12-18-2009 National:
When she was 13, Susan -- not her real name -- fell victim to cyber bullying.
One of her friends on Facebook posted a picture of actor Robert Pattinson, of "Twilight" fame. Susan left a lukewarm comment, saying the "Twilight" novels (which spawned the movies) were fine, but there were other, more interesting books to read.
Almost instantaneously, comments started flooding in, criticizing Susan. "It got way out of control," Susan said. "People told me I should kill myself, that I was a lesbian. They'd say 'bang, you've been gang raped!'"
The next day at school, a group of girls continued the taunting in person. "It went on for a whole year," Susan said. "I looked for any excuse not to go to school."
Back on Facebook, the comments kept piling up. "Really vile stuff," said Susan's mother, Nora Bateson.
After several attempts to convince Susan's school of the severity of the problem, a counselor joined Facebook and "friended" Susan's page so she could read the comments. Finally, the girl deemed most responsible for the bullying was called into the office.
Though Susan's life has mostly returned to normal, the original comment thread with all of the hateful messages remains on Facebook, a kind of memorial to the viral nature of teen interaction in the digital age. Susan still uses Facebook but says she's more cautious now. "Don't add anyone as a friend that you wouldn't tell a secret to," she said. "And avoid people who have reputations as bullies."
Her mother said the experience gave her a new appreciation for what teenagers face today and also underscores the challenge of parenting in the cyber age. "In many ways, this generation are the pioneers," Bateson says. "And there are no adults who can guide them based on first-hand experience."
While some might argue that the best answer to problems like Susan's is to simply unplug from technology, recent statistics and studies suggest that might not be so easy. In short, digital communication has become the lifeblood of the teenage experience.
According to a new study by Nielsen Mobile, the average cell-phone-carrying teen in the United States now sends 2,899 text messages every month. That's up 566 percent from just two years ago.
Another recent survey by The Associated Press and MTV found that one-third of teens and young adults age 14 to 24 engaged in "sexting," the practice of sending sexually explicit messages or pictures via text message. And a poll conducted by Common Sense Media found that nearly a quarter of all teens who belong to Facebook check their page more than 10 times each day.
"This generation is consumed by technology from birth," said Larry Rosen, a professor of psychology at California State University, Dominguez Hills, and the author of "Me, MySpace, and I: Parenting the Net Generation."
To hear Rosen tell it, kids today are fundamentally different from how their parents were at the same age. "These teens have grown up multitasking, and they believe in communication in a multitude of ways," Rosen said. "It means that parents have a new responsibility. We have to respect their style and try to understand the way that they operate."
Ridicule itself may simply be part of the teenage experience. It certainly is on Facebook, says 14-year-old Massimo Mullen-Lambert of Albany, Calif. "I try not to go to Facebook when I'm in a bad mood," he said. "Because people are likely to say something stupid to you, and then I fire back, and the arguments start."
Like many parents, Massimo's mother, Nina Mullen, says she gives her son latitude with texting and online time, "as long as he helps around the house, doesn't text at the dinner table and keeps up his grades."
As the chief technology officer at True/Slant, a news and opinion Web site, Steve McNally knows plenty about the Internet. And, as the father of three girls, ages 14, 12 and 7, he has become all too familiar with the shifting landscape of teenage communication.
"I'm definitely worried about the photos," McNally said. "We're constantly trying to get the message through that she shouldn't post anything inappropriate. When you post something online, you create a permanent record, and you open yourself up to ridicule."
McNally's 15-year-old, Olivia, says she sends about 8,000 text messages each month. "I can do it without looking at the keypad," she said, explaining that she, like her friends, often texts during class at their high school in Naples, Fla.
On Facebook, she has posted hundreds of pictures of herself that any of her more than 500 friends can view and comment on. That includes Olivia's parents, who say that part of their agreement allowing her to join the site was that she had to add them as friends so they could monitor her online activity.
And if parental boundaries aren't heeded?
"I've lost my cell and computer privileges this week," Olivia said. "Now I look forward to going to school because that's the only time I can communicate with friends." ..Source..
December 18, 2009
Cyber Lives of Teens Pose New Parenting Challenge
October 17, 2009
MO- Bully Web Site Lands Missouri Teen in Jail
10-17-2009 Missouri:
Cyber-bullying has become a major issue around the world. Teens across the U.S. and across the pond in Europe find themselves constantly faced with this new form of harassment. But if we had to pick one place as the epicenter of this disturbing new trend it would be Missouri.
