The most important thing to know about cyber bullying is that it CAN be stopped. Everyone can do his or her part to put an end to this issue that’s taking our nation by storm. Here’s what to do:
If you are being cyber bullied:
• Tell a trusted adult about what’s happening and keep telling them until the adult takes action.
• Don’t open or read messages by cyber bullies.
• Tell your school if it’s school related. Most schools have bullying solutions.
• Don’t erase the messages—they may be needed to take action.
• Protect yourself—never agree to meet with the person.
• If you’re bullied through chat or instant messaging, try to “block” the bully.
• If you are threatened and feel you’re in danger, call your local police department.
If you are a parent:
• Stay in the loop as to what’s going on in your child’s life.
• Always ask: “What are you doing and who are you doing it with?”
• Be on the look out for signs such as a change in mood, odd pictures or messages, a change in school performance, ect.
• If you think something is wrong, don’t wait until it’s too late.
• If you know your child is being bullied, report the incident immediately to your Internet or phone service provider, local police, and your child’s school if appropriate.
If you know someone being bullied or who is bullying someone else:
• Never pass along cyber bullying messages.
• Tell your friends to stop cyber bullying.
• Block communication with cyber bullies.
• If you’re concerned about a victim, tell a trusted adult.
For more information visit or call:
The National Crime Prevention Council
WiredSaftey.com
StopBullyingNow.com
1-866-SPEAK UP (773-2587) or your local anonymous hotline
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
The Truth About Cyber Bullying
Lucky for me, I have an expert on cyber bullying right in my own house. My dad, Allen, is a middle school principal that deals with numerous issues, including cyber bullying, on a daily basis. In a short interview, the truth about cyber bullying came out.
Me: How often does cyber bullying happen?
Dad: We don't really know. It’s hard to pinpoint an exact number. It probably happens more than we think. We do know that every school year we get more reports than the last. It’s definitely growing.
Me: What do you find is the most common situation it terms of gender and medium?
Dad: Mostly girls using Facebook, texting, and emails. There is a new sight called “formspring” that kids use now that is totally anonymous. It allows kids to ask anonymous questions to anyone with a “formspring” page. They get vicious on that.
Me: How does the administration respond to cyber bulling incidents? Do parents and teachers come directly to you?
Dad: Parents will call me. If a student specifically mentions that it happened at school we can respond with school discipline. If it causes a disruption in school, we can try to use school discipline, but it’s usually hard to prove. I recommend parents call the police if there are threats or if it’s repeated harassment. I’ll call parents of students to inform them of what they are doing and even read what they write if the victim gives me the printouts.
Me: What are school districts doing about this? Are they adopting new legislation or policies against cyber bullying?
Dad: School districts are being more proactive by providing information to parents and guardians. We’re also talking to kids about the consequences and working with law enforcement. We have to be very careful about school discipline for incidents that take place outside of school.
Me: Can you give me an example of in incident you’ve had at school? (Names will be left out for privacy reasons.)
Dad: The most recent incident was a girl that was being texted, emailed, facebooked that she was a bitch, lesbian and a liar by a group of students, mostly girls, but there was no reference to school. The bullies claimed the victim was a "mean girl" in school and that they were getting her back after school. These girls were smart because they knew we couldn't do anything if no incidents happened on school grounds. We told the victim’s mother to call the police, but she didn't want to. She wanted her daughter transferred. Right now the parents haven't even provided us any proof that she has been cyber bullied, but the victim hasn't been to school in 2 weeks because she’s too afraid.
Whether we chose to believe it or not, cyber bullying is happening at every school around the country. While it seems school officials are providing hope for a decline in cyber-bullying cases, this issue is still growing. Bullies are finding more and more loopholes that allow them to torment other students without getting in trouble. How scary is that?
Me: How often does cyber bullying happen?
Dad: We don't really know. It’s hard to pinpoint an exact number. It probably happens more than we think. We do know that every school year we get more reports than the last. It’s definitely growing.
Me: What do you find is the most common situation it terms of gender and medium?
Dad: Mostly girls using Facebook, texting, and emails. There is a new sight called “formspring” that kids use now that is totally anonymous. It allows kids to ask anonymous questions to anyone with a “formspring” page. They get vicious on that.
Me: How does the administration respond to cyber bulling incidents? Do parents and teachers come directly to you?
Dad: Parents will call me. If a student specifically mentions that it happened at school we can respond with school discipline. If it causes a disruption in school, we can try to use school discipline, but it’s usually hard to prove. I recommend parents call the police if there are threats or if it’s repeated harassment. I’ll call parents of students to inform them of what they are doing and even read what they write if the victim gives me the printouts.
Me: What are school districts doing about this? Are they adopting new legislation or policies against cyber bullying?
Dad: School districts are being more proactive by providing information to parents and guardians. We’re also talking to kids about the consequences and working with law enforcement. We have to be very careful about school discipline for incidents that take place outside of school.
Me: Can you give me an example of in incident you’ve had at school? (Names will be left out for privacy reasons.)
Dad: The most recent incident was a girl that was being texted, emailed, facebooked that she was a bitch, lesbian and a liar by a group of students, mostly girls, but there was no reference to school. The bullies claimed the victim was a "mean girl" in school and that they were getting her back after school. These girls were smart because they knew we couldn't do anything if no incidents happened on school grounds. We told the victim’s mother to call the police, but she didn't want to. She wanted her daughter transferred. Right now the parents haven't even provided us any proof that she has been cyber bullied, but the victim hasn't been to school in 2 weeks because she’s too afraid.
Whether we chose to believe it or not, cyber bullying is happening at every school around the country. While it seems school officials are providing hope for a decline in cyber-bullying cases, this issue is still growing. Bullies are finding more and more loopholes that allow them to torment other students without getting in trouble. How scary is that?
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