WebWiseKids Blog : judi warren. internet safety

Thank You To Our Sponsors!!

Judi Westberg-Warren, President — Mon, 28 May 2012 20:40:00 GMT

With our BeSeen app gaining a lot of attention during the last several weeks-- especially since we launched an ad in USA Today-- we'd like to take a moment to thank our sponsors--CTIA Wireless Foundation, Carnegie Mellon University, Verizon Foundation-- without whom BeSeen would have never been possible.

If you are new to Web Wise Kids or BeSeen, hereвЂ™s more about the game:

BeSeen was created by Carnegie Mellon University and Web Wise Kids to teach youth how to be responsible in social networks by securing their private and personal information, protecting their online reputation and defending their peers.

This online safety mobile application is a single-player game that simulates a social networking website. The player creates a profile and starts earning вЂњfriendвЂќ characters and interacting with them. They learn about others through their posts and help them through challenges in order to win awards and make new friends.

In BeSeen, the ultimate quest is to make friends. At first, that is a matter of getting involved in school activities, but as more friends join a social circle, they bring their problems with them. To keep friends and make more, itвЂ™s important not only to be involved but also to be a good friend.

You can learn more about BeSeen or download the free lesson materials on the Web Wise Kids website. Watch our video thanking our sponsors here!

BeSeen to Launch in USA Today

Judi Westberg-Warren, President — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 03:16:00 GMT

Watch our president, Judi Westberg Warren, talk about our upcoming BeSeen app launch in USA Today.

Click here to watch

Anti-Bullying Documentary Receives PG-13 Rating

Judi Westberg-Warren, President — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:26:00 GMT

вЂњBullyвЂќ, a new documentary about bullied children and teens in the US, now bears a new PG-13 rating following much controversy. The documentary, aimed to raise awareness about the pervasive bullying epidemic, was initially branded with an R rating due to expletiveusage and profanity. However, many believed the restricted rating would cause вЂњBullyвЂќ to miss its prime target audienceвЂ”youth aged 17 and under. The controversy sparked debate and protests across the nation, launching a viral petition that drew almost 500,000 signatures and garnered the attention and support of celebrities such as Johnny Depp and Ellen DeGeneres. After minor edits to the movie, the MPAA ultimately reversed the rating of вЂњBullyвЂќ and changed it to PG-13. вЂњBullyвЂќ is open in select theatres now, and will open nationwide on April 13.

Web Wise Kids Speaks on the Criminalization of School Bullies

Judi Westberg-Warren, President — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 20:17:00 GMT

вЂњWe need to treat children as children,вЂќ says Web Wise Kids' President, Judi Westberg Warren. Warren believes that bullying should not be a criminal offense, and shared her stance at the Northeastern University School of Law symposium on March 30 titled: вЂњShould School Bullies Face Criminal Punishment?вЂќ The symposium featured a full-day schedule of panels discussing the legal implications of school bullying.

Warren says that although it is understandable why the public seeks to exact harsh punishments on bullies who have caused psychological damage, harm and even death to others, school bullies are still children and have a limited capacity of understanding the repercussions of their actions. Instead, Warren believes that these children need to be rehabilitated. To watch Judi further discuss this topic, please click here

Web Wise Kids works to educate kids, parents, teachers, educators and the community on the values of making safe and wise choices in a technologically evolving world. We create specialized games that help youth actively learn about the dangers and consequences that can result from the misuse of technology and the Internet. Additionally, Web Wise Kids provides training and extra support material to help parents, teachers and educators successfully facilitate the games for their children and students.

Have you seen our latest game? BeSeen is a phone app game that simulates a social networking site for a high school where players create profiles and travel through a condensed school year, navigating through challenging social situations and puzzles along the way. The game is designed to help kids understand responsible online behavior such as securing their personal information, protecting their privacy and defending their peers against bullying. The BeSeen app is available on both iPhone and Android platforms.

Check out our program for parents and teachers to use BeSeen with their kids.

Should School Bullies Face Criminal Punishment?

