Enough Is Enough® 2008: A Year in Review
The following highlights EIE's accomplishments in 2008. EIE continues to "Make the Internet Safer for Children and Families", employing a three-pronged, preventative approach to: (1) raise public awareness and educate the public on Internet safety; (2) advise and encourage the technology industry to implement viable technology solutions and family-friendly corporate policies; and (3) promote legal solutions by calling for aggressive enforcement of existing laws and enactment of new laws to stop the exploitation and victimization of our children online.
PUBLIC AWARENESS AND EMPOWERMENT
Internet Safety 101®: Empowering Parents
The five-part Internet Safety 101® DVD and accompanying workbook equip and empower parents, guardians and educators to protect the children under their care by delivering a dynamic message about Internet threats and safety solutions. Individuals or groups of any size can host Internet safety meetings without the need for an Internet safety expert or trained facilitator.
- EIE filmed 26 offsite interviews in high-definition film with parents, teens, rescued victims of online exploitation, law enforcement, field experts, Internet industry leaders, clinicians and psychologists, capturing the most critical Internet safety information through testimony, tips and advice to educate and equip parents to protect children online.
- EIE worked with Bonnemaison Inc., an award-winning production team--representing more than twenty years of industry experience, knowledge and skills--to create the most poignant, compelling Internet Safety program on the market, developing graphics; scripting and editing testimonial footage; and filming a five-camera, high-definition live teaching led by EIE President Donna Rice Hughes.
- EIE authored the Internet Safety 101® workbook to accompany the Internet Safety 101® DVD. The workbook also provides: extensive information about EIE-recommended partner and sponsor Internet safety resources, products and tools; small group discussion questions; "How Cyber-Savvy are You?" quizzes; threat-specific warning signs; parent-focused "Rules of Engagement"; and, reproducible and supplemental materials for tailored use.
- EIE developed a comprehensive Internet Safety 101® power point presentation for law enforcement and field trainer use, based on the fundamental Internet safety principles--basic safety rules and software tools (Rules 'N ToolsSM)--and signature teaching presentations upon which EIE built its national reputation for effective Internet safety education.
- EIE established an Internet Safety Council to provide guidance, expertise and recommendations relating to best practices, educational resources, safety tips, rules and tools, and to provide critical insight and support for the development of EIE's Internet Safety 101®: Empowering Parents program. EIE Internet Safety Council members include experts in law enforcement, education, psychology, and the Internet industry, as well as victims of online exploitation who travel the country sharing their haunting stories of survival.
- EIE worked with a focus group comprised of the Virginia PTA Internet Safety Task Force to provide parent and educator feedback during development of key Internet Safety 101® video packages and tutorials.
- EIE launched the pilot version of the Internet Safety 101®: Empowering Parents Program in partnership with the Virginia PTA and the Verizon Foundation, holding regional Internet Safety Town Halls and distributing the 101 Program to over 2,600 parents, educators and guardians in Virginia.
- EIE continues to work with partners, sponsors and affiliation networks throughout the country to further develop and prepare for the larger, national launch of the Internet Safety 101®: Empowering Parents Program in 2009.
Internet Safety 101® Program Sponsors
The following sponsors provided critical funds in support of the Internet Safety 101® production: AOL, Anschutz Foundation, AT&T, Fieldstead & Company, Fox Interactive Media, MDRT Foundation, McNichols Foundation, MySpace, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Shelby Cullom Davis Foundation Verizon, and the Wiebe Foundation.
Internet Safety 101® Program Partners & Other Supporting Organizations
EIE has both formal and informal arrangements with the following program partners: Ad Council, American Association of Christian Counselors, Atlantic Video, Bonnemaison Inc., Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use, Christian Broadcast Network, Clear Channel, Coker Logistics Solutions, CR-18 Child Exploitation Squad (FBI), e-Copernicus, EIE Internet Safety Council, Get Net Wise, House of Hope (Orlando), iKeepSafe, Klarquist Sparkman LLP, Lighted Candle Society, McLean Bible Church, Microsoft Corporation, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), NetSmartz411, Office of the Virginia Attorney General, Progress and Freedom Foundation, Pure Life Ministries, RuleSpace, Sheriff Mike Brown (Bedford County, VA ICAC), Tech Mission, The Salvation Army, U.S. District Attorney's Office for Western PA, WAVA RADIO, Web Wise Kids, Wesleyan Church, WMAL Radio.