The home state of Megan Meier, a girl who committed suicide just before her 14th birthday as a result of being bullied on MySpace, was one of the first to pass anti-cyber-bullying legislation and to expand local harassment laws to cover digital communications. Since the passage of that law, several high-profile cases have come out of the state, including one that involved a 21-year-old woman sending threatening and vulgar text messages to a 17-year-old girl. Now, the state has another cyber-bullying incident garnering national attention. A ninth-grade girl from the town of Troy has been arrested for creating a Web site dedicated to harassing and mocking a fellow student.
The site, which has been taken down, included the victim's name followed by "c**t.com." [Ed. note: Even we won't print that word.] The site featured photos of the target, along with several posts (all made anonymously, of course) disparaging her friends, calling her a slut, and saying she "would be better off if she just died." School district authorities were alarmed by the comments on the site when it was discovered, and quickly involved the local sheriff last Thursday. Lincoln County Sheriff's Department spokesman Lt. Andy Binder told Wired, "The website had very troublesome things posted on it by an individual who obviously had a dislike for the other female in the school."
Investigators were able to track down the creator of the site by talking to other students whose names appeared on it. The girl confessed to creating the page and was sent to a juvenile detention center. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, it's not clear whether or not the girl will face any criminal charges, but her school, The Troy Buchanan Ninth Grade Center, has already taken disciplinary measures. Federal law prohibits the disclosure of what the punishment is, but the school does have a strict no-bullying policy. April Huddleston, a spokeswoman for Lincoln County R-III School District, told Wired that possible penalties include expulsion.
Even though such digital torment seems to be growing in popularity, bullies will learn quickly that there is no such thing as true anonymity on the Internet. If you decide to take your harassment online, you will be caught. And, thanks to several high-profile cases, to paraphrase Apple, there's a law for that. ..Source.. by Terrence O'Brien
July 3, 2009
IL- Same Story, Different Day: Another Teen Suicide Associated with Bullying
7-3-2009 National - Illinois:
From Cyberbullying Blog:
Another story has surfaced where a teen committed suicide after experiencing bullying. The Chicago Tribune reports that Iain Steele, a 15-year-old boy from a western suburb of Chicago, hung himself in the basement of his home. This case, like many others, illustrates the omnipresent nature of adolescent bullying in the 21st century. Iain was bullied at school and online and really had nowhere to go to escape the torment.
Is it just me or are the facts of these kinds of tragedies eerily similar? In most of the bullycide or “cyberbullicide” cases that we are aware of, the story is often the same: a troubled teen who is taking medication for mental health issues is harassed by peers to the point of suicide. Many times a romantic relationship gone bad is also part of the equation. Schools and parents usually know that something is going on, but don’t know what to do to help. In some cases parents take some initial steps to try to rectify the situation (by meeting with school administrators or having doctors evaluate their children), but the bullying continues.
As the article points out, the link between adolescent bullying and suicide is very clear. Youth who are victims of bullying, and also those who bully, are at a higher risk for suicidal thoughts and attempts. Sameer and I have an article under review that extends that relationship to cyberbullying incidents. It’s yet another reason to take all forms of bullying seriously and to hold bullies accountable and provide support for targets. And yes, it is YOUR responsibility. ..Source.. by Cyberbullying blog
June 30, 2009
Cyberbullying and Sexting Topics of Discussion at Cox’s Annual Teen Summit in DC
Link to Cox Communication's slide presentation:
Cyberbullying Fact Sheet from Cyberbullying.us blog:
6-30-2009 National:
Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--When “think before you click” becomes as vital a lesson as “look before you leap,” it is clear that measures must be taken to create a safer cyber world for society’s youth.
For the fifth consecutive year, Cox Communications has partnered with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC) and John Walsh, host of America’s Most Wanted, to inform parents of the potential dangers of the Internet and provide ways they can protect their kids online. Under the auspices of Cox’s Take Charge! program, the partners will present the results of a new survey on the behavior of young people online and their use of wireless devices.
Taking place on June 24th, in Washington, DC, Cox Communications’ Annual National Summit will feature the survey in conjunction with a candid discussion with a teen focus group.
