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"Mirror Image" teaches teens how to be safe in online chat rooms by challenging players to outsmart a cyber stalker.

"Mirror Image" is based on a real-life police case in which eight young women were lured by a predator who claimed to be a modeling agent.

In "Mirror Image" players meet two friends, Sheena and Megan.   Both girls have created profiles about themselves, which they have posted on Instant Messaging.

As a result of their profiles, Sheena has been contacted by a modeling agent, Mitch, and Megan has a new online boyfriend, Mike.

Everything is great until the girls begin to suspect that someone is stalking them.

Using cyber-policing tools such as "online directory research", "pixel analysis" and "IP address searches", players are challenged to discover the connection between the girls' online activities and the mysterious delivery van that seems to be shadowing them.

By the end of the game, players discover that Mitch and Mike are the same man.   He was able to stalk the girls after successfully placing a "Trojan horse" on Sheena's computer.

The "Trojan horse" compromised Sheena's computer's security settings and allowed the predator to electronically eavesdrop on the girls' private conversations.

Important to Note:  This game can be played in one class period.  The software works with both Mac and PC computers and can be downloaded to a school network.

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"AirDogs" is based on a Massachusetts case in which teenage boys were drawn into a software piracy and cyber theft ring.

In "AirDogs" players meet Luke, a teenage snowboarding enthusiast who badly needs money to go on a snowboarding tour.  His coach, Terry, has hacked into an online auction site and has stolen credit card information, which he has used to purchase hundreds of laptop computers.
Luke agrees to sell the laptops to his friends for a share of the profits.

When Luke is taken into police custody for questioning, he is forced to make a difficult decision:  will he tell the police that Terry is behind the cyber theft or will he remain loyal to his coach?

Using sophisticated cyber-policing tools, such as "digital watermarks" and "GPS cell phone tracking", players must locate and arrest Terry before all the blame falls on Luke.

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BROCKTON, MA    On Thursday, November 6, 2003, District Attorneys from across Massachusetts will meet to receive the Internet safety computer kit, "Missing".   Due to a grant by the Entertainment Software Association Foundation, 500 kits will be distributed free-of- charge to every middle school in the state.   Each kit contains a videotape, a guide for parents and teachers and ten copies of the game "Missing".   This program is very effective in reaching computer-savvy kids because it presents its message as a video game.

"On September 23, 2002, Brockton Public Schools became the first in our nation to incorporate the "Missing" program as part of their formal curriculum.   The "Missing" program has enabled Plymouth County to successfully implement a community-wide strategy against on-line predators.   This program allows parents, teachers, and law enforcement officials to open dialogues with children regarding Internet safety.   The "Missing" game helps our children learn firsthand how dangerous it is to provide personal information over the Internet.   I am pleased to learn that this program will now be available across the state of Massachusetts.  " states District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz.

"While the Internet can be a wonderful educational resource, it also presents many potential safety risks for children and young adults.   As is often the case, predators are now taking advantage of something that was designed for a positive purpose to cause harm to others.   We are very excited to introduce this new and innovative public safety tool in Middlesex, and are hopeful that it will help young people protect themselves online".   states Middlesex District Attorney Martha Coakley.

"Law enforcement officials have embraced "Missing" as a valuable tool in the fight against online predators.   Support from the video game industry and a federal grant have expanded the distribution of "Missing" across the country.   The game offers a safe environment in which players explore real world situations, make their own decisions and learn through their own mistakes.   When you hear from kids who have played "Missing"- like the young girl who played the game and helped identify a predator now serving time in prison- you will realize the lessons learned from this game are ones kids won´t soon forget".   states Congressman William Delahunt.

Members of the press are invited to attend this event.   The launch of the program will take place at 11:00 am on Thursday, November 6, 2003, at the Hewlett Packard Company, One Cambridge Center, 11th Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142.   Middlesex District Attorney Martha Coakley will serve as Master of Ceremonies.   Guest speakers include, District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz, and Drew Ann Wake of Live Wires Design, the developer of the game.

Members of the press will be allowed to set up their equipment at 10:45 am.

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BROCKTON, MA    Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz is proud to announce the acceptance of 5000 Internet Safety Computer Games for distribution to
Middle Schools throughout the state of Massachusetts.

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) Foundation announced a major grant to Web Wise Kids to distribute a unique and highly effective Internet Safety computer game to schools across the United States at a press conference held on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, October 1, 2003.   The computer game, called "Missing", has already led to the apprehension of three child predators and has been embraced by law enforcement as a valuable tool in the fight against predators.

