Chances are that you are on Facebook. Or, if you’re not, you soon will be. After all, Facebook boasts over 400 million users across the world (Facebook Press Room) and is growing rapidly.

We all have our own reasons for joining—we want to connect with old friends, find new friends, or we give in to pressure from friends or family that are already there (Groundswell, 2008). However, too many of us join Facebook without giving much attention to our Facebook privacy settings.

A Consumer Reports survey, released yesterday, says that 52% of social network users posted “risky information” during the past year. Interestingly, the number was 56% among Facebook users. A New York Times analysis of this Consumer Reports survey says the report “inadvertently reveals that Facebook users clearly have no idea about how much they’re publicly sharing on the network.”

To maintain a higher degree of Facebook privacy and safety, Consumer Reports provided seven tips for safer Facebook experience:

1. Don’t use a weak password.
2. Don’t list a full birth date.
3. Don’t overlook your privacy controls.
4. Don’t post a child’s name in a photo caption.
5. Don’t post when you are away from home.
6. Don’t allow yourself to be found by a search engine.
7. Don’t allow youth to use Facebook without supervision.

Facebook has recently implemented privacy changes that you may not be aware of or understand. So, ask yourself: What is my desired level of privacy? and, do I know how to achieve this level of privacy on my Facebook page? Then, adjust your Facebook privacy settings accordingly. Here’s a look at how to access and change your Facebook privacy settings:

• In the top right corner of your Facebook page, click on “Account” and then “Privacy Settings.”
• Click on each section of the Privacy Settings page and adjust each setting as needed.
• Who do you want to see your personal information? You are given four choices: Everyone, friends of friends, only friends, or only specific friends.

Because Facebook’s privacy changes usually require users to opt out rather than in, it’s a good idea to continue to check your settings once a week to see if anything has changed. You can also follow the Facebook blog to keep up on privacy changes.

A friend of mine just sent me a link to a site that could be slightly scary for people who care about their privacy. The site is called, Spokeo. Spokeo bills itself as

a search engine specialized in organizing people-related information from phone books, social networks, marketing lists, business sites, and other public sources. Most of this data is publicly available on the Web.

What this means for you is that Spokeo is a place that makes it easy for anyone to find personal information about you on the web.

As as test, I entered my name. Fortunately, or not, I have a fairly common name, so about 1,000 James Gunters came up in the results. However, when I searched by email, Spokeo found a variety of photos of me and my children, along with blogs I had commented on and IP addresses I have used. Supposedly, you can also get results for home values that I may have owned. Yikes.

But there is one saving grace. You can remove yourself from Spokeo searches by clicking the Privacy link at the bottom of the page. If the search results unnerve you, like they did me, you might want to head over and remove yourself from the system.

James Gunter is the editor of The Crime Map and the director of social media for CrimeReports.com.

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You don’t have to live very long before you realize a grand truth: Success and safety often come from adherence to a few fundamental principles.

This truth also applies to how we conduct ourselves on the Internet. That’s why I was happy to come across a succinct list of Internet conduct DOs and DONT’s from Microsoft’s Online Safety Community. While the list has been up for a while and doesn’t mention anything new, great things would happen if more of us would follow its core principles.

As I see it, those core principles are these: DO use the Internet to accomplish good, useful things, and DON’T use the Internet to do mean, dishonest and dangerous things.

My favorite DO from Microsoft’s list is this: “DO use the Internet to communicate and interact with others.” Granted, the Internet is full of danger and privacy concerns. But the Internet is also an insanely convenient way to communicate with people across the world, learn new things and increase our value to current and future employers. Why wouldn’t we want to take advantage of such a gift?

My favorite DON’T from Microsoft’s list is this: “DON’T encourage cyberbullies.” Both bullies and the bullied know that a bully’s fire is fueled by retaliation of the victim. Often, the best thing you can do to get rid of a cyberbully is to ignore them.

