"One wrong click" in the cyber world by attorney Frederick Lane

One wrong click can ruin a life …

EXPERT DISCUSSES:
WHY ‘CYBERETHICS’ EDUCATION SHOULD BE REQUIRED FOR ALL CHILDREN

--Attorney & computer forensics expert explores legal implications of technology misuse among teens and pushes for a movement in “cyberethics”

As the bill to reduce the criminal charges upon teens who participate in sexting races through the Vermont state legislature, Frederick Lane, computer forensics expert and author of Cybertraps for the Young, breathes a sigh of relief. But only for a moment.

“We still have a long way to go in educating teens about the harsh legal consequences of technology misuse,” Lane says. “While this bill marks a step in the right direction, it’s only the tip of the iceberg.”

Having worked in computer forensics for the past 12 years, with extensive experience in the location and retrieval of information from a variety of electronic media, Lane has witnessed firsthand the ‘hard lessons’ learned by teens who fall into the cybertraps of today’s technology—like cyber-bullying, sexting, plagiarism, and the over-sharing of personal information, among others. His solution to protecting youth from harsh legal consequences? Cyber education.

“We are in desperate need of a national discussion on the use of technology by children and how we can educate them from a young age about the risks of misusing it,” Lane notes. “Cyberethics should be an integral part of child rearing—starting first in the home and continuing through the classroom.”

Having served on the Burlington School Board in Vermont for over a decade, Lane understands the need to incorporate cyberethics into school curricula in all grade levels. In an effort to correct the problem of technology misuse, schools and law enforcement agents are issuing harsh disciplinary policies, sometimes without giving teens a second chance. Lane argues, however, that enforcing cyber education throughout a child’s early years will be the deterrent that makes them think twice before clicking.

“We emphasize the practice of safe sex in sex education; we teach gun safety as a prerequisite for a hunting license; and we teach auto safety in driver’s education,” notes Lane. “As youth continue to be target audience for emerging technology, teaching cyberethics should become a staple in schools and homes.”

In a timely, educational interview, Lane can discuss:

• At what age parents should begin talking to children about cybertraps and why
• Tips to judge whether or not a child is ready for a particular technology
• How parents can learn about potential cybertraps and their resulting legal consequences
• How parents can monitor their child’s online activity, including the use of monitoring tools and programs
• How parents and educators can work together to instill cyber-ethics into school curricula

Frederick Lane is an author, attorney, expert witness, and professional speaker on the legal and cultural implications of emerging technology. Lane graduated Boston College Law School and practiced law for five years before launching his own computer consulting business which ultimately led him to his work in computer forensics. For the past 12 years, he has worked as a computer forensics expert, serving on a wide variety of cases, including copyright infringement, stalking, embezzlement, theft of intellectual property, obscenity, and child pornography.

In addition to his professional background, Lane has served on the Burlington School Board in Vermont since October 2001 and served as chairman of the Board for the past two years. He is the author of 5 highly acclaimed books, a number of which deal with technology boundaries. Lane is also the father of two teenage boys.

For more information about Frederick Lane and Cybertraps for the Young, please visitwww.cybertrapsfortheyoung.com or www.FrederickLane.com. Cybertraps for the Young will be available onntiupstream.com or www.amazon.com.

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