Web Wise Kids, a non-profit group, was formed in 1998 after the founder´s own sister was the victim of an online predator.   Web Wise Kids distributes the "Missing" kit, which was developed by Live Wires Design.

Massachusetts was designated as one recipient of three statewide expansion awards, due to the success of the Plymouth County Pilot.   District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz first became aware of this project in February 2002, and took the initiative to have Plymouth County designated as a Pilot Site for this innovative computer program.   With the assistance of the High Tech Crime Consortium based out of Tacoma, Washington and Web Wise Kids, District Attorney Cruz was able to secure free software to be distributed to Drug Education Officers, School Resource Officers, School Administrators, and Librarians across Plymouth County.   On October 23, 2002 the Brockton Public School System became the first school in our nation to incorporate the "Missing" program into their formal curriculum.   The Marshfield Public School System was the second.

"In Plymouth County, we have successfully implemented a community wide strategy to provide a united front against on-line predators.   This program enables parents, teachers and law enforcement to open a dialog with children regarding Internet Safety.   This game is unique because it allows children to educate themselves as to the dangers that exist when they are in chat rooms, or while they are conversing with friends through Instant Messaging.   By playing the "Missing" game, our children learn firsthand how a dangerous situation could result if they provide personal information about themselves or their family over the Internet".   states District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz.

The game will be available to Middle Schools across Massachusetts, by the beginning of 2004.  

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BROCKTON, MA   In a collaborative effort with LiveWires Design of Vancouver, Canada and The High Tech Crime Consortium of Tacoma, Washington, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz took the initiative to have Plymouth County designated as a pilot site for the Internet Safety Program "Missing".

"Missing" is the brainchild of Drew Anne Wake of Live Wires Design.   It is an innovative, interactive computer game which educates students in grades six and seven to the dangers that exist on the Internet.   The game, which is based on a true story, opens with a passionate plea for help from a father who has discovered that his 13-year-old son Zack has run away.    The students assume the role of the detective and piece together evidence left behind on Zack´s computer to help track down the missing boy.   Their goal is to make sure that Zack is safely returned to his family.   As a follow-up to the game, the students participate as a class to develop their own Internet Safety Plans, which they will utilize to protect themselves whenever they are on the Internet.

In an effort to further enhance the "Missing" project; District Attorney Tim Cruz has been selected to test the next part of the program entitled "Opening Argument".   Drew Ann Wake of Live Wires Design has this to say, "Timothy Cruz, the District Attorney in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, has a long-standing interest in the law- and in children.   So when he heard about the Missing kit, he invited LiveWires to put on a workshop in the region south of Boston.   The workshop was crowded.   Almost 50 teachers, police officers and prosecutors were trained to deliver the program in a single day.   Some months later, Brockton schools became the first in the United States to adopt "Missing" as a formal part of the school curriculum.   It is not surprising, then, that Timothy Cruz was the District Attorney selected to test the Opening Argument program with middle school children."

The testing of the Opening Argument program will take place on Wednesday, September 25, 2002 with a pre-selected group of seventh graders at the Williams Middle School, Bridgewater, MA at 10:00am.   The press is invited to attend.

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• Talk To Your Parents


• Do Not give out personal information


• Use the Internet safely


• Things you should Never DO!


• BEWARE!


• Internet safety Web Sites for kids

TALK TO YOUR PARENTS

Establish safety rules before going online.

• Decide the time of day that you can be online



• Set a length of time you can be online



• Determine which sites you are allowed to visit



• Never download a program to your computer without your parents permission, including music and games


Some music and game sites can remotely change security settings on your computer without your knowledge


• Never fill out a survey or guest book without your parents permission.
  
  Some of these programs have things attached to them, such as viruses, or trojans, that can damage your computer, or access your parents personal files that are stored on your computer.



• Tell your parents if something you come across online makes you feel uncomfortable
  If something like this does happen and your parents are not available, then
  LOG OFF   the Internet and talk with your parents about it later.

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DO NOT GIVE OUT PERSONAL INFORMATION

Protect your password.

Passwords are intended to protect your computer files.  Don't give your password to anyone.  It´s like giving a stranger the keys to your house.


Never give out personal information over the internet.

This includes:

• Your address
• Your telephone number
• Your parent's work address
• Credit card numbers
• The name of your school

If someone asks you for any of these, tell them
that you are not allowed to give out that information.