Under the auspices of Cox’s Take Charge! program, the partners are continuing their efforts to help parents and guardians understand the potential dangers of the Internet and how they can help keep their kids safer online though ongoing research and frank discussion at the fourth annual National Summit on Internet Safety which will be held in Washington, DC on June 24th.
WHAT:
Cox Communications’ 4th Annual National Summit on Internet Safety
WHEN:
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
- Teen Summit at 9:00 a.m.
- Virtual Media Conference at 10:45 a.m.
WHERE:
National Cable & Telecommunications Association
25 Massachusetts Avenue, NW – Suite 100
Washington, DC 20001
Woodbridge High School student Nieman Jeffrey of Irvine is one of just 10 teens chosen nationwide to attend the Summit and provide feedback on the dangers of cyberbullying and other risky and often risqué behaviors such as sexting. A staff member at the Boys & Girls Club, Jeffrey is a mentor and friend to many; a position that often places him on the frontlines of the challenges of teenage dynamics.
“While working at the Boys & Girls Club, two girls created a website to make fun of a boy. The website was intended to damage the boy’s self-esteem, which resulted in his becoming deeply depressed and hurt by the situation.” Jeffrey continues, “The staff members resolved the matter, but it was difficult, as the girls didn’t make the website at the Club. It required parents, staff and even the police working together to resolve the problem.”
“I feel that teens should be made more aware of the dangers of the Internet and cell phones, so they don’t have to make their own mistakes in order to learn.” Jeffrey concludes, “I believe that teens who have experienced cyberbullying or the consequences of sexting need to speak at assemblies and meetings in order for others to truly understand that these problems are real.”
At the June 24th Summit, Jeffrey will join other teens from Cox markets across the country in a discussion on cyber-safety and ways that parents, guardians and teen mentors can help children become safer online. Complete results of the survey and information from the teen discussion will be presented immediately following the Summit via virtual media conference; John Walsh and select teens will also be available to answer questions. Jeffrey will join fellow Summit participants to deliver the news directly to Capitol Hill in meetings with members of Congress on June 25th.
Key results from the survey conducted by Harris Interactive include:
-Technology enabled: 91% of teens have an email address and 60% have an instant messenger screen name. 63% of teens have a cell phone and 59% have a digital camera.
-Acceptance of Social Networking: 72% of teens surveyed have online social networking profiles, where many have posted photos of themselves and their friends, along with personal information.
-Conflicted over Safety: 59% of teens say having personal information or photos on a public site is unsafe, supported by 26% saying they know someone who has had a negative experience as a result. Still, 62% of teens post photos of themselves on blogs or social networking sites on which greater than 40% name their school or the city in which they live.
-Prevalent Cyberbullying: More than 33% of teens surveyed have been cyberbullied, perpetrated cyberbullying or know of friends who have experienced or perpetrated it, and 68% think it is a serious problem. An estimated four in five teens believe that bullying online is easier to get away with or to hide from their parents than bullying in person.
-Engaging in Sexting: 19% of teens surveyed have engaged in sexting -- sending, receiving or forwarding sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude photos through text message or email. 60% of teens who sent sexts say they send photos to their boyfriend/girlfriend, but 11% say they have sent sexts to someone they do not even know. 81% of teen sexters are under 18.
-Online Wirelessly: 19% of teens surveyed connect online via their cell phone and 19% say their parents are unaware. 80% of teens whose parents know they are online via their cell phone, say they are not given any limits or controls.
About Cox's Take Charge Initiative:
Cox's Take Charge! program was launched in 2004 to educate parents and guardians about the importance of Internet safety and help families gain the most from mass media in the home. It provides scores of resources to help parents and guardians manage their children’s use of the television, Internet and wireless devices. More information on Take Charge! is available at www.Cox.com/TakeCharge.
About the Survey
This survey was conducted online among 655 U.S. teens ages 13-18 within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Cox Communications between April 9 and 21, 2009. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated; a full methodology is available. ..Source.. by COX Communications
June 16, 2009
Cyberbullying and Sexting Topics of Discussion at Cox’s Annual Teen Summit in DC
6-16-2009 National:
Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--When “think before you click” becomes as vital a lesson as “look before you leap,” it is clear that measures must be taken to create a safer cyber world for society’s youth.
