Kids and teens spend a lot of time online establishing their internet identities. But it’s important to remember that what you post online can be viewed by anyone. Teachers, coaches, college admissions offices, or potential employers might be your scanning your profile to get a sense of who you are.

So how do you decide what information is ok to post? The folks at Net Smartz have some good advice to help.

• Don’t post any pictures, videos or information that you might regret later.
• Think before posting anything. Who might see this? What will they think?
• Use privacy settings to control access to what you post. This can help prevent cyberbullies and predators from gaining access to your personal information.
• Think about how fast information can move from one place to another when people forward via e-mail, IM, or texts. And once it gets out there, you may never have a chance to take it back.

The AMW Safety Center has a lot of information you can share with your teens, to help make sure they stay in control of their online reputations. And check out the Net Smartz Workshop for more tips.

More and more, DNA evidence is playing a larger role in solving cases. Whether used to link a suspect to evidence in a crime, in child ID kits, or collected after sexual assault, this 21st century fingerprint gives law enforcement some accurate information that can help bring you much closer to getting justice.

Which is why collecting DNA during fingerprinting after a felony arrest could be so important in helping to keep our communities safer. With many crimes committed by repeate offenders, this practice could help your state catch criminals sooner. DNA Saves is committed to helping to educating the public and law makers on the importance of DNA evidence, and how it helps in fighting crime. Continue reading Help Your State Bring Crimefighting Into The 21st Century »

There have always been crimes fueled by hatred or prejudice, but according to the FBI, it wasn’t really until a generation ago that the term “hate crime” entered our collective vocabulary. At least since the 1920s, the FBI has looked into crimes that appear motivated by bias, including civil rights violations. But hate crimes can extend beyond race or religion, and can include attacks motivated by gender, sexual orientation or even disabilities.

Often, this bullying and violence stems from attitudes learned at a young age. American society is increasingly diverse, and our children are going to encounter people of various ethnicities, cultures, and faiths in school and in the community. An understanding of tolerance for those differences among us is something that will help our children navigate the world around us and help them succeed. As Kid’s Health points out, tolerance is about accepting people for who they are, and treating others the way you would like to be treated. Continue reading Teaching Your Kids Tolerance »

With as much time as we all spend online, the frustration of a computer slowed down by spyware or a virus is probably very familiar. These sinister and invasive applications can range from simply annoying you with advertising, to being completely malicious–they could invade your system, destroy your files, or transmit your personal information to identity thieves.

But some of the latest viruses finding victims today are placing horrendous photos and videos onto your computer. These viruses are able to turn you into an unwitting child pornographer. So instead of malicious software used to target your identity, it’s being used to destroy your reputation. Pedophiles are able to utilize your virus infected computer to store their files without getting caught themselves. The viruses are designed to make it look like the traffic is coming from your computer, potentially landing you in serious trouble. Continue reading Could A Computer Virus Frame You For Child Pornography? »