Media and Public Relations
In response to local and national media requests and inquiries, EIE President Donna Rice Hughes and EIE spokesperson Cris Clapp regularly provide interviews and commentary on various issues and events related to the topic of Internet safety and the dangers that unprotected youth encounter online. The following is a partial list of interviews and commentary provided in 2008:
1. Arizona Republic
2. CBN Newswatch
3. Chicago Suburban
4. Christian Broadcasting Network
5. Citizenlink
6. CNS News
7. Concerned Women for America
8. The Examiner
9. Family News in Focus
10. Fox & Friends
11. Granite City Press
12. The Mark Larson Show
13. NBC Today Show |
14. New York Times
15. Prime Time America
16. Reuters News Service
17. Washington Internet Daily
18. Washington Times
19. WMAL Radio
20. World Net Daily
21. G. Gordon Liddy Radio
22. WCSK Radio 90.3
23. WFUV, Bronx, NY
24. WTTG Channel 5 News
25. WUSA Channel 9 News
26. Yale Daily News |
Speaking Engagements & Events
To educate and equip parents, guardians and community leaders to protect their children from Internet pornography, sexual predators and other dangers, EIE continued to provide Internet safety presentations and seminars to interested groups and organizations (religious, secular, public and private) throughout America. The following EIE and Internet Safety 101® presentations were given during the most recent reporting period in 2008:
Educational/Professional Forums
- The Chesapeake Academy (Annapolis, MD): EIE led three separate teaching presentations for parents, faculty members, and middle-school children.
- The Catholic Archdiocese of Maryland (Bowie, MD): EIE joined law enforcement and community leaders to educate parents, teens, and members of the faith community about online dangers.
- Blue Ridge Mountain Elementary School (Purcellville, VA): EIE presented information regarding online pornography and sexual predators to teachers, parents and community members in the second part of a two-part educational effort with the Purcellville PTO.
- Virginia PTA Leadership Training Conference (Glen Allen, VA): EIE joined Internet Safety 101®: Empowering Parents Program Partner Virginia PTA and Program Sponsor Verizon to announce the Virginia Launch of the Internet Safety 101®: Empowering Parents Program, and to educate parents and community members about online threats.
- Robinson Middle School (Kingsport, TN): EIE addressed approximately 800 students at Robinson Middle School about how to stay safe online.
- Kingsport Junior League Conference (Kingsport, TN): EIE addressed members of the Junior League at their 50th Anniversary community-wide training event, "Managing the Safety of Our Community".
- Sullivan County Grade School (Kingsport, TN): EIE spoke to 300 grade school students about how to stay away from the "bad stuff" online while enjoying the wonderful technology tools proffered by the Internet.
- Regional Internet Safety 101® Virginia PTA Town Halls: ^^Enough Is Enough®, in partnership with the Virginia PTA, kicked off the pilot rollout of Internet Safety 101®: Empowering Parents in four regional Town Hall Meetings which were open to the public. Each PTA and PTSA in Virginia received a free copy of the Internet Safety 101® program thanks to a generous grant from the Verizon Foundation. VA PTA Presidents and members will be hosting additional focus groups and presentations throughout the state in 2009.
- Tidewater Region - Norview High School (Norfolk, VA)
- Northern Region - Robinson Secondary School (Fairfax, VA)
- Blue Ridge Region - William Fleming High School (Roanoke, VA)
- Central Region - Deep Run High School (Henrico County, VA)
Government, Legal and Law Enforcement
- Roundtable on Uses and Abuses of New Technology, U.S. State Department (Washington, DC): Cris Clapp participated in a roundtable discussion at George Washington University which explored the growing use of new technologies in human trafficking and other forms of sexual exploitation and ways to utilize new technologies to combat trafficking and sexual exploitation.
- Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) Conference (Washington, D.C.): EIE staff joined technology experts, educators and legislators from around the world to raise awareness regarding the extraordinary challenges facing parents, teachers, industry leaders, legislators and the kids in the digital world, while highlighting a range of evolving solutions.
