Michigan State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force personnel distributed a variety of internet safety supplies to Bad Ax students. (Photo by Seth Stapleton)
bad ax — Spending adolescence in the digital age can present children with challenges that previous generations didn’t have to deal with.
Most of those challenges center around computers, smartphones, and other technology.
To address these issues, a variety of experts gathered at Bad Ax High School last week to speak to students about potential challenges they may face in the digital world.
The presentation was led by John Brown, a digital forensics analyst with the Michigan State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Brown was joined by fellow ICAC member Brian Pitt, Bad Ax School Resource Officer Kevin Knobloch, and Bad Ax Police Officer Phil Deacons.
The ICAC program, initiated by the U.S. Department of Justice in 1998, was established to combat the emerging threat of criminals who use the Internet and other online technologies to sexually exploit children.
Michigan’s ICAC Task Force is comprised of more than 100 individuals and two cyber detection dogs and is part of a national network of 61 coordinated task forces representing more than 4,500 government agencies. is. The organization is comprised of law enforcement noncommissioned officers and civilians from local, state, and federal agencies.
John Brown, a digital forensics analyst with the Michigan State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, spoke to Bad Ax students last week about the importance of internet safety.
These agencies continue to actively and proactively investigate and prosecute those involved in Internet-based child abuse and exploitation.
Brown said the task force will exploit online tools used by child predators, use these tools to identify individuals who use the Internet to prey on children, and forensically examine digital evidence. He said that he has particularly advanced technology. Through this process, we have been able to apprehend numerous child predators by tracking down information and assisting in the removal of child sexual abuse content from the internet.
The task force is also working diligently to educate children, parents, teachers, and other community members about internet safety, and last week he was at Bad Ax to help with multiple activities scheduled throughout the day. I talked to students during time blocks.
Mr. Brown discusses mechanisms to protect against the dangers of online predators, the applications most frequently used by both students and predators, cyberbullying, the three layers of the Internet (including the dark web), and accessing inappropriate websites. , we touched on sexting, sextortion, and more. , grooming, dangerous online trends, how digital forensics works, how active investigations work, undercover operations, community support programs, and more.
“The biggest takeaway is to know who you’re talking to online,” Brown stressed to students. “Keep it private and don’t send photos you shouldn’t send.”
Brown went on to say that if children find themselves in a difficult situation online, whether it’s cyberbullying, sextortion or grooming, they should contact someone they trust. Keeping it to yourself is not the answer.
He then mentioned OK2SAY, a program that allows students to confidentially report anything that may threaten the safety of the student or the school.
“There’s a lot of danger for you,” Bad Ax High School freshman principal Craig Archer told students after the presentation. “…The most important thing is to say something when something happens. We are here to help.”
Ahead of this semester, Bad Ax has revised its cell phone policy for students. The new policy, created by former school principal Kurt Dennis, will significantly restrict students’ access to cell phones during school hours.
Archer said he still responds to cell phone-related issues at least weekly, but has heard from other school officials that the new policy has reduced many of the serious incidents that occurred last school year. Stated.
Archer estimates that 90 percent of Bad Ax students have cell phones.
