B13-INTERNET USE POLICY

1. Purpose
    This policy relates to the use of computers or Internet access through, during, or as part of any Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated (“Delta”) Youth Initiative Program (“Program”) or sponsored event. The purpose of the policy is to protect the participating youth from gaining access to undesirable materials on the Internet; from making undesirable contacts over the Internet; and to prevent unacceptable use of the Internet by youth participants, including, but not limited to, using the Internet for cyberbullying. The focus of the policy is on both personal and shared responsibility.

2. Definitions and Illustrative Examples
    A. Examples of Prohibited Materials
      • Pornographic images or obscene images or text on Internet websites.
      • Material that contains abusive, profane, inflammatory, coercive, defamatory,
        blasphemous, or otherwise offensive language on websites or in e-mail messages.
      • Racist, exploitative, or illegal material or messages on websites or in e-mail.
    B. Examples of Prohibited Contacts
      • Responding to e-mail messages or solicitations (through advertisements or web postings) from unknown or unverified parties who seek to establish a youth’s identity and/or to communicate with the youth for any purpose.
     • Initiating contact with unknown or unverified parties or parties seeking to contact
         youth for any purposes.
    C. Examples of Prohibited Contacts
        • Deliberately searching for and accessing prohibited materials.
        • Creating and transmitting e-mail messages that contain unacceptable language or content, such as that listed above in 2A, bullet 2; and
       • Creating and publishing Internet materials that contain unacceptable language and content.
     D. Examples of Cyber-bulling
           Cyber-bullying includes, but is not limited to, the following misuses of technology: harassing, teasing, intimidating, threatening, or terrorizing another individual by way of any technological tool, such as  sending or posting inappropriate or derogatory email messages, instant messages, text messages, digital pictures or images, or website postings which has the effect of:
• Physically, emotionally, or mentally harming an individual.
• Placing an individual in reasonable fear of physical, emotional, or mental harm.
• Placing an individual in reasonable fear of damage to or loss of personal property; or
• Creating an intimidating or hostile environment that substantially interferes with an
individual’s educational opportunities
3. Unintentional Exposure of Youth to Prohibited Materials on the Internet
 It is Delta’s policy that Chapters must undertake every reasonable step to prevent exposure of youth participants to undesirable materials on the Internet. It is recognized that this can happen not only through the youth deliberately searching for such materials, but also unintentionally when a justifiable Internet search yields unexpected results.

To prevent such occurrences the Chapter shall adopt the following practices:
 A. Chapters should use an Internet Provider or software that blocks access by:
  • Filtering sites by a grading process, and
  • Filtering sites by language content and prohibiting sites with unacceptable vocabulary.
 B. Chapters must strictly supervise Internet usage:
  • Adults must strictly supervise youth participants’ Internet activity, and there should be
   no searching of the Internet without a supervisor checking periodically during use and
   reviewing the sites accessed after a youth logs off.
  • Install appropriate language filtering software (e.g., Net Nanny).

4. Intentional Access of Prohibited Materials by Youth
 Chapters shall explain clearly and firmly to the youth that they are prohibited from intentionally accessing prohibited material on the Internet. The youth also must be informed that if she/he violates this policy, she/he will be disciplined, and her/his Parents or Guardian will be notified. Chapters must follow through with disciplining the youth and notifying the Parents or Guardians.

5. Deliberate Access to Prohibited Materials by Adults
 Adults are prohibited from deliberately accessing prohibited materials. Any adult who violates this policy will be terminated as a volunteer.

6. Receipt and transmission of e-mails by youth
 It is recognized that, even with training and supervision, youth may receive or transmit e-mail messages that contain unacceptable (or even prohibited) language or content. It is also recognized that some people may try to use e-mail to identify and contact children for
unacceptable reasons.

To avoid these problems, Chapters should adopt the following practices:
 A. Use an Internet e-mail service that guarantees the bona-fide nature of e-mail communicants
and that vets youth’s e-mail for undesirable content.
 B. Depending on the circumstances and the youth's age or maturity, allow youth to read e-mail messages only when an adult is present or when the messages have been previewed by an adult.
 C. Take steps to verify the identity of anyone seeking to establish regular e-mail communications
with youth.
 D. Allow youth to send e-mail messages only when the contents have been approved by an adult. If staff or volunteers believe that youth have been targeted with e-mail messages by parties with criminal or inappropriate intent, immediately take the following steps:
retain the messages; record the incident by completing the Risk Management Incident Report form; inform the youth’s Parents; report the incident to law enforcement or other local or state authorities, and report the incident to the Chapter President and the Regional Director.

7. Publishing Materials on the Internet
No materials, whether created by volunteers or youth participants, that contain any prohibited images, language, or content shall be published on the Internet. Infringement of this rule shall result in disciplinary action. No materials shall be published on the Internet that reveals the identity of any youth.

8. Use of Delta’s Internet by Visitors and Guests
No visitor or guest shall be allowed to use any Delta computer.

9. Intellectual Property Rights
A. Delta’s Intellectual Property. No individual member owns any of Delta’s intellectual property (which includes any Delta logo, word(s), or phrase(s) commonly associated with, and understood to refer to, Delta, and the “look” of any Mark used to distinguish merchandise and service as being associated with or related to Delta. Thus, no member is authorized to use such property for any inappropriate or any commercial purpose (i.e., to make money from using the property or to promote other causes), or to authorize any third party to use Delta’s intellectual property for any purpose. See Delta’s Code of Conduct, Social Media Guidelines, and Primer on the Use of the Intellectual Property of Delta.
B. Third Partiers” Intellectual Property Rights. All materials on the Internet are copyrighted and/or trademarked unless copyright has been expressly waived. Delta respects the intellectual property rights (copyright, trademarks, service marks, and related rights) of third-party owners Internet materials, and Delta assumes no liability for violations of any intellectual property rights by volunteers or youth participants.

10. Parental Approval of Publication of Photographs or Other Materials
Chapters may publish photographs of youth participants on the Internet only if the Parent or Guardian has granted authorization. Depending on the nature and content, other materials may be published so long as the Parent or Guardian has given written consent. Delta must obtain the signed Photograph, Media, and Video Authorization Form from the Parents/Guardians of a youth before publishing any content that includes images of a youth participant (Appendix B2)