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In an announcement yesterday,  social networking giant Facebook said they will be adding over 40 safeguards to their popular website, in order to keep children safer online.

49 states and the District of Columbia have signed on.  Texas, again, is the lone dissenter. (Texas was the only state that did not get on board with the MySpace agreement earlier this year).

Included in the updates:

• Removal of groups with inappropriate content, including bullying, pedophilia, etc.

• Warning messages will be sent when child is providing personal info to adults

• Review of user profiles to ensure adults do not pretend to be children

• Tobacco and alcohol ads will not be shown to underage users

Hopefully, other social networking websites will follow MySpace and Facebook in keeping social networking websites safe and fun for children.

While researching for an upcoming article in a national newsletter, it became clear many adults may be unaware that cyberbullying can also occur on mobile phones.

Children do not need personal computers or laptops to cyberbully.  Please be aware that electronic devices including gaming devices, cell phones, etc, can be used to bully.

Cyberbullying, no matter what the means, can have serious consequences.  Please talk to your children about electronic bullying.

According to the South China Morning Post, a 45-year-old woman was arrested and charged for having a sexual relationship with her employer's 14-year-old son.

The Indonesian woman, a divorced mother of two, had been employed as a maid for 11 years, had a five-month relationship with the boy after watching online pornography together.

The teenager tried to end the relationship, but later told an adult and the woman was arrested.

She plead guilty to five charges of committing an indecent act with an under-age partner.

An update to Senate Bill 2426...

Passed earlier this year in the Senate, the bill, which amends the Harassing and Obscene Communications Act and creates the Cyberbullying Law, has now been referred to the Rules Committee in the House.  Slowly but surely.

Click here for further.

As Internet Safety Coordinator,  I have witnessed many things over these past three years that are difficult and disturbing.  Many months ago, I viewed several videos that made my sick to my stomach.  Up until now, I have not publicly discussed those videos, in print, in person or online.

While researching online safety information, I was directed to a certain popular viral.  I had no idea what the content was.  When I saw the video, I was not only sickened, but saddened by what I saw.

As someone deeply passionate about keeping children safer online, the scope of disturbing images and videos is getting worse.  From vicious happy slapping incidents to the videos in question, how we do keep our children from viewing and participating in these vile videos?  Whose responsibility is it?

Although neither of my teenage children had personally seen the videos in question,  both were well aware of them.

I was extremely upset by a particular video that was online recently.  2 men dressed in military garb, threw a beautiful and helpless puppy off a cliff, to its death, while someone filmed the incident.  An investigation followed.  My heart broke to see such cruel and vicious behavior that killed a living creature.

Words can not convey my thoughts and sentiments adequately enough.

Tracee Sioux asked me to comment on particular subject matter.  Please visit her site for further information.