The Program Includes
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Four presentations spread across the school year, each lasting approximately one hour.
Students will be provided with information they can take home to share with parents and guardians. Each handout contains a QR code for a survey that students are encouraged to complete.
Activities with real-world scenarios as well as practical advice for staying safe online.
After the school presentations, youth mentors will help students organize community events to spread awareness. Parents, guardians, and community members will be invited to participate and learn how they can help protect our youth.
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STATS
The Problem in Numbers
As reliance on technology grows, youth are at an increased risk of being victimized online. Criminal perpetrators capitalize on the dependence that youth have developed for online accessibility, and they utilize many techniques to target child victims. Below are some statistics detailing the severity and importance of the issue. Click the icons to reveal the stats.
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In 2023, The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline received how many reports of suspected child sexual exploitation?
These reports consist of human trafficking, sexual solicitation, and images of child pornography. This was a significant increase from 2022 (over 31 million) to 2023 (over 36 million).
%
82
%
82
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In 2023, the category of online enticement saw an increase of how much from 2022 to 2023?
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children offers a three-minute overview of the challenge to combat sextortion here: NCMEC- Responding to Changing Online Threats
Click to reveal
37
%
%
37
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Cyberbullying is another significant online safety issue. In 2023, the Cyberbullying Research Center conducted a study with middle and high school students between the ages of 13 to 17 in the US. What percentage of students in their study reported that they experienced cyberbullying?
About 26% of students reported experiencing cyberbullying in the last 30 days. This marked an increase from 23.2% in 2021 and 17.2% in 2019 (Cyberbullying Research Center).
Where We’re Starting
Our journey begins at two schools: Northeast Lauderdale Middle School in Meridian, Mississippi and Washington Irving Middle School in Clarksburg, West Virginia. These schools will be the first to experience the Cyber Safe Schools program in action.
What's Next?
After refining our materials, we will implement the program in up to five schools during the 2025-2026 school year. Do you know a school that might be interested in participating? Please reach out to us! After that, we will expand to more schools, aiming to reach as many students as possible. Eventually, our resources will be available online so any school or organization can use them to promote online safety and protect youth.
Together, we can create safer digital spaces for our children. Stay informed, get involved, and help us spread the word. Your participation in our community education events is vital to making a difference.
Join Us
Welcome to Cyber Safe Schools
Protecting the digital generation is our mission. The Cyber Safe Schools program, funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance through their STOP School Violence Program, is dedicated to educating and empowering youth to navigate the online world safely. We believe that with the right tools and knowledge, young people can protect themselves from the dangers that lurk in the digital space.
Our Mission
In today’s increasingly connected world, it’s more important than ever to equip young people with the skills to identify and prevent online violence. From cyberbullying to grooming, online solicitation, and sextortion, the Cyber Safe Schools program is here to help students, parents, and communities stay safe.
What We Do
Our program targets middle school students with engaging and informative presentations delivered throughout the school year. Led by NW3C Instructors—criminal justice professionals with expertise in online safety—the curriculum covers essential topics to help students recognize online threats and report concerns to trusted adults.