Safe America Foundation

Has your child ever been the victim of cyber-bullying? If not, the odds are pretty high that one day he or she will be. The sad fact is 50% of teens admit to being bullied online or by text message. Today’s youth are falling victim to the perils of social media and cell phone messaging. And most parents are WITHOUT the tools to help their kids. Are you one of them?

Megan Meirer was a victim of cyber bullying who, after receiving a series of messages and wallposts on the social network Myspace, took her own life. Megan, then 13 years old, was a teen suffering from low self-esteem and was on medications when the tragic event occurred. A classmate’s mother, disguising herself as a cute boy that was home schooled, befriended Megan on Myspace.¹

After the two became close through their online relationship, a message sent from the mother quickly turned everything into a nightmare. The message read, “I don't know if I want to be friends with you anymore because I've heard that you are not very nice to your friends." After receiving the message, Megan began receiving harassing messages from other individuals on Myspace with things like, “Megan Meier is a slut” or “Megan Meier is fat.” The cruel messages took a toll on Megan, and on October 16, 2006, Megan took her own life.²

Shawn Edgington, author of The Parent’s Guide to Texting, Facebook, and Social Media: Understanding the Benefits and Dangers of Parenting in a Digital World, is America’s leading “Textpert” and cyber-bullying prevention expert. Shawn has partnered up with Safe America in educating parents on the dangers of cyber bullying.

May 17, 2011 is National Cyber Awareness day as well as the release day for The Parent’s Guide to Texting, Facebook, and Social Media: Understanding the Benefits and Dangers of Parenting in a Digital World. All royalties from the sale of this book on May 17, 2011 will be donated to the Megan Meier Foundation to protect children from cyber-bullying!

For more information, please contact Christina Dela Cruz by emailing Christina.Delacruz@safeamerica.org.

Sexting is an on-going epidemic hitting cell phones globally. For those that are textually challenged, sexting refers to sex texting (sex+texting= sexting). Sexting refers to texts, either sent or received, that contain sexually explicit language or photographs. Although those involved view sexting as a harmless act, very few are unaware that these not-so-private messages or pictures can end up in the wrong hands. Little do they know that the act of sexting can often lead to cyber bullying, and even worse, criminal charges.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution featured a story on a teen who began sending provocative photographs of herself to individuals she befriended online. After finding the photographs online, a classmate notified a teacher of the explicit photo. Unfortunately, the teacher was notified after the photograph made its way throughout the student body.  What is even more shocking is that the sexually explicit photo was taken when the girl was in 7th grade, and the photo was discovered now that she is in 10th grade.

What individuals and teens need to know is that everything communicated, whether through cell phone or online, is permanent. Trust that was either perceived at the time the message was sent or trust that had depleted after relationships ended is what usually pushes these messages or photographs into the limelight. As Shawn Edgington of The Parent’s Guide to Texting, Facebook and Social Media: Understanding the Benefits and Dangers of Parenting in a Digital World suggests, it’s important that individuals practice safe texting.

To practice safe texting is to communicate knowing that the information may end up becoming public. To do this, individuals need to realize that everything they send or post will not remain private; think before texting or posting because in cyberspace, there’s no delete button; don’t give into anything that makes you feel uncomfortable; and also realize that nothing is truly anonymous.

The Parent’s Guide to Texting, Facebook and Social Media gives parents tools to help guide their kids through texting and cyberspace. For more information, visit http://theparentsguidebook.com/. The book will be released on May 17, 2011, National Cyber Safety Awareness Day, and all net proceeds on May 17th from sales will be donated to The Megan Meier Foundation. For more information, contact Christina Dela Cruz at Christina.Delacruz@safeamerica.org.

Safe America SVP of Marketing Bill Soule speaks to the Rotary Club of Johns Creek North Fulton at the Atlanta Athletic Club. Bill emphasizes how educating teenage drivers saves lives, and the continuous programming and training efforts of Safe America across metro Atlanta, including highlights from the 6th Annual Safe Teen Georgia Driving Academy at Atlanta Motor Speedway on May 7th.  

Bill also discusses Safe America's March to 1 Million campaign this summer, featuring a national tour encouraging American's to be prepared, not scared and engage in texting drills, Text First. Talk Second.TM as a means to contact family and friends in the event of a natural or man-caused disaster.  The goal is to promote emergency readiness and motivate over 1 million Americans to participate in drills in their communities, homes and workplace.

The Safe America Foundation wants to give a special thanks to Geico's Jim Somers of the Somers Agency, Rory Robichaux of Parotis Insurance, Michael Kintz of MerchantPro Express and Mike Kopp of Brady Ware & Schoenfeld.

