Nancy Willard, M.S., J.D.

Center for Safe and Responsible Use of the Internet
474 W 29th Avenue, Eugene, OR 97405
(541) 556-1145

Email: nwillard@csriu.org

Nancy E. Willard received a Bachelors of Science in Elementary and Early Childhood Education from the University of Utah in 1975, a Masters of Science in Special Education from the University of Oregon, 1977, and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Willamette University College of Law in 1983.

She taught “at risk” children with emotional and behavior difficulties, practiced law in areas of computer law and copyright, and provided consulting services to schools on the implementation of educational technology, before focusing her professional attention on issues of youth risk online and effective student Internet use management in schools.

Nancy is director of the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use. This Center provides for educators and other professionals on youth risk online issues. She frequently lectures and conducts workshops for educators on policies and practices related to Internet use in schools and has written numerous articles on this subject. She is expanding her ability to present online workshops for professionals and is creating narrated presentations for teacher professional development and parents. 

In 1995, Willard published Legal and Ethical Issues Related to K-12 Internet Use Policies. This online document, the first analysis of its kind, became a widely recognized resource for educators in the early stages of the implementation of the Internet in schools. Many school districts around the country have policies that are grounded in this early work of Willard. A later version of this document was published in the Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal (Volume 2000, No. 2). The most recent version of this work is now published online as Safe and Responsible Use of the Internet: A Guide for Educators.

Nancy’s book, Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats: Responding to the Challenge of Online Social Aggression, Threats, and Distress (2007 Research Press), provides educators and other professionals with insight into the concerns of cyberbullying, plus guidance on how schools can implement a comprehensive plan to address cyberbullying through policies, Internet and cell-phone use management, education of students and parents and a process to investigate cyberbullying incidents and effectively respond. Additional resources for educators are available through the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use cyberbullying site at http://csriu.cyberbully.org.

Nancy’s book for parents and other adults, Cyber-Safe Kids, Cyber-Savvy Teens, Helping Young People Use the Internet Safety and Responsibly (2007 Jossey-Bass) provides a comprehensive overview of all Internet safety and responsible use concerns, plus insight into influences on online behavior and extensive background information on effective parenting of today’s totally wired children and teens. More information and resources on http://cyber-safe-kids.com.

Nancy Willard lives in Eugene, Oregon, with her three children and various and assorted 4 and 2-legged animals.