LAPS PRESS RELEASE
Earlier today, the administration of Los Alamos Middle School and Los Alamos High School learned that inappropriate images had been sent to students’ iPhones through the AirDrop feature on the phones.
School administrators quickly investigated the matter and were able to identify the source. Appropriate action has been taken regarding the incident.
Classes continued uninterrupted.
Families are encouraged to check their student’s phone to ensure there are no inappropriate images.
It is recommended that you regularly monitor your students’ devices, including text messages, photos, and social media accounts.
AirDropping photos are not permitted on campus. Make sure this feature is disabled on your student’s iPhone.
Here are some Scholastic internet safety tips for students and families:
- Keep It Real: This may sound totally lame to a teenager’s ears, but following the golden rule when social media is the best way to avoid being bullied or harassed. Research has shown that those who harass others online often become victims of harassment themselves. Encourage your children to stay out of trouble by being themselves, being honest, and treating others with respect, just as they would in the real world.
- Protect your passwords: Kids are never too old to remember that passwords should never be shared with anyone, even friends. The strongest passwords are combinations of letters and numbers and don’t include names or other identifiable information that can be easily guessed. Promote security while respecting your children’s privacy by inviting them to seal their passwords in an envelope and promising to only open it in an emergency.
- Post with caution: Posting personal information or inappropriate messages can put children at risk with strangers as well as friends. Once a message or image is emailed or posted, it is nearly impossible to retrieve. Friends break up, but a photo on the Internet is forever. If they have profiles on social networking sites like Facebook or Tumblr, remind your children that everything they post becomes public. Anything they wouldn’t want a stranger – or their college adviser – to see should be taken offline.
- Keep it clean: Talking about sex or sharing explicit images online may seem like fun, but it can lead to anything from embarrassment between friends to predatory “grooming” (online harassment). And in the case of photos, it’s actually illegal. If your children receive sexual messages or images, the first thing they should do is tell you or another adult. Together, you can contact the police and/or report it to CyberTipline.com.
- Don’t meet online friends offline: The fact is, there’s no way to be sure that someone your child met online is really who they say they are. And once they meet in person, your child may be in danger in the real world. So why do it? If you know your kids are going to do it anyway, remind them to always bring friends and let you or another trusted adult know where they will be.
“Los Alamos Public Schools, Los Alamos High School and Los Alamos Middle School take these issues very seriously. Please report any concerns you may have to school officials. – TOWERS