Dr. Sameer Hinduja of Florida Atlantic University and Dr. Justin Patchin of University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire work together to research the causes and consequences of cyberbullying. In addition to advice for parents and teens about how to prevent and deal with cyberbullying, the professors provide a current list of anti-cyberbullying laws by state: http://www.cyberbullying.us/Bullying_and_Cyberbullying_Laws.pdf.
Cyberbullying Research Center
http://www.cyberbullying.us
Law enforcement agencies across the country contract with Nixle to send text alerts and emails to citizen cell phones in geographically targeted areas. Register for free at the site and include your address, email, and cell phone number. Nixle will push to you alerts about emergency information, less urgent advisories, and community information. Users can select what types of information they wish to receive and can turn off text notifications at any time.
In 1976, Albuquerque detective Greg MacAleese was determined to find out who gunned down college student Michael Carmen at a gas station where he worked as a clerk. MacAleese filmed a video re-enactment of the murder and broadcast it on local media. The community responded with anonymous tips that lead to the arrest of the suspects within in 72 hours. That success prompted MacAlesse to establish Crime Stoppers, a non-profit organization that encourages cooperation between the police, media, and the community to “stop, solve and prevent crime” across Europe, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and the United States.
In America, Crime Stoppers USA (http://www.crimestoppersusa.com) and its local chapters across the country partner with local law enforcement to raise awareness of crimes and to communicate anonymous citizen tips to the police. Crime Stoppers assign informants a “secret number” that allows them to possibly receive rewards if their information results in a conviction. Visit the national website to submit a tip. Or, find a local chapter of Crime Stoppers and SMS a tip by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477).
Crime Stoppers also offers a smartphone app to make it easy to report crime on the go. Tip Submit is free to iPhone users (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tip-submit/id415165546?mt=8) and those with Android phones (https://market.android.com/details?id=com.tipsoft.tipsubmitmobile).
Enter your zip code on this commercial site and then choose the “Map Zip Code” button to see the location of the registered sex offenders in your area. Click on the individual entries to get perp pictures, addresses, and all the gory details.
The U.S. Department of Justice pulls together information from the states to offer this national database of registered sex offenders. Click on “Search for Sex Offenders,” pass through an agreement and a captcha page, and then select “Advanced Search” by zip code. On the search page, simply enter a zip code to see a list of the sex offenders registered in that area. Click on a name to see a photo of the offenders, their addresses, and their crimes.
Deborah Lamm Weisel, assistant professor at the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at North Carolina State University analyzes the problem of home burglary for the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing. She reviews the characteristics of burglars themselves, who are usually males under the age of 25. She notes that these youths often break into houses in their own neighborhoods and do so repeatedly. Houses that have been broken into may well be struck again, often within six weeks. Also, houses near burglarized homes “face an increased risk of burglary after the neighbor is burglarized.”
Deter, detect, and defend against identity theft with this information from the Federal Trade Commission. They suggest that we can deter theft by choosing strong passwords and safeguarding our social security number. We should read our financial statements and check our credit reports to detect if our personal information has been compromised. Finally, the FTC explains what to do if our identity has been stolen. They advise closing accounts that have been compromised and offer contact information for the three big credit reporting companies.
The first three hours after a child is abducted are crucial to finding him or her. Enter your cell phone number to receive SMS alerts when a child abduction has been reported in your area, based on your zip code. Your eyes and attention may help solve a kid kidnapping.
Report suspected terrorist and criminal activities directly to the FBI with this form. They may not get back to you on that but they surely do appreciate your concern. Tipsters are restricted to 3000 words; some may find that limit confining.
19th century reformer Florence Kelley founded the National Consumers League (NCL) in 1899 to protect the rights of working people. NCL’s white label meant that goods were produced under fair working conditions. It also guaranteed the wholesomeness of meat and other foods. Today, NCL continues to fight for the rights of consumers, especially victims of internet or telemarketing fraud. Report these crimes to NCL. They will pass the information to the appropriate authorities.
Use the Web to Grow Richer, Smarter, Healthier, and Happier
Life Lived on the Edge of Pasadena
Use the Web to Grow Richer, Smarter, Healthier, and Happier
Thoughts on skiing, movies, politics, and the West
Use the Web to Grow Richer, Smarter, Healthier, and Happier
Use the Web to Grow Richer, Smarter, Healthier, and Happier
Use the Web to Grow Richer, Smarter, Healthier, and Happier
News and resources covering social media, search engines, databases, archives, and other such information collections. Since 1998.
The Internet Book of Life 