If not, check out the regular updates from our President, Len Pagano, at http://safeamerica.org/blog/. You’ll find behind-the-scenes information useful to volunteers as well as the safety-minded individuals. Also, don’t forget to check out our other web sites – www.safeamericaprepared.org, www.safeamericadrivers.org; and www.safeamericakids.org.

Cyber bullying is a phenomenon that expanded with the rise of new technology. New technology includes cell phones, computers, internet, social networking sites, etc. So, what exactly is cyber-bullying? Cyber bullying is when an adolescent or teen is harassed, threatened, humiliated, tormented or embarrassed by another adolescent or teen through “interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones.”¹

To date, over 80 percent of teens use a cell phone².  72 percent of teens have a social networking profile³. With the increased popularity of social networking sites and mobile cell phones, teens are exposed to more people now than they were when these devices and platforms didn’t exist. About half of young people report having experiences some sort of cyber bullying and 10 to 20 percent experience it regularly⁴.

It’s important that parents prepare not only their teens, but themselves as well, to combat this serious topic. The Parent’s Guide to Texting, Facebook and Social Media: Understanding the Benefits and Dangers of Parenting in a Digital World by Shawn Edginton stresses an open communication between teens and parents on the dangers of the internet and bullying. It’s important that teens are capable of recognizing bullying and are able to report it to an adult.

The Parent’s Guide to Texting, Facebook and Social Media gives parents tools to help their kids. For more information, visit http://theparentsguidebook.com/. The book will be released on May 17, 2011, National Cyber Safety Awareness Day, and all net proceeds on May 17th from sales will be donated to The Megan Meier Foundation. For more information, contact Christina Dela Cruz at Christina.Delacruz@safeamerica.org.

Parents’ increased concern for teens’ safety online urged the Safe America Foundation to commit itself into working with cyber internet safety.

To date, over 80 percent of teens use a mobile cell phone regularly. The increased use of cell phones amplifies the various avenues where teens can be bullied. The Cyberbullying Research Center states that half of young people have experienced some type of cyber bulling. Of those experiencing cyber bullying, 10 to 20 percent experience cyber bullying on a regular basis.

Cyber bullying can cause a damaging psychological effect on the victim. In the past year alone, we’ve heard of heart-breaking tales of teen victims from cyber bullying who have committed suicide.

Safe America wants to do its part to protect your teens on this important topic. We’ve partnered up with Shawn Edgington, author of The Parent’s Guide to Texting , Facebook and Social Media: Understanding the Benefits and Dangers of Parenting in a Digital World, to educate parents and teens in cyber internet safety  on the dawn of Cyber-Safety Awareness day on May 17th, 2011.

Leading up to May 17, 2011, the Safe America Foundation will cover cyber bullying topics and precautionary steps parents can do to protect their teens. For more information, please contact Christina Delacruz at Christina.Delacruz@safeamerica.org.

The Safe America Foundation held its sixth annual Safe Teen Georgia Driving Academy on May 7, 2011 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, GA. The full-day driving safety event educated parents and teens on one thing: How to be safe on the roads.

The Safe Teen Georgia Driving Academy covered everything from distracted driving and car maintenance to a live simulation of a motor vehicle collision incident and personal testimonies on how unsafe practices behind the wheel changed their lives. Senator Donzella James spoke to parents and teens on the loss of her son—due a motor vehicle incident—and Police officers illustrated how texting behind the wheel or driving while intoxicated inhibits an individual’s ability to drive.
At the end of the day, teens competed for a new Ford Focus—sponsored by Allan Vigil Ford—through a braking contest, and at the end, a Drive-off. The drive-off was competitive, but in the end, the final four for the drive-off were all of Safe America’s former Driver Ed students!! In the end, Melissa Teel from Cobb County came out the brand new owner of a new Ford Focus.

The Safe America wanted to thank all of its  sponsors and partners that made the sixth annual Safe Teen Georgia Driving Academy a memorable event!

For more information about upcoming driver safety events, follow Safe America on Twitter of ‘Like’ our Facebook page. To view pictures from the Safe Teen Georgia Driving Academy on May 7, 2011, visit our Flickr page.

A tug boat crash left 2 people dead and forced 35 others to plunge into the Delaware River on July 7 of last year. It’s now said by the National Transportation Safety Board that the pilot operating the tug boat was on his cell phone at the time of the crash.
The Norcross, GA based company, Herschend Family Entertainment, operated Ride the Ducks and has not continued its land-and water tours in Philadelphia since the accident occurred last year.
The unidentified pilot had apparently made or received 21 calls on his cell before the crash.