Of course, staying safe on the Internet is not always so easy, and we should all have a basic understanding of how to stay safe online. A little knowledge can go a long way towards helping you and your children safely navigate the Internet.

I encourage you to visit the Microsoft Online Safety Community (the Internet Keep Safe Coalition is a member). There you’ll find a wealth of information from various industry leaders to help you safely surf the Web.

Samuel Hislop is a regular contributor to the official internet safety blog of the iKeepSafe Coalition.You can learn more about child internet safety and ethics by visiting iKeepSafe.org.

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How do I define “Apathy”? As a former criminal, I describe apathy in this way: It’s a serious mental disease that almost all people have. Criminals love the fact that people have it and hope they never recover. This may not be the dictionary definition, but I’m telling you how it’s defined by criminals.

I simply can’t comprehend how anyone that claims to be a rational, intelligent, and loving individual cannot become pro-active when it comes to crime-prevention. Law enforcement statistics are readily available and quoted in all forms of media: TV, radio, internet, newspapers, and whatever else exists.

The following statement is a documented fact: A burglary and/or home invasion happens every 10 to 15 seconds in the U.S., 24 hours a day, and 365 days a year every year! With the odds stacked up against all of us, how is it possible that we all are not pro-active when it comes to protecting ourselves and our loved ones? The answer is simple; to my mind this analogy explains it all: Why do people who smoke cigarettes and cigars and those who choose to “chew” tobacco continue to do so, knowing all too well that indulging in that behavior causes cancer? The same mindset applies to apathy when related to crime-prevention.

Almost all good criminals—and by good criminals I mean successful criminals—are usually masters of human behavior. They know from experience that most people are apathetic about crime prevention because they believe they are happily exempt from any crime happening to them—it always happens to other people. As nuts as that sounds, that is the reigning thought process in almost all civilized countries and of course here in the U.S. The end result is that people who have not been directly involved by becoming a victim of a crime do not become pro-active when it comes to crime prevention. That definitely gives criminals the advantage. Hang on, because the scenario I just described is bad but it gets worse!

I’m now going to use a burglary I committed twice in the same condo 6 months apart to prove my point about just how bad the apathy that exists in the U.S. really is. This particular condo was in an affluent Florida coastal area, it had a guard in the lobby, surveillance cameras, and all the dwellings had “Schlage” deadbolt locks (good locks but not pick resistant) on the main entrance door to each individual Condo. This building was an easy target, and I made a great days pay when I fenced the jewelry I had stolen there.

I’ll explain what made it easy. I had gained entrance to the main building by what’s called “Lloyding” (using a tool that opens an “in the knob” lock quickly without having to pick as you do with a deadbolt lock) the side entrance door which entered directly into the stairwell, enableding me to gain access to every Condo in the building. A simple $5 metal plate placed on that side entrance door would have prevented my easily entering the stairwell and getting into the main building. I would have had to find a more difficult way to enter that building.

Once in the stairwell, I discovered that every door leading out of the stairwell and into the residential hallways was not locked—a big mistake, which allowed me easy access to every Condo in the entire building. The lighting in the hallways was dim which allowed me to move about freely without fear of being easily spotted. There were very few surveillance cameras in the hallways, which were not strategically aimed. In many cases, even in Condo’s that cost over 1 million dollars, builders choose to cut corners and save money by using cheap or insufficient security products. As always crime-prevention is not a priority with builders and property management companies because the residents are usually apathetic when it comes to crime and crime prevention for the reasons mentioned above and don’t insist on adequate protection.

Here’s my all-important point: I waited 6 months and returned to this very same building because it had been an easy target the first time, and I made a lot of money there. Even though my score made headlines in the local newspapers and wound up on the 6 o’clock news, no improvements in security were made! I breezed just as easily through the building the second time and again made a great score!

We must acknowledge the existence of apathy and the advantage it gives all criminals. We need to change!

Stay Safe.

George Feder is a former master jewel thief and former America’s Most Wanted Correspondent. Visit GeorgeFeder.com or follow him on Twitter (@GeorgeFeder) to go inside the criminal mind and get tips on how you can stay safe.