If they keep asking...
leave the site, or log off the Internet, and tell your parents!

Always trust your instincts...   if you don't feel
comfortable giving out information... then don't!

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USE THE INTERNET SAFELY

The internet contains a wealth of information,
when used safely, it proves to be a valuable resource.

• Do use the Internet to assist you with your homework
• Do use the Internet to keep in touch with friends that you know in real life
• Do use the Internet to learn more about universities and colleges that you
  may be interested in attending

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THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER DO!

• Never, ever, agree to get together with someone you "meet" online.



• Never give out your personal information, including your age!



• Never send pictures of yourself, your friends, your family or any other personal material to a friend you meet online



• Never give your e-mail address to anyone on the Internet without first asking permission of your parents

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BEWARE!

• Of someone offering you something for nothing!



• Of pagejacking to adult only websites!   If you find yourself in one,
  leave immediately and tell your parents!
  
  
• That people online may not be who they seem!


Because you can't see or hear a person who is online,
it´s easy for them to pretend they are someone they are not!

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INTERNET SAFETY WEBSITES FOR KIDS

• U.S.D.O.J.-Justice for Kids and Youth
  www.usdoj.gov/kidspage




• Disney's Surf Swell Island
  www.disney.go.com/surfswell/index.html




• FBI Kids Page: Kindergarten-5th Grade
  www.fbi.gov/kids/k5th/kidsk5th.html




• FBI Youth: 6th-12th Grade
  www.fbi.gov/kids/6th12th/6th12th.html




• Live Wires Design
  www.livewwwires.com




• McGruff.org
  www.mcgruff.org




• National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): Kids Zone
  www.nces.ed.gov/nceskids




• NetSmartz Workshop
  www.netsmartz.org




• Safe Kids.com: Search Engine for Kids
  www.safekids.com/links.html




• Safe Teens.com: Search Engine for Teens
  www.safeteens.com/teenlinks.html




• Web Wise Kids
  www.webwisekids.org

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• Avoid the Dangers of Instant Messaging


• Protect Yourself while
  using Instant Messaging


• Follow the Rules


• Protect your Information


• Answers


• Security


• Strangers


• Cyberbullying

Avoid the Dangers of Instant Messaging

• Be Aware,   Instant Messaging is never
  100% secure



• Instant Messaging provides an easy way for a stranger to contact you or find out vital information about you



• If IM privacy settings are not set on your IM account, anyone could watch you while you are online

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Protect Yourself while using Instant Messaging

• Be sure to set your privacy settings



• Allow only people you know "IRL"
  (in real life) on your "buddy list"



• If you receive an IM from someone not on your "buddy list", or from a stranger, you can block them from contacting you



• Be sure not to provide any personal information about you or your family in your "buddy info" or profile

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Follow the Rules

It is illegal:

• to threaten people over the Internet or phone



• to send graphic photos to people under the age of 18



• to harass or bully anyone



• to use other's credit cards without permission



• to download music without permission



• to use someone else's identity without permission

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Protect your Information

• Do not give out your name, address, phone number, photo, birthdate, or social security number



• Use extreme caution when writing your profile



• Protect your password from others, even your friends.  Giving them your password is like giving them the keys to your house



• Beware of free offers and surveys

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Answers

• Never respond if you feel uncomfortable



• Never say you're alone



• Don't answer chat room questions,
  even with lies

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Security

• Kids and teens should not make online purchases



• Use caution when downloading music and games.  Check with your parents and your school before using file-sharing programs



• Enable Firewalls



• Use Virus Checkers



• Install Security updtes from your Internet Service Provider

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Strangers

• On-line "friends" are still strangers



• Meetings are forbidden



• People on the Internet may have many identities

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Cyberbullying

• Cyberbullying is the computer version of bullying.  It is the sending or posting of harmful or cruel text or images over the Internet, or through other methods of communication



• A cyberbully is a bully that chooses to use the Internet for purposes of bullying or harassing others.   This bully may be someone a student knows, or a stranger on the Internet



• A cyberbully is usually under the misconception that their identity is anonymous, thus empowering them to bully, harass, or transmit pictures across the Internet or Instant Messenger.  What they don't realize, is that every time they send a message, they are creating cyber-footprints which can be traced to their IP address.



• Cyberbullying is against the law



• If you or someone you know is a victim of cyberbullying, tell a responsible adult immediately.  They will contact the proper authority to put an end to the cyberbullying.

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