- Family Online Safety Panel (Washington, DC): EIE President Donna Rice Hughes was a panelist at a Roundtable entitled "What's going on out there? A look at what and how government, industry and NGOs are delivering online safety education".
- EIE staff addressed Senate and Congressional staff regarding Internet safety and EIE's Internet Safety 101®: Empowering Parents program.
Faith-Based Forums
- McLean Bible Church (McLean, VA): EIE President Donna Rice Hughes presented Internet Safety 101®: Empowering Parents to community participants during a live filming for the 101 Program.
- Come to the Water Conference (Nashville, TN): EIE President Donna Rice Hughes addressed the International Wesleyan/Holiness Women Clergy (WHWC) Inc. at the eighth "Come to the Water" conference.
- National House of Hope (Kissimmee, FL): EIE President, Donna Rice Hughes, addressed parents, educators and counselors about issues relating to Internet safety.
Outreach & Communications
EIE continues to explore creative and innovative methods to reach parents and empower them to take action to protect their children online.
- Produced monthly "For the Sake of the Children" e-mail blasts to communicate Internet safety information to web user community.
- EIE continually updates and maintains its two inter-connected websites, www.enough.org & www.protectkids.com, which serve as a reliable source to public, media and the government on Internet safety information.
- Began development of InternetSafety101.org
TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY
Enough Is Enough® continues to work closely with the technology community to develop and implement new viable solutions to diminish the threat of illegal pornography, sexual predators, cyberbullying and other Internet threats on the Internet.
- Provided advice to social networking sites regarding Internet safety and industry best practices.
- Updated Internet industry leaders on Internet safety Rules 'N ToolsSM to help them protect their customers.
- Reported unwanted content, explicit sites, violations of use policies, and Internet danger concerns to ISPs and social networking sites
- GetNetWise Microsoft Safety Briefing (Seattle, WA)
- Cris Clapp of EIE joined leading Internet crime researchers, experts, Microsoft privacy and safety staff and other members of the GetNetWise Advisory Council at the Microsoft Campus to discuss safety topics relating to new media platforms, online gaming, youth privacy and communications, and technical and policy solutions to protect children online. Participants were briefed on Microsoft solutions and efforts to protect children across multiple platforms.
The Internet Safety Technical Task Force
The Internet Safety Technical Task Force (ISTTF) is a group of Internet businesses, non-profit organizations, academics, and technology companies, created in February 2008 in accordance with the Joint Statement on Key Principles of Social Networking Safety announced by the Attorneys General Multi-State Working Group on Social Networking and MySpace. The Task Force will be issuing a Final Report on December 31, 2008 to the United States Attorneys General.
The industry-wide Internet Safety Technical Task Force, headed by the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School, was created to: identify online youth risks; examine effective online safety tools and technologies; review age-verification and identity authentication tools to help make the Internet safer for users across all platforms; and to examine proactive industry-based measures to help protect children online. The Task Force includes Internet businesses, identity authentication experts, non-profit organizations, academics and technology companies including EIE Partners AOL, Myspace, AT&T, Verizon, News Corporation, iKeepSafe, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children among others.
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/research/isttf
LEGAL COMMUNITY
EIE continued to promote legal solutions to protect children and families from Internet dangers through work with government leaders at the state and national level.
U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives
- EIE supported passage of the Protect our Children Act (S. 1738), bipartisan legislation which takes a bold step forward in addressing the growing problem of child exploitation by creating a strong nationwide network of highly trained law enforcement experts to track down these offenders and put them behind bars. The bill requires the Department of Justice to develop and implement a National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction. As amended, the Protect Our Children Act of 2008 will authorize $320.5 million over the next five years.
- EIE worked with Congress to educate members on complementary, quality Internet safety organizations and programs by supporting legislation to offer increased funding for competitive grants for Internet safety.
- EIE continued to advise House and Senate members on new developments in technology, the Internet industry, teen online culture, and Internet dangers to better support congressional press, legislative, and constituent-focused projects.
Virginia Attorney General
- EIE continued to work with Attorney General Bob McDonnell's office to protect children in the Commonwealth from Internet threats.
- Produced special segments of the Internet Safety 101®: Empowering Parents Program in partnership with the Virginia Attorney General: "Confessions of an Internet Predator", "Grooming", and "A Convicted Sex Offender Speaks Out".