Why Should Educators Be Concerned About Computer Crime and Technology Misuse?

As teachers, we are expected to provide a safe environment which allows a variety of different educational experiences. Technology allows us to broaden our repertoire of approaches, while the Internet provides students ready access to many different, high quality resources at minimal cost. Teachers incorporating technology should have a basic grasp of ways in which technology and technological communications can be used inappropriately, and should model appropriate behaviors and be vigilant when involving students in working with computer technologies and using computer-based communication.

For example, software piracy, unauthorized use or illegal copying of a software product, is often considered to be a victimless crime. In reality, it is far from victimless. It stifles new-product innovation, reduces research and development funds which come from software sales revenue, robs countries of tax revenue and eliminates jobs. According to the 1997 Global Piracy Report, the most current web-based analysis of worldwide software piracy, four out of ten business software applications were pirated in 1997, with an annual dollar loss estimate of $11.4 billion. In fact, Carol Bartz, the president and chairman of Autodesk, Inc. (www.autodesk.com), states that many software companies are reluctant to pursue the educational market due to concerns that several copies of purchased software may lead to millions of copies of illegal software, produced "in the name of educating children" (Fighting Computer Crime: A New Framework for Protecting Information, Donn B. Parker, 1998).

As educators, we have the opportunity to impact the way our students see and interact with the rest of the world. Our resource, Educator's Guide to Computer Crime and Technology Misuse, introduces many topics we consider essential for teachers and administrators to understand and consider when integrating technology-based activities to their teaching and professional activities. Please contact us if you have any thoughts or ideas we should consider as we continue to develop this resource.

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