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Yesterday I was introduced to an internet browser created just for kids, Surf Knight. I’ve seen similar products from time to time and I’m not quite sure what to think about them. On the one hand, I can image great benefit for parents and children with a web browser that is specifically engineered for child use and parental monitoring. For example, Surf Knight lets parents control which websites a child is able to access and it provides filtering for pornographic websites, if your child is doing internet searches.

On the other hand, could starting your child out on this type of browser give them a false sense of safety about the internet? And, could employing this type of browser let parents off the hook a bit, give them a false sense of control over internet content?

I don’t know the answers to these questions, so I’ll leave it up to you to decide. Why don’t you go over to the Surf Knight website and take a look for yourself. Watch the demo, learn about it, and leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Lenore Skenazy and son

Yup, you read it right. That’s exactly what Lenore Skenazy, Free Range Kids maven, has suggested that we do on May 22—just a few short weeks away. She has declared it “Take Yours Kids to the Park . . . And Leave Them There Day,” and wants us to do exactly that.

If our goal is to get kids back outside (it is), and playing together (it is), and for parents to relax (it is), and to start creating community again (it sure is!!!), then “Take Our Children to the Park… And Leave Them There Day” is a great first step.

Across the country — what the heck, across the world — parents will converge upon local playgrounds and parks with their school-age kids. They will tell them to have fun, make friends and don’t leave with anyone. Then the parents will wave goodbye and the kids will amuse themselves for whatever amount of time they’ve decided with their folks. An hour. A morning. Or maybe even just half an hour, to get used to the whole thing, which, admittedly, sounds radical. But is it?

That is my question to you folks. Is this too radical a move? Are we, as parents, ready to let our children play on their own? Or maybe the better question is, have we instilled in our children a sense of confidence that will keep them safe while we are gone? Do they know what to do in the unlikely chance that a stranger does approach them? Have we taught them the skills they need to interact in the real world without our supervision?

Keep in mind that Skenazy has a 9-year-old. So, I’m guessing she has a certain age range in mind (perhaps, 8 and up?). Certainly no one is suggesting that you leave your 3-year-old in the park alone. However, if you child is old enough to eat with a knife and fork, ride their bike in the driveway, pronounce their name clearly to strangers, and access the internet, it might be time to give them the chance to grow up a bit more.

What are your thoughts? Is this a good idea? Would you do this with your children? If not, why?

James Gunter is the editor of The Crime Map and the director of social media for CrimeReports.com.

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When we started the non-profit (Community Watch) in 2006, we were told that children were at extreme risk from strangers, and that thousands and thousands of kids go missing every single day in the US. We had law enforcement, safety experts, and children’s books expound on these two ideas, and we were pretty sure it was our job to let parents know that, too.

We were wrong, and we figured it out pretty quick, thankfully.

We want our kids to be safe, to grow up safe, and to learn how to keep themself safe so they’re prepared for any situation. The skills they need to do that are like a toolbox, and one of the most important tools in that box is CONFIDENCE.

How do you give your kid confidence? It’s pretty simple:

1) Teach your kid what they need to know,
2) Let them loose in the appropriate environments, and
3) Absolutely support them.

Teaching your kid what they need to know means that you need to know it: not be oblivious, or overly scared yourself. It might be different in one neighborhood than in another, different for one kid than another. Some things don’t change: Kids need to travel in pairs of 2 or more. Kids need to know what appropriate behavior is and is not. Kids need to know how to ask for help – from a stranger or from a family member.

The appropriate environment is not so easy to determine, but there are some ways to do it. One of our favorites is Gavin de Becker’s Test of Twelve. When your kid is very tiny, start teaching toward this test, and maybe your kid will be ready to go around the neighborhood when they’re 11. Or 8. It depends on you and your kid and your neighborhood.