For the fifth consecutive year, Cox Communications has partnered with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC) and John Walsh, host of America’s Most Wanted, to inform parents of the potential dangers of the Internet and provide ways they can protect their kids online. Under the auspices of Cox’s Take Charge! program, the partners will present the results of a new survey on the behavior of young people online and their use of wireless devices.
Taking place on June 24th, in Washington, DC, Cox Communications’ Annual National Summit will feature the survey in conjunction with a candid discussion with a teen focus group.
Under the auspices of Cox’s Take Charge! program, the partners are continuing their efforts to help parents and guardians understand the potential dangers of the Internet and how they can help keep their kids safer online though ongoing research and frank discussion at the fourth annual National Summit on Internet Safety which will be held in Washington, DC on June 24th.
WHAT:
Cox Communications’ 4th Annual National Summit on Internet Safety
WHEN:
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
- Teen Summit at 9:00 a.m.
- Virtual Media Conference at 10:45 a.m.
WHERE:
National Cable & Telecommunications Association
25 Massachusetts Avenue, NW – Suite 100
Washington, DC 20001
Woodbridge High School student Nieman Jeffrey of Irvine is one of just 10 teens chosen nationwide to attend the Summit and provide feedback on the dangers of cyberbullying and other risky and often risqué behaviors such as sexting. A staff member at the Boys & Girls Club, Jeffrey is a mentor and friend to many; a position that often places him on the frontlines of the challenges of teenage dynamics.
“While working at the Boys & Girls Club, two girls created a website to make fun of a boy. The website was intended to damage the boy’s self-esteem, which resulted in his becoming deeply depressed and hurt by the situation.” Jeffrey continues, “The staff members resolved the matter, but it was difficult, as the girls didn’t make the website at the Club. It required parents, staff and even the police working together to resolve the problem.”
“I feel that teens should be made more aware of the dangers of the Internet and cell phones, so they don’t have to make their own mistakes in order to learn.” Jeffrey concludes, “I believe that teens who have experienced cyberbullying or the consequences of sexting need to speak at assemblies and meetings in order for others to truly understand that these problems are real.”
At the June 24th Summit, Jeffrey will join other teens from Cox markets across the country in a discussion on cyber-safety and ways that parents, guardians and teen mentors can help children become safer online. Complete results of the survey and information from the teen discussion will be presented immediately following the Summit via virtual media conference; John Walsh and select teens will also be available to answer questions. Jeffrey will join fellow Summit participants to deliver the news directly to Capitol Hill in meetings with members of Congress on June 25th.
Key results from the survey conducted by Harris Interactive include:
-Technology enabled: 91% of teens have an email address and 60% have an instant messenger screen name. 63% of teens have a cell phone and 59% have a digital camera.
-Acceptance of Social Networking: 72% of teens surveyed have online social networking profiles, where many have posted photos of themselves and their friends, along with personal information.
-Conflicted over Safety: 59% of teens say having personal information or photos on a public site is unsafe, supported by 26% saying they know someone who has had a negative experience as a result. Still, 62% of teens post photos of themselves on blogs or social networking sites on which greater than 40% name their school or the city in which they live.
-Prevalent Cyberbullying: More than 33% of teens surveyed have been cyberbullied, perpetrated cyberbullying or know of friends who have experienced or perpetrated it, and 68% think it is a serious problem. An estimated four in five teens believe that bullying online is easier to get away with or to hide from their parents than bullying in person.
-Engaging in Sexting: 19% of teens surveyed have engaged in sexting -- sending, receiving or forwarding sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude photos through text message or email. 60% of teens who sent sexts say they send photos to their boyfriend/girlfriend, but 11% say they have sent sexts to someone they do not even know. 81% of teen sexters are under 18.
-Online Wirelessly: 19% of teens surveyed connect online via their cell phone and 19% say their parents are unaware. 80% of teens whose parents know they are online via their cell phone, say they are not given any limits or controls.
About Cox's Take Charge Initiative:
Cox's Take Charge! program was launched in 2004 to educate parents and guardians about the importance of Internet safety and help families gain the most from mass media in the home. It provides scores of resources to help parents and guardians manage their children’s use of the television, Internet and wireless devices. More information on Take Charge! is available at www.Cox.com/TakeCharge.
