RATIONALE

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Our Rationale for teaching this unit is two-fold. The first reason is that Illinois law is now requiring school districts to implement some form of an Internet Safety curriculum. The second is that we support the reasons behind the Illinois law.======

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About the Law: The [| Illinois Law], Public Act 095-0869, has been amended to include a requirement that all Illinois school districts incorporate an Internet safety component into the curriculum. The reasoning behind such a directive is the protection of Illinois students. We support the need to protect our students from inappropriate or illegal communications and solicitations on the Internet. We also support the need to educate our students about the risks to their health and safety when using the Internet.======

To quote the Illinois law:  a) The purpose of this Section is to inform and protect students from inappropriate or illegal communications and solicitation and to encourage school districts to provide education about Internet threats and risks, including without limitation child predators, fraud, and other dangers.

b) The General Assembly finds and declares the following:

(1) it is the policy of this State to protect consumers and Illinois residents from deceptive and unsafe communications that result in harassment, exploitation or physical harm; (2) children have easy access to the Internet at home, school and public places; (3) the Internet is used by sexual predators and other criminals to make initial contact with children and other vulnerable residents in Illinois; and (4) education is an effective method for preventing children from falling prey to online predators, identity theft, and other dangers. **The Important section for Illinois school districts: **  c) Each school may adopt an age-appropriate curriculum for Internet safety instruction of students in grades kindergarten through 12. __However, beginning with the 2009-2010 school year, a school district must incorporate into the school curriculum a component of Internet safety to be taught at least once each school year to students in grade 3 or above. The school board shall determine the scope and duration of this unit of instruction. The age-appropriate unit of instruction may be incorporated into the current courses of study regularly taught in the district's schools, as determined by the school board,...__

The Illinois state law states the rationale very specifically.
 * Why teach this unit?
 * The Internet and the many people who use it are a part of a student's world
 * Students, varying and based on grade level, need to be protected and taught how to protect themselves against the dangers on the Internet
 * Because parents often inadequately understand the Internet, the school system becomes on entity capable of teaching children to address Internet dangers
 * Schools can also educate parents and give them tools and resources to help educate their children


 * Why is important that students learn about this topic?
 * Internet use is prevalent among middle school students like ours
 * Internet use carries risks and middle school students need to understand those risks and consequences
 * If the students do not understand the risks and consequences, then it is probable that they and their families will suffer physical, emotional, and monetary harm.

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 * What does research say about the effects of this issue or problem on the lives of adolescents?
 * Unwise use of the Internet will lead to financial hardship, emotional stress, and physical and sexual violence.
 * One in four U.S. teen girls, and one in seven U.S. teen boys, report meeting strangers off the Internet
 * 100% of children molested by an Internet sexual predators went willingly to a meeting with them
 * According to SentryPC, one in 33 [|children] were aggressively solicited by an online sexual predator in 2008.
 *  About 58% of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online. More than four out of ten say it has happened more than once
 *  Four out of ten middle school students have had their password(s) stolen and changed by a bully who then locked them out of their own account or sent communications posing as them


 * Include bibliographical information