This is difficult for another reason – a lot of parents were assaulted as kids. Might be difficult to make a non-emotional decision about it if when you were 9 you were assaulted at the park, and never told your parents because you didn’t want to lose your freedom. I hear stories like that every week or so. The only answer I have for that is -  Be free range with your kid. Develop a sense of what’s normal for the park at 2:30 pm, or for 8:30 am. Know your neighbors, and know your kid has confidence in his or her neighborhood and ability to travel around the neighborhood.

And that last one – support them. If something happens -anything- then you need to be calm, supportive, and listen to your kid.

Your kid is most at-risk from cars, poorly adjusted car-seats, and no bike-helmet, not from perverted strangers. Make sure the topic is on the table, make sure your kids know you’ll be calm and trust them as needed, and make sure they have the appropriate safety gear and security training. Let them loose.

Here’s a link to a blog that’s all free range, all the time – some perspective: Free-Range Kids.

Bethan Tuttle, CIPP, is mom to two and Executive Director of CommunityWatch, a non-profit that provides empowering crime-prevention education for kids, families, and communities. Learn more at CommunityWatch.us and follow @ComWatch on Twitter for empowering crime prevention updates.

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Cyberbullying has been a major theme in headlines over the past few months. The teen suicides of Long Island’s Alexis Pilkington and Massachusetts’ Phoebe Prince, as well as the bullying of California teenager Autumn Albin, have generated legislative action from California to New Hampshire.

Here is a brief look at what four states are doing to stop bullying.

Massachusetts

In wake of Phoebe Prince’s death, the Boston Herald reported that both the state House and Senate passed anti-bullying bills in March. According to the article, both bills seek to “curtail bullying in schools and in cyberspace.”

The legislation is now in reconciliation and awaiting the Governor’s signature.

New Hampshire

According to a Tuesday report from UnionLeader.com, state senators are pushing House Bill 1523. According to the news article, if this bill passes, “school boards across the state would have to adopt specific policies prohibiting bullying and harassment.” The bill also would require school boards to involve parents and police to create anti-bullying policies.

Seacoastonline.com reported that dozens of citizens spoke in favor of the bill Tuesday during a Senate Education Committee Hearing.

UnionLeader.com’s report said bullying has received more attention in New Hampshire because of the Phoebe Prince case.

New York

Newsday recently reported that Suffolk County legislator Jon Cooper is pushing a bill that would make it a misdemeanor to “repeatedly abuse a child on the Internet, in e-mail or in text messages.” He said the death of Phoebe Prince motivated him to create this bill.

California

KGO-TV reported that Autumn Albin was in Sacramento Tuesday to round up support for a bill that would “make it illegal to use the Internet to harass someone.” KGO-TV said Ms. Albin is an up-and-coming model that claimed she was stalked over the Internet by a fashion designer that had already been convicted of sex crimes against other young women.

These are just a few of the recent headlines dealing with anti-bullying legislation. If you know of other bills in other parts of the country, please let us know.

The effects of such legislation remain to be seen. I do, however, agree with school security expert Ken Trump’s comments in a recent School Security blog post:

Most, if not all, schools already have policies in place to address harassment, intimidation, threats, school disruption, and physical assaults. Many schools have also developed school climate strategies and programs addressing bullying-type behaviors since the spate of school shootings in the late 1990s. Another law won’t solve the problem.

Let’s remember that “the police and criminal justice system are the last desperate line of defense for a civilized society. Our increased reliance on laws to regulate behavior is a measure of how uncivilized we’ve become” (Walter E. Williams).

While laws are important to maintain a civil society, bullying in schools and online is not likely to be reduced unless children are taught correct principles in the home and at school (in that order).

Samuel Hislop is a regular contributor to the official internet safety blog of the iKeepSafe Coalition.You can learn more about child internet safety and ethics by visiting iKeepSafe.org.

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I learned from 14 years of past experience gained from working as a professional high-rise jewel thief that, even in the most desirable apartment or condo buildings, security is a concern. Often crimes such as burglaries, home invasions, and rape are committed in apartments or condos by those who have access, such as other tenants, maintenance people, security people, friends of tenants, and of course professional criminals. Criminals always look for the easy target and the easy entrance.