About the Survey
This survey was conducted online among 655 U.S. teens ages 13-18 within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Cox Communications between April 9 and 21, 2009. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated; a full methodology is available. ..Source.. by COX Communications
April 10, 2009
PA- Cyber bullying and 'sexting' the focuses of presentation
4-10-2009 Pennsylvania:
When the relatively new violation of "sexting" recently made headlines at two nearby Westmoreland County school districts, it drove home for guidance counselor Sheila Mendicino the need to arm her older students at Saltsburg Elementary School and their parents against the many hazards youngsters could encounter through the Internet and today's various means of electronic communication.
About 20 people, including parents, community leaders and a few children, came to the school Tuesday evening for a presentation on cyber bullying and Internet safety moderated by Mendicino and sponsored by the school's PTA. The program will be repeated next Wednesday morning for the school's sixth-graders.
Several of the adults in the audience agreed with Tpr. Jeanne Martin, a presenter from the state police barracks in Greensburg, that youngsters need to be made aware of the serious nature, and potentially serious consequences, of bad behavior on the Internet or using hand-held devices --...ranging from subtle bullying to "sexting," the transmission of sexually explicit images among minors using cell phones.
(eAdvocate Post)
In the Westmoreland County territory they serve, state police at Greensburg "still aren't seeing a lot" of criminal cases resulting from cyber bullying, Martin said.
"We don't see a lot of it being reported to law enforcement, but it's out there, it's happening," she said.
"Maybe it's being rectified in-house in a school, or in a home between parents," she suggested.
Martin presented an informative slideshow on bullying that was prepared two years ago by a police officer in Pittsburgh's South Hills. It noted that many cases of cyber bullying go unreported.
Martin explained bullying consists of a series of repeated acts that are intentional, controlling and hurtful. It can take the form of physical confrontation -- more often seen when boys are involved -- or either emotional or social behavior.
Bullying is a learned behavior that can be picked up from others as early as age 2. It may lead to increased absenteeism and high school dropout rates.
Martin added that, like child abuse, bullying can trigger a vicious cycle, with an individual who was a victim as a youngster possibly growing up to bully a spouse or children.
The presentation noted that girls, more often than boys, are involved in more subtle forms of bullying: name calling, spreading rumors or deliberately excluding the victim from peer social circles.
Direct threats against a victim also may be involved.
According to a survey cited in Martin's presentation: 90 percent of middle school students reported having their feelings hurt online; 21 percent of eighth-graders reported being a victim of cyber bullying; 17 percent of girls and 10 percent of boys said they had bullied someone.
While digital online and wireless communication has become second nature to today's youth, "Parents are often clueless about the technology," Martin said. But they "have to keep up with them" to be able to monitor them and make sure they're not engaging in risky online behavior, she said.
Cyber bullying may be on the increase because of the relative ease involved and by the ability of the bully to avoid direct confrontation with her target. "It's oftentimes easier to do this through an electronic device than in the real world," Martin said.
With cyber bullying, comments about the victim also are easier to spread among others -- with the touch of a button or the click of a mouse.
The advent of online social networking sites such as MySpace.com and Facebook have only increased the opportunity for youngsters to engage in cyber bullying or, conversely, to become victims of bullying or of other serious offenses such as identity theft and sexual predation.
"Some of these sites are the first places predators look" for potential victims, Martin said, noting that chat functions associated with interactive online gaming sites also can be avenues for trouble.
If parents permit their children to use such sites, she suggested, they should be present to monitor the use and also should know the child's password for keeping tabs on his online activity.
Cell phone messages also should be monitored, she advised.
A disturbing Internet trend noted in the presentation is sites where young people express suicidal feelings and others may respond to encourage them to act on those feelings.
While Martin said such sites have not been involved in any cases investigated at the Greensburg barracks, the presentation cited online communications as a factor in the 2003 suicide of a 13-year-old boy in Vermont.
Bullying also was cited as a contributing factor in school shootings at Columbine and Virginia Tech.
Mendicino and several parents agreed that youngsters need to stop and think about the consequences to themselves and others before they initiate or perpetuate bad behavior online or via a cell phone.
While many bullying incidents don't become criminal cases, Martin indicated those that do could result in the perpetrator facing charges of harassment or terroristic threats.
