply to teach in public school again.

These types of issues are hitting the news on what seems to be a regular basis and it underscores the important of parents staying engaged with what our kids are doing online and on their mobile phone. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with tips for preventing sexting and be sure to talk to your kids early and often about making safer, smarter choices. It is better to have the discussion too many times versus not enough.

 

Filed under Legal, Sexting, Text Messaging Tagged with , ,

LG Text Education Program for Parents

February 4, 2011 Leave a Comment

This post originally appeared on www.kidsafe.me.

In December at an FCC conference in Washington, D.C., the LG Text Education program got recent attention. So I thought I’d check it out.

Usually I’m dubious about corporate-sponsored campaigns that are supposedly for the “public good.” After all, LG is a mobile phone manufacturer and their motivation is to sell their products and services, not protect our kids’ best interests.

But in this case, I’m pretty impressed. The focus of the year-old LG Text Education program is to educate parents about what is going on with their kids, digitally speaking.
Of it’s mission, LG says that “by becoming more informed through the LG Text Ed program, we all can enjoy the benefits of this new connectedness in a positive and safe way.”

LG draws from a council of credentialed child behavioral experts and uses charismatic actress/comedian Jane Lynch as its spokesman. The text ed program provides a balanced look at the risks posed by texting and how it fits into modern family life.

The program is not about how to react to the texting phenomenon affecting teens, but about understanding texting from the inside out and approaching it as an informed parent – the ultimate goal, in my opinion, being parental rules that are influenced by knowledge rather than fear of the unknown.

Above all, parents are encouraged to text with their kids and be educated about text acronyms, sexting, mobile bullying, excessive texting, text rage, and texting while driving. There’s no better parent than an informed parent to make rules, judgments, and decisions about their tween or teen’s texting habits.

by Jenny Evans

Filed under Mobile, Text Messaging Tagged with , , , , , ,

Teen Texting While Driving

January 31, 2011 1 Comment

Around 50% of teens admit to texting while driving, and that’s a really scary thought for parents who have a new driver in the house.

Teens are already the riskiest class of drivers. They are inexperienced, exhibit slower reaction times, and often aren’t paying attention to much other than the car in front of them. Teens also think they are invincible, not imagining that unsafe behavior can hurt them or someone else.

Add texting into the mix, and it’s a deadly combination. Texting while driving is even more dangerous than drinking while driving – yet many teens who would never drive drunk are occasionally or regularly texting behind the wheel.

It’s vital that your teen understands the true risks of texting while driving when the big 1-6 arrives. Consider drawing up a contract where your teen pledges not to use their cell phone while driving, under penalty of getting their driving privileges revoked by you.

Also important: be a good role model. Adults regularly text and drive, too. Don’t be one of them. Teach kids – both by word and by example – to put their phone in an inaccessible place while driving and to practice saying “Can you get that?” to a passenger in the car when they receive a text they’re just dying to read.

When your teen is distracted by reading or sending a text, he or she is much more likely to make a deadly mistake like running a red light or drifting over the center line. Any text your teen could possibly read or type is not worth putting their own life (and the lives of everyone else on the road) on the line.

Consider watching this video from AT&T with your kids to start the conversation about texting while driving:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DebhWD6ljZs

This post was contributed by Jenny Evans and originally appeared on www.kidsafe.me.

Filed under Teens, Text Messaging Tagged with ,

Is Late-Night Texting Interfering with Your Teen’s Sleep?

January 28, 2011 1 Comment

Does your teen have to check her phone the second a text comes in, no matter what she’s doing? Does texting regularly interrupt mealtime and homework time? Does it seem like your teen is constantly “on call”? If so, have you considered the impact texting may be having on her sleep?

Night Texting and Sleep Requirements

Healthy teenagers actually need more sleep than elementary school children: about 9.5 hours per night. But for teens struggling with a texting addiction, getting adequate sleep at night may be a serious challenge.

Your teen’s obsession with checking texts the second they are received doesn’t turn off after lights-out, and plenty of their friends are still awake texting them after hours.

Signs of Sleep Deprivation

Sleep-deprived teens may become listless, moody, or irritable. They may have trouble staying awake all day, begin failing in school, or complain of headaches or feeling physically weak. You may also notice physical changes, such as dark undereye circles and yawning.

Long-Term Consequences of Sleep Deprivation

The effects of prolonged sleep deprivation range from general crankiness to migraines and more serious health problems such as type II diabetes and hypertension.

Inadequate sleep also makes for dangerous drivers and poor report cards.

What to Do About a Night Texting Addiction

If you suspect that your teen is texting all night at the expense of a good night’s sleep, take a look at the phone bill. It will show the time of each text, so you’ll know whether they’re texting when they’re supposed to be sleeping.

The biggest thing parents can do to help their kids get some sleep is to remove the phone from their bedroom at night. Keep it downstairs and turned off, or keep it in your room. Your kids are sure to dislike the new rule, but they’ll get used to it.

Your kids didn’t like it when they were toddlers and they probably won’t like it now, but parents need to set limits. If a child’s late-night texting is having an ill effect on them, then putting an end to it is in their best interest.

This post was contributed by Jenny Evans and originally appeared on www.kidsafe.me.

Filed under Text Messaging Tagged with , , ,

Text Lingo Every Parent Should Know

July 17, 2010 1 Comment

Whether we’re talking about text lingo, friending people online or the pictures our kids post online, the best tool to minimize risky behavior online is our active involvement.  Most children, teens included, say that their parents are the strongest influence over the decisions they make.

But even kids that have active parents make mistakes and sometimes we have to protect our kids from other people.  Therefore it is important that you are at least familiar with some of the text lingo terms that would indicate your child could be headed for trouble.  Here is a small sample:

Text LingoAt KidSafe we regularly hear from parents that said they simply couldn’t remember the thousands of text lingo terms currently being used by kids.  KidSafe automatically translates text lingo into a language parents can understand and then our advance parental intelligence system will notify you if inappropriate, dangerous or suspicious behaviors or people are identified in your child’s digital world. We would love your feedback on the service so take a moment to create an account and tell us what you think.

Add to: Facebook | Digg | Del.icio.us | Stumbleupon | Reddit | Blinklist | Twitter | Technorati | Yahoo Buzz | Newsvine

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Tim Woda is a passionate advocate for protecting children from today’s scariest digital dangers – cyberbullying, sexting and predators. He co-founded KidSafe, is the author of Keeping Kids Safe: A Guide for Parents of Social and Mobile Children and is a frequent public speaker on the topic.

Filed under General, Mobile, Sexting, Text Messaging Tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

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