Please let us know if you encounter any problems or have suggestions. To send a comment, click here to be taken to our contact section. Please use the word FAQ in your comment.

• Q: What is the goal of the Initiative?
• A: Improve cyber safety, security and ethics education for K-12th grade students, and to provide training in these topics for teachers, parents, employers and other members of the community.

• Q: Will research continue after the first year?
• A: Yes. Ongoing survey research is designed to target needed education and training.

• Q: Are research findings available to the public?
• A: Yes. Although information provided by student and adult survey respondents is confidential, research findings are provided publicly through participating school districts and organizations.

• Q: Is my District participating?
• A: Check this list of Districts.

• Q: How will surveys be administered?
• A: Surveys are completed online via secure websites hosted by the Rochester Institute of Technology. K-12th grade students will complete surveys using computers in their schools under the supervision of teacher or other adult staff. Teachers and parents can complete their versions of the survey from any location providing Internet access.

• Q: When will the survey start?
• A: Baseline surveys will be administered in May and June of 2007.

• Q: Will a preview of the survey be provided?
• A: Yes.  A preview of the student surveys is available along with a survey for teachers and parents.  Click here to be taken to the survey preview.

• Q: Will teachers get trained on how to administer the survey to students?
• A: Yes. All teachers and other school staff supervising survey taking by students will receive two hours of instruction provided by RIT researchers during a 10-day period beginning April 16th.

• Q: Where will Teacher training be held?
• A: Monroe BOCES2 located in Spencerport, and other school districts throughout the region, have offered to be training sites.

• Q: What are the research instruments?
• A: Five age-specific student surveys along with separate teacher and parent surveys have been developed. All surveys are designed to be taken online, with K-3rd grade students responding to “talking computer questions”. All surveys combined will help our community to learn how kids are vulnerable on the Internet, and what types of instruction, supervision and role modeling they need to remain safe while using computers.

• Q: Are surveys voluntarily?
• A: Yes. All surveys are completely voluntary. Anyone can decide not to participate for any reason. Individuals can also decide not to answer any particular question or stop taking the survey at anytime after they begin. Parents will notified in advance by schools about the research project and may review all survey instruments and questions prior to allowing their children to participate.

• Q: How long will it take students to complete the on line survey?
• A: Just a few minutes. Pilot tests reveal that K-3rd grade students need about ten minutes to have the survey explained and answer questions. 4th-6th graders need about 12 minutes to complete their version of the survey. Older students in grades 7th-12th need less than 20 minutes. Teachers can usually complete their survey in less than 10 minutes. Parents need approximately 20 minutes to complete their survey depending on the number of K-12th grade children they have in school.

• Q: What will my child do if he or she is not taking the survey?
• A: Students who do not receive their parent’s permission or who decide on their own not to take the survey will remain in their classroom or be appropriately supervised until class resumes.

• Q: My child has development or physical disabilities. Will he or she be allowed to take the survey?
• A: Yes. Provisions are being made to accommodate students with special needs.

• Q: How will survey data be used?
• A: Survey data will be used to understand ways in which cyber offending and victimization occur. This information will be used to select and possibly improve available education and training in Internet safety, information security and cyber ethics. Survey findings will also be used to inform organizational and community leaders about the kinds of cybercrime prevention programs and policies that are needed in order to keep people of all ages safe when they are using the Internet.

• Q: How is survey data secured?
• A: All survey data will remain completely confidential. Answers to survey questions will be recorded on a secure, remote server maintained by RIT and not attributable to any individual.

• Q: Can District parents volunteer to help?
• A: Yes. Help may be needed in local schools to help administer surveys especially to K-3rd grade students. Please contact your designated school or district cyber liaison official for more information.

At A Glance Information and Facts

Rochester Cyber Safety and Ethics Initiative
Here are some quick facts:

• Launched in 2006
• Founded by Dr. Sam McQuade, MPA, PhD, RIT and based on his initial research into student cyber behavior
• Over 25 Participating organizations including School Districts in Monroe and Ontario counties, BOCES1 and BOCES2 as well as local businesses.
• Research will begin in May & June 2007 at 22 area school districts
• Results and reports are expected to be completed by Fall 2007.

More school districts are joining the Initiative each month so check back often to see if your community is involved.