Cyber-bullying and Online Safety Experts: Beacon Street Girls' Just Kidding is a Must Read ...

Cyber-bullying and Online Safety Experts: Beacon Street Girls' Just Kidding a Must Read for Parents as Well as Preteens

-- Fiction Book for Preteen Girls Provides Guidance for Kids on the Internet --

LEXINGTON, MA (March 12, 2007) – B*tween Productions, home of the Beacon Street Girls, is tackling the critical issue of online safety in its newest book, Just Kidding. A series of mean emails and not-so-funny jokes in the latest tween novel from the Beacon Street Girls provide parents with an opportunity for frank discussion with preteen girls about online dangers.

“Safe and appropriate use of the technology is one of the leading parenting issues of our generation,” said Addie Swartz, Founder and CEO of B*tween Productions. “Technology, while offering more opportunities for communication with a wider circle of acquaintances, complicates the normal social interactions that arise during this time in a child’s life. This makes it even more difficult to navigate the social scene. Technology can create a false sense of anonymity and privacy that can lead to callous behavior, hurt feelings, a general escalation in tensions and even outright cruelty.”

In a recent survey of the Beacon Street Girls’ tween advisory board, (girls between the ages of 9 and 13):

One-third of the more than 500 respondents claimed to have personal pages on public, adult-oriented websites like MySpace and Xanga.
Two-thirds have and use instant messenger, and
46 percent have cell phones.

In Just Kidding, the Beacon Street Girls learn about the implications of gossip, how to use the “no joke zone” (developed by best-selling author Rachel Simmons), and how the Internet can spread rumors and contribute to hurt feelings. In addition to the book, the Beacon Street Girls website (www.beaconstreetgirls.com) is hosting a resource center online with articles and tips for parents, and guidelines for children.

Experts Contribute to Every Beacon Street Girls Book

Just Kidding experts include Rachel Simmons, the author of the New York Times bestseller Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls, the first book to explore the phenomenon of bullying between girls; Rob Nickel, president, Kid Innovation Canada, a 14-year veteran of the Ontario Provincial Police and a former Detective Sergeant with the OPP's Child Pornography Section; the combined resources of the Internet Keep Safe Coalition, (www.ikeepsafe.org) a non-profit organization dedicated to giving parents, educators, and caregivers the information and tools that empower them to teach children the safe and healthy use of technology and the Internet; and Katelyn M. LeClerc, the Internet Safety Program Coordinator, Office of the Attorney General of Massachusetts.

“While girls from every generation have struggled with the difficulty of building relationships with other girls, the addition of technology to the mix has given rise to a new set of challenges,” said Simmons. “Cyber-bullying is only one aspect of the aggression between girls that arises when they don’t have the skills and space to address their conflicts directly. We need to identify cyber-bullying as another form of bullying and give girls the knowledge and tools to avoid it. For example, the creation of the ‘no joke zone’ is one way groups can combat emotional and verbal abuse whether in-person or online.”

“Books like Just Kidding are important pieces in the education of both parents and their children about the dangers online,” said Marsali Hancock, director, the Internet Keep Safe Coalition. “In addition to the online resource center, the book itself adheres to the concept of the three parental ‘keeps.’ Parents should keep current on the technology, keep communicating, and keep checking up on their child. Remember, you are not invading your child’s privacy – the Internet is a public forum.”

“The Internet is a fun and educational place for kids and can be a safe place if parents take time in advance to make sure their children are protected,” said Nickel. “Education, both of the child and the parent, is an important part of that process. While some parents might wish to add tools like blocking software to their arsenal, the most important ingredient is their interest and involvement in what their child is doing online.”

Meanwhile, LeClerc points out that the dangers of technology aren’t limited to what is on the computer. “One of the important aspects of Just Kidding is that it points out the dangers of unrestricted use of cell phones by children. While parents may be carefully monitoring their computers, cell phones today have many of the same capabilities -- they are wireless, easily portable and more likely to be used without adult supervision.”

About the Beacon Street Girls

The Beacon Street Girls brand (BSG) provides great books, cool gifts, and a safe and interactive online world designed to celebrate the potential in every preteen girl. The brand was specifically created to empower “tweens,” those girls between the ages of 8 and 13, who are “between toys and boys.” Shaped by leading experts in adolescent development and current research on how to positively impact girls’ self-esteem, the Beacon Street Girls offer a fresh, exciting and healthier media alternative to today’s MTV-style world. Super fans in 94 countries and their parents have embraced the Beacon Street Girls as role models who are “just like me.”

Beacon Street Girls books are available wherever books are sold. Beacon Street Girls products are available at www.beaconstreetgirls.com.

Editorial Note: Images available.