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Illinois Governor, Rod Blagojevich, finally signed SB2426, into law.  Now known as the Cyberbullying Law, the new law amends the Harassing and Obscene Communications Act.

Good news for folks in Illinois.  Governor Rod Blagojevich signed the Internet Safety Education Curriculum Bill into law this morning.  The new law goes into effect for the 2009/2010 school year.  The law requires schools to include Internet safety into their curriculum in grades three and above at least once a year and also includes a few other stipulations

At least, it's a start.

Mary and Morgan Corrodi have been missing from their California home since Sunday.   The twins , 16-years-old, are developmentally disabled and according to their parents, and although they look older than 16, they are quite "naive".  

The parents recently discovered the girls had MySpace and Facebook profiles and are concerned the girls may have met someone online.  Currently, law enforcement officials have not issued an Amber Alert.  If you have any information, contact the local law enforcement officials.  More to follow.

If you have children who are of driving age who have cell phones, read on.

The idea of children driving while talking on cell phones is concerning for many parents.   But many children not only talk on the phone while driving, they drive and text at the same time.  Some states are now looking at this growing safety issue and taking steps to prevent this behavior behind the wheel. 

Where does your state stand regarding cell phone driving laws?  The Governors Highway Safety Association provides such information for parents and adults.

A new tool, Cyberbully Alert, is now available for parents and schools to help combat the rapidly growing electronic bullying trend.

Study after study suggests that most children do not tell a trusted adult if they have been bullied online.  The Cyberbully Alert tool allows children to notify parents if they have been targeted by bullies.

The tool could not be easier.  Children simply click the Cyberbully Alert button, located in the system tray, if a incident has taken place.  A "picture" or screenshot is taken and is stored in a folder for later viewing. A message is also sent to parents or pre-approved recipients notifying them by email and text message that a threat has just occurred.

This service is not free.  Visit the website for further details.

America's Most Wanted host John Walsh, will be hosting a LIVE online safety webcast on Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008,  at noon.

Mr. Walsh will discuss a wide variety of tips, suggestions and other online safety information invaluable for parents in this limited space event.  He will also be answering your questions, submitted via email.   Registration is required and space is limited. Visit Take Charge for more information.

After three years, a cyberbullying bill has finally passed in Florida.

Last month, Governor Charlie Crist signed the "Jeffrey Johnston Stand Up for All Students Act" which ended a long and drawn-out three-year struggle for Jeff's mom, Debbie. 

In 2005, Jeff committed suicide after being repeatedly harassed and bullied online for two years.  Debbie, a Florida school teacher, began her three-year crusade to stop bullying and cyberbullying.  Although numerous bills were introduced over the years to combat this rapidly growing issue,  but until last month they fell by the wayside.

The new law prohibits harassment and bullying of any public school student or employee, which includes electronic bullying/harassment,  and requires school district to develop anti-bullying and harassment policies.