Cell phones are often overlooked when it comes to personal safety. Today, predators may initially contact a child/student over the internet, but will quickly switch over to a cellphone, because cell phones are not as easy to track.
Cell Phone Fishing: A student gets a call from a stranger on their cell phone. Usually, cell phones have phone numbers which are used within a specific geographic area, so a predator may make cold call phones until they get a student/child on the cell phone. The predator is apologetic for calling the wrong number but quickly says that he /she must know this person because he/she has their Cell Phone number programmed into his cell phone. So they try to figure out how they know each other. Here the caller is fishing for information with questions like…. Did you go to Hartford High School, no, I go to Brattleboro High School. Do you visit the swimming pool in the summer? Yes, we always go to the Brooks Memorial Pool in the summer. Pretty soon, the predator and the student find a common/mutual acquaintance or shared experience and a pseudo-friendship is born. Here is a list of cell phone safety issues with regard to teaching our students about personal safety. Vtisp.org is currently working creating/finding lessons plans on Cell Phone Safety.
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Do not give out your cell phone number to people you do not know or people you meet online.
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Do not take pictures of others without their consent (this applies to camera and video use, as well).
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Do not forward or post pictures of others without their consent (this applies to camera and video use as well).
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Know how to block numbers on your cell phone, if you are receiving unwanted calls. You may be able to do this under settings or you may have to call your service provider.
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Know how to turn off SMS (text) messages on your phone. If your receiving unwanted SMS messages, you can turn off your incoming messages.
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If you are receiving threatening calls or messages, involve the local police department. Keep a copy of the texts or record the calls. The police should be able to contact your service provider to stop the harassment.
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Do not drive and talk/text on your cell phone. A study by the New England Journal of Medicine found that drivers who talk on a cell phone are four times more likely to be in an accident than drivers who don’t. Also the University of Utah completed a study in 2003 that show’s your cell phone is more likely to get you into an accident than drinking and driving!
Other Services to be aware of:
National Do Not Call Registry: The Federal Trade Commission accepts cell phone numbers, but telemarkers are not supposed to call you on cell phones.
To teachers of Ste of Vermont
leave your bluetooth off so people cant find you. you might not know it is on, but ussally if you go to settings and check the bluetooth, you can see if it is on or off.
It is very importent to not give away your cell phone number to any strangers. If someone ask’s for your phone number and you dont know them then dont give it to them. This is very importent because they would be able to find you on the internet and find out where you live and stalk you or somthing like that. Its the samething with giving any phone number out they can look it up and find it and track you down. Thats why it is importent to not give your phone number out to people you dont know. So never give your number to strangers.
Dear Teachers you left out one and it is don’t give out your picture or take a picture and send it others you just met or people you don’t know. (1) you can get into some big consequenes.(2) you can get hurt.
Cell phones used to be a more convenient and safe source of social activity but now they have turned into a very dangerous business. Making sure that you do not share your information and avoiding innapropraite messages is a key way to stay safe. Cell phones have stopped being used only for social purposes but other reasons that may get an individual sent to prison. I believe that cell phones should be used properly and wisely.
It is very importent to not give away your cell phone number to any strangers. If someone ask’s for your phone number and you dont know them then dont give it to them. This is very importent because they would be able to find you on the internet and find out where you live and stalk you or somthing like that. its the samething with giving any phone number out they can look it up and find it and track you down. Thats why it is importent to not give your phone number out to people you dont know.
Dear teachers of the State of Vermont,
The students of the State of Vermont should leave there bluetooth and internet off so that people cant track your number or find where you live. Also, students should not send picture to your teacher of themselves becuase that can get the student and the teacher in a lot of trouble and DO NOT TALK OR TEXT when driving under the influeace and with other peple are drunk.
don’t take any revealing pictures of yourself. Don’t send any pic. of yourself nude because once you send it the pic. wont ever go away. Also it’s illigal if you’re under the age 18. sending a nuded pic. to someone could effect you badly.