"This is not a slap on the wrist," she noted. "These are misdemeanors or felonies."
"Just repeated, unwanted text messages are harassment, a misdemeanor offense," Martin pointed out. "It's repeated, unwanted behavior that doesn't really have a purpose."
Melissa Sullenberger, an intake officer with the Westmoreland County juvenile probation department, advised parents to take charge when a child is involved in such an incident: "The first thing you need to do is take the phone or computer from them."
She explained her department works with those ages 10-21 who have been charged with a criminal offense.
Sullenberger pointed out that an incidence of terroristic threats is graded as a first-degree misdemeanor. When her department is called in on such cases, she said, often "we will remove the child from the home and place them in detention until we find out if they're a risk to the community."
Of the 800 young people whose cases her department currently is handling, about 180 have been placed by court order in a setting such as a group or foster home or a drug and alcohol treatment facility, Sullenberger said.
In such instances, she noted, the parent's wages and Social Security and child support payments will be applied toward the placement fees, which typically range from $200 to $300 per day.
Sullenberger noted Westmoreland County has begun to offer in-home counseling services for the rest of the family while a juvenile offender is in placement and receiving his own counseling, but she noted funding for such services is in short supply.
She added that parents can privately seek counseling for a child they believe is involved in bullying or other misconduct.
Sexting is a newer offense that has come to the forefront with recent cases publicized in the Greensburg Salem and Southmoreland school districts.
Martin pointed out the Southmoreland incident, reported nearly a year after inappropriate images of a female juvenile were sent to numerous students' cell phones, highlights the compounding consequences of initial actions taken by a single cyber or cellular user.
"How many people do you think saw that in a year's time?" she asked.
Martin noted that each youth who receives such an image and then passes it along to a friend is equally subject to felony charges of electronically disseminating sexually explicit images of a minor.
"I don't think that occurs to a lot of kids" who may quickly pass along an illicit image they've been sent to a further circle of friends, said Michelle Jesko, a member of Saltsburg Borough Council. "They're not thinking its against the law, at that moment."
Questions and answers
Responding to questions from the audience, Sullenberger indicated that a criminal record a person obtains as a juvenile, even if punishment was limited to probation, will remain active for the remainder of the person's life unless a request is made, and granted by authorities, to have it expunged.
She acknowledged such a record can have a negative effect when the person applies to a college or for a job.
While acknowledging there have been bullying incidents in the past at Saltsburg Elementary, Mendicino indicated harmonious relations among students have prevailed recently. "This year has been a great year for us," she said, but she added she is concerned about "preparing our sixth-graders for going to the high school. I feel they're vulnerable."
Mendicino expressed hope that Martin's repeat presentation Wednesday about potential legal consequences of online harassment and illicit communications will hit home with Saltsburg's sixth-graders, reinforcing a bullying prevention campaign of posters and public-address announcements that urges all students to make responsible and respectful choices in their daily interactions.
"Think something through before you take an action," Mendicino advises students. "Put that pause in there, and always think about what you're doing."
She noted one teacher uses a giraffe image that challenges students to consider whether they "stick their neck out" for a peer who is being bullied.
Students are encouraged to "reflect at the end of the day on the choices they made," she added.
While Anne Long of New Alexandria RD said she believes the school's "bullying programs are making a difference," she noted she attended Tuesday's session to "see what to look for" in guarding against cyber bullying.
She said her two children, who are enrolled in the school's third and fifth grades, aren't yet involved in the cyber community, but she noted she has heard of other children who have been subject to bullying through cell phone communications.
She said the easy and widespread communication offered through cyberspace is "real scary. It's very easy to get to the kids without them knowing what's going on."
Dee Jeffers of Slickville said she similarly attended to get versed on the cyber hazards that could confront her son down the road. For now, she said, "He's not on the Internet; he just plays games on the computer." But, "He's 10, right around the corner from where he's going to want to be more involved."
Tuesday's program was not the first at the school to address cyber bullying or other Internet hazards.
A few years ago, local resident Ray Brannon presented an Internet safety program "Inspect Your Gadgets" at both Saltsburg's elementary and secondary schools.
A Bullying Prevention Committee has been active at the elementary school for at least nine years, while a Bully-Free Amazing Wonder Show recently was presented, along with a Bully-Free Schools Pledge, at the Saltsburg Middle/High School.
