Internet Protection & Safety
The New Mexico Department of Justice’s Mission and Vision is to protect New Mexico’s Children, empower New Mexico Families and lead our Great State on the path to prosperity. Our community safety Awareness outreach training and presentations support online safety for our youth. These presentations are essential to aid our children in safe practices in today’s online environment. It will enhance the participants’ knowledge and understanding and give them the tools to arm themselves with the awareness needed to be protected on the internet.
The videos and resources include different topics that relate to online concerns and issues that are being reported to our ICAC division (internet crimes against children). The content and resources available range from strategies for handling cyberbullying to recognizing and reporting unsafe/inappropriate interactions and content that is happening online or in person.
What is Bullying?
“Bullying” means any repeated and pervasive written, verbal or electronic expression, physical act or gesture, or a pattern thereof, that is intended to cause distress upon one or more students in the school, on school grounds, in school vehicles, at a designated bus stop, or at school activities or sanctioned events.
Bullying includes, but is not limited to, hazing, harassment, intimidation or menacing acts of a student which may, but need not be based on the student’s race, color, sex, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, age or sexual orientation.
Be Careful of What You Share
Games are a great way to make friends online. However, it is important to think about how much you are sharing about yourself.
Be careful about sharing personal details, like your address, phone number, where you go to school or your full name. Even if you only share a few small things over time, someone might be able to use it to find out more about you.
Choose a Safe Username
Make sure your nickname does not include the following:
- Full name
- School’s or college’s name
- Date of birth
- Address or the town you live
- Mobile number
If you are able to use a profile picture, try using an avatar that does not show your face. If you do use a picture, think about whether it shows anything that could be used to identify you, like your school logo or your street name.
When you create your account, it is a good idea to make sure you use a strong password.
Think About Who You're Playing With
Most online games are open to everyone, that means you could be playing with people much younger or older than you. You might also be much better or worse at the game than the people you are playing with.
Remember, if you are playing with people online:
- You can report and mute anyone who’s abusive, threatening or who tries to bully you
- People might not always be honest about who they are
- Be careful of scams, and don’t accept gifts or offers that seem too good to be true
- Be nice to the people you’re playing with, even if they’re not as good at the game.
There can be times when people use games to ask children and young people to share sexual pictures or nudes. People who do this might make you feel like you can trust them, ask you to keep things secret or give you compliments or gifts. This is called grooming.
When you share something online, even in a private message, you lose control of it. If you are talking to someone online and they have asked you to share sexual images or personal details, it can help to talk to a trusted adult.
Resources for Children and Teens
- National Center for Missing and Exploited Children – Netsmartz: an interactive, educational program that provides age-appropriate resources to help teach children how to be safer on and offline.
- i-Safe: an organization dedicated to educating and empowering young people to safely, responsibly, and productively use Information and Communications Technology (ICT).
- Common Sense Media: an organization that empowers parents, teachers, and policymakers by providing unbiased information, trusted advice, and innovative tools to help them harness the power of media and technology as a positive force in all kids’ lives.
- Title 6, Chapter 12, Part 7 New Mexico Administrative Code – Safe Schools for All Students
- Into the Cloud – The Four Rules of Internet Safety
- Online Bullying Guide
- National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
- Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program
- StopBullying.gov