I’ve listed the following twenty 20 questions which—answered honestly—will help keep you and your loved ones safe and enhance your quality of life.

Taking this short quiz can help you determine if you are doing all that you can to make your apartment/condo safe or if there are other prevention measures that you may not have considered.

1. Are background checks performed on all tenants?
2. Does your apartment/condo management enforce compliance to all the rules of your complex?
3. Was your entry door lock re-keyed or deadbolt lock replaced when you moved in?
4. Do your exterior doors fit their frames tightly?
5. Are all windows accessible from ground level protected by bars that can be only opened from inside?
6. Do windows and sliding glass doors have anti-lift devises to prevent them from being lifted out?
7. Do you use alarm decals on windows and doors?
8. Is only your first initial and last name on your apartment/condo directory and mailbox?
9. Do you have an alarm system or barking dog?
10. Are hallways and walkways in and around your building well-lit?
11. Are mirrors placed strategically in hallways that allow you to see around corners?
12. Never “buzz” a stranger into your building no matter how good there excuse may be!
13. Do you allow strangers entry and exit to your apartment/condo when you are coming in or out of the main lobby entrance/exit door?
14. Do you use a wide-angle 160 degree peephole mounted no higher than 58 inches?
15. Do you use a cover on your peephole to prevent people from seeing in your home?
16. Do you have an apartment/condo watch program in your building?
17. Do you look inside the elevator before entering it?
18. If you feel uncomfortable with the occupants of the elevator, follow your instincts…do not get in, wait for the next one, notify security or call the police.
19. Do you use timers to activate lighting, radios, or T.V.when you are not home?
20. Remember, the laundry room, the gym and the parking areas all must be well-lit and patroled.

I’m going to close with one of my most important crime-prevention tips that should always be used whenever you actually see a crime in progress or are just suspicious that a crime may be happening: NEVER HESITATE. ALWAYS CALL THE POLICE!

Stay Safe.

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A recent Philadelphia Enquirer story highlighted the fact that kids today are putting away their dolls and action figures earlier in favor of online games and social networks. One dollmaker, interviewed for the story, said his company used to make dolls for girls up to 12, now, he says, “By the time they hit 4 or 5, they want a cell phone.”

Using Technology Earlier

We can debate whether this is a positive or negative turn in our culture, but the fact remains that kids are turning to online games much sooner then they were a decade ago. This is due both to the proliferation of high-speed internet into the home and the increased market of online games aimed at children. Case in point, my 6 year-old begs me everyday after school to play Club Penguin, a virtual online environment where he has a cartoon penguin avatar and plays games with other users. When I was 6, if you were lucky enough to know someone with an Atari, you might get to watch an older kid play it.

With increased access to games and earlier adoption of technology, kids are at increased risk to come across violent and sexually explicit games earlier. And there are certain kinds of game that might most appeal to them, yet may have extremely inappropriate content.

Hentai

“Hentai” refers to a type of Japanese anime that is sexually explicit in nature, often branching into violence, animal, or other extreme fetishes. The images look like cartoons, but this is definitely not Disney.

Hentai comic books and games are a big business in Japan and, thanks to the internet, that material can easily be distributed around the world. The reason these types of games are more dangerous is precisely because they are cartoons, enticing children to play them, and (without looking closely) tricking parents into thinking they are just harmless kid games.

CNN recently ran a story on these very games. Watch the video below.

Learn About the Games They Play

As a parent in the internet age, it is extremely important that you know exactly what computer games your children are playing. If you don’t already know, ask them about the games they are playing, have them show you what they do and how they function. In the case of small children, sit down with them and play the game together. Don’t let them play the game alone until you are satisfied that it is safe and that your child knows what to do if something inappropriate happens.

James Gunter is the editor of The Crime Map and the director of social media for CrimeReports.com.

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