Judi Westberg-Warren, President — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 18:17:00 GMT

Web Wise Kids CEO Joins March 30 Northeastern University Law School Panel

Santa Ana, CA вЂ“ Judi Westberg Warren believes that bullying should not be classified as a criminal offense. Surprising since she has spent the last 20 years fighting bullying as the President/CEO of Web Wise Kids. Warren was selected to speak on a panel of experts to be held on Friday, March 30 at Northeastern University Law School. The symposium, called вЂњPushed Too Far: The Evolving Legal Implications Of School BullyingвЂќ, features a significant number of experts in the legal profession.

вЂњThis is a great opportunity for us to share our view of this issue with such a prestigious group of legal expertsвЂќ said Web Wise Kids President and CEO Judi Westberg Warren. вЂњI look forward to a provocative and engaging discussion on this important issueвЂќ.

The panel is titled: вЂњShould School Bullies Face Criminal Punishment?вЂќ and will be part of a full day schedule on the legal implications of school bullying.

Additional panels will include topics like вЂњHazing in Higher EducationвЂќ and вЂњCyberbullying and the First AmendmentвЂќ. The day will include keynote presentations from David Sullivan, District Attorney for the Northwestern District of Massachusetts and Gary Mayerson, lead counsel for the plaintiffs in the recent case of TK v. New York City Department of Education.

вЂњThe Web Wise Kids mission is to teach kids, parents and the community the value of making safe and wise choices in a technologically evolving world,вЂќ said Warren. вЂњAnd I look forward to contributing my voice on this topic with the legal communityвЂќ.

To learn more about WarrenвЂ™s stance on the legal implications of school bullying, click this link to watch a short video: http://youtu.be/1ESfPeM9SEQ

About Web Wise Kids:

Web Wise Kids (http://webwisekids.org) is a national 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Southern California with satellite offices in the Northwest and Washington, D.C. Our mission is to empower todayвЂ™s youth to make wise choices online. Since 2000, Web Wise Kids has been a leader in preventing online child victimization by providing innovative and effective tools to assist young people to flourish in a world of media and technology. Web Wise Kids is honored to be a part of the Federal governmentвЂ™s Project Safe Childhood initiative. Trend Micro, CTIA/The Wireless Foundation and the Verizon Wireless Foundation are trusted supporters of Web Wise Kids.

Web Wise Kids And The Fight Against Bullying

Judi Westberg-Warren, President — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 21:04:00 GMT

A new documentary from The Weinstein Company called Bully is about to hit theaters and aims to raise awareness about AmericaвЂ™s bullying epidemic. Unfortunately, the MPAA recently announced that the film will receive a вЂњRвЂќ rating and restrict minors from attending the movie without an adult present. If bullying is a problem that primarily affects children and teens, shouldnвЂ™t they be allowed to see it most? Web Wise Kids, a leader in the fight against cyber-bullying and for online safety believes so. Katy Butler knows what it means to be bullied. She was harassed, picked on, and even physically abused by bullies in her school. In fact, Katy was once shoved into a wall and had a locker slammed on her hand that actually broke her finger. When Katy heard that this movie would receive an вЂњRвЂќ rating, she decided to start a petition on Change.org and get people involved. In response, The Weinstein Company appealed the MPAAвЂ™s decision and asked for the movie to be reconsidered for a вЂњPG-13вЂќ rating. Unfortunately the appeal failed but Katy doesnвЂ™t see this as a reason to give up. Web Wise Kids, a national non-profit organization and recognized leader in Internet safety education, supports the motion for the MPAA to reduce this movieвЂ™s rating. KatyвЂ™s perseveranceвЂ™s deserve to be amended and with your help the petition can continue to make progress toward making Bully available for all teens to see. To sign KatyвЂ™s petition, please visit: http://www.change.org/petitions/mpaa-dont-let-the-bullies-win-give-bully-a-pg-13-instead-of-an-r-rating?utm_medium=email&utm_source=action_alert To learn more about Web Wise Kids, please visit. http://www.webwisekids.org