• A-H Home
  • General Information
  • About Anoka-Hennepin
    • About Anoka-Hennepin
    • Enrollment
    • Kindergarten
    • Elementary
    • Middle
    • High School
  • A-H Newsroom
    • A-H Newsroom
    • A-H Newsroom Archive
    • A-H Podcast Network
    • A-H Podcast Network Web version episodes
    • A-H Podcast Network FAQs
    • Backpack Online e-news home
    • Backpack Online archives
    • School e-news & social media
    • Student Opportunities
    • Rumor Alert!
    • Question of the Week
    • Action of the School Board
    • Focus Newsletter
    • Graduate Spotlight
  • Visit Our Schools
    • Find a School
    • Visit Our Schools
    • Enrollment
    • Elementary Schools
    • Middle Schools
    • High Schools
    • Special Programs
    • NorthWest Suburban Integration School District
    • School Report Cards
  • Maps
  • Calendars
    • Calendars
    • School and Program Events Calendar
  • Policies
  • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Rumor Alert!
    • Question of the Week
  • Document Center
  • Special Sections
    • Weather Alerts
    • Report bullying, harassment, discrimination, violence
    • Anti-Bullying/Harassment Task Force
    • Local Literacy Plan
    • Faith and Community Partnership
    • Health, Wellness and Safety
    • GLBT
    • Depression and Suicide Prevention Resources
    • Digital Citizenship and Safety
    • Above and Beyond Award
    • Summer Support
    • State Tests 2011
    • Levy 2011
    • Levy 2011 Team Resource Section
    • Future Focus
  • Special Sections Archive
    • Facility Use Task Force
    • Discovery Team
    • Closing Schools
    • School Transitions
    • Boundary Changes
    • Teacher Outstanding Performance (TOP) Award
    • State Tests 2010
    • Budget 2009-10
    • State Shutdown
    • Middle School Schedule
    • HS Credit Requirement and Schedule Committee
    • Champlin 2010 celebration
    • L.O. Jacob 2010 celebration
    • Park View 2010 celebration
    • Peter Enich 2010 celebration
    • Riverview 2010 celebration
    • Sandburg 2010 celebration
    • Sorteberg 2010 celebration
    • Washington 2010 celebration
    • Flu Update and Health Information
    • Levy Information 2009
    • Levy Team Resource Section 2009
    • Rumor Alert: Levy 2007
DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP & ONLINE SAFETY

How can you be safe online? What does it mean to be a digital citizen?
Being online is second nature for young people today. You should take a minute or two to think about how to keep yourself safe. You probably know more about the technology than your mom, dad or guardian - you should also be the safety expert. You'll need this knowledge for the rest of your life.

USE COMMON SENSE

Just like there's lots of ways to have fun online, there's lots of ways be unsafe. 

Download a virus when you think you're getting smiley-face icons, fall for a scam and give up your mom's credit card number, give a predator your date of birth, etc.

Thankfully, there are things you can do to protect yourself. Get more information here.

YET ANOTHER CYBERBULLYING CAUTION

If you don't know by now, cyberbullying is bullying or harassment that happens online. It can happen in an email, a text message, a game, or on a social networking site. It might involve spreading rumors or images posted on someone's profile or passed around for others to see, or creating a group or page to make a person feel left out.

What do you do if you are being harassed online?
Most importantly, don't respond, bullies usually are looking for a reaction and tell an adult. In addition, save the evidence, such as texts, emails, facebook conversations, etc. Sometimes you can stop bullying if you ignore or block the person. You can also report the abuse to the website where it is taking place. Get more information here.

Don't be a victim or a bully
Sometimes, what you do or say online leads some people to pick on you. If you let your friends take a photo or video of you acting silly - and they post it online, people are probably going to comment that you are, in fact acting weird.

If you post a rude comment about someone or about something someone likes, then don't be surprised if you get back what you have dished out. Think about what you are writing or what's being recorded about you. If it's not something you'd want the whole world to know about, it's probably best to hit delete.

WHERE TO REPORT?

•Tell mom/dad/guardian
• Facebook Bullying
• National Center for Missing Children (e.g. if someone asks to meet you in person)
• Your local police or sheriff
•Still not sure? Talk to a trusted adult at school

SOCIAL NETWORKING TIPS

• Don't share your password with anyone.
• Only accept friend requests from people you know.
• Don't post anything you wouldn't want your parents, teachers, or employer to see.
• Be authentic. The real you is better than anything you might pretend to be.
• Learn about privacy settings, and review them often.

SAFER SOCIAL NETWORKING

If you're collecting Facebook friends like spare change - you could be setting yourself up for trouble. One thoughtless post and that's hundred of people who will share it and spread it. There's no do-overs online so choose your friends wisely. And if you wouldn't say it to your boss or your grandmother, don't say it online. 

If you ever receive hurtful or abusive messages or posts on your profile page you have options. Depending on how serious the situation is, you can ignore it, ask the person to stop, unfriend or block the person, or tell your parents, a teacher, a counselor, or another adult you trust. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect.

Be sure to report abusive content - whether it's on your profile page, or someone else's. You can also report inappropriate pages, groups, events and fake or impostor profiles. (Reporting is confidential, no one will know who made the report.)

ADDITIONAL LINKS
• Digital Citizenship
• NetSmartz
• Netcetera
• Common Sense Media