Martin said such programs bear repeating on a regular basis to make sure the message isn't lost on successive groups of students who move through the school.
She suggested that a common-sense, pro-active approach by parents, beginning early in their children's lives, is one of the most effective ways to prevent bullying: "It's the way we teach our kids to deal with other people."
Presenter Lisa Basinger of Greensburg's YMCA Tuesday encouraged parents to get their families involved in Y programs as a way of reinforcing ethics and positive values for their children. She noted that four different Y facilities are located within a 16-mile radius of the Saltsburg school, including sites in Indiana and Greensburg.
She said the Y offers programs for youths from pre-schoolers to teens, including before- and after-school activities, health and fitness and sports programs, aquatics, summer day camps and a camp counselor-in-training program.
Basinger presented a copy of "Proud Heritage," a 150th anniversary history of the YMCA, for placement in the elementary school's library. ..News Source.. by Jeff Himler, BLAIRSVILLE DISPATCH
November 6, 2008
ME- Halloween argument leads teens to online harassment
11-6-2008 Maine:
YORK — York police on Thursday, Oct. 30 — the evening the town celebrated Halloween — charged a juvenile with assault after a confrontation with another York High School student.
The teenagers were out trick-or-treating in Winterbrook when the incident occurred, said Sgt. Martin Doherty of the York Police Department.
The 14-year-old male, a York resident, was reportedly confronted by several other teenagers in an altercation that led to him pushing a girl. The juvenile female told her mom, and the two made an assault complaint to the police.
The juvenile male is scheduled to appear in York District Court on Jan. 5, 2009.
Both Doherty and York High School Principal Robert Stevens cautioned against allowing teenagers out on Halloween.
"I wish parents would exercise a little judgment in sending kids out to problem areas on problem nights," Stevens said.
However, the incident did not end Thursday evening.
"The next day they're all e-mailing each other and threatening each other," Doherty said. Comments were apparently made over MySpace.com pages.
The issue of Internet harassment — or cyberbullying, as it's often called — needs to be addressed and monitored by parents, both Doherty and Stevens said.
"(Parents) should police these kids on the computer," Doherty said.
Stevens also cautioned that many students don't know the full repercussions of their online actions.
"More and more, colleges and universities look at MySpace accounts as part of their applications to college, and kids are shocked when they find that out," he said. ..News Source.. by Allison Knab
October 9, 2008
Bullying of teenagers online is common, UCLA psychologists report
10-9-2008 National:
Nearly three in four teenagers say they were bullied online at least once during a recent 12-month period, and only one in 10 reported such cyber-bullying to parents or other adults, according to a new study by UCLA psychologists.
Of those who were bullied online, 85 percent also have been bullied at school, the psychologists found. The probability of getting bullied online was substantially higher for those who have been the victims of school bullying.
"Bullying affects millions of students and is not limited to school grounds," said lead study author Jaana Juvonen, a professor of psychology and chair of UCLA's developmental psychology program. "Bullying on the Internet looks similar to what kids do face-to-face in school. The Internet is not functioning as a separate environment but is connected with the social lives of kids in school. Our findings suggest that especially among heavy users of the Internet, cyber-bullying is a common experience, and the forms of online and in-school bullying are more alike than different."
The research is based on an anonymous Web-based survey of 1,454 participants between the ages of 12 and 17, who were recruited through a nationally popular teen website from August through October 2005. The psychologists' findings appear in the September issue of the Journal of School Health.
Forty-one percent of the teenagers surveyed reported between one and three online bullying incidents over the course of a year, 13 percent reported four to six incidents and 19 percent reported seven or more incidents, Juvonen said.
Many teenagers do not realize how many of their peers are being bullied online and think cyber-bullying happens much more to them than to others, she said.
"When kids start thinking, 'It's just happening to me,' they likely blame themselves, and once they do that, it increases their risk of depression," Juvonen said. "Kids don't know how common cyber-bullying is, even among their best friends. Cyber-bulling is not a plight of a few problematic children but a shared experience."
Why do so few teenagers tell their parents about being bullied online?
The most common reason for not telling an adult, cited by half the bullied participants, was that teens believe they "need to learn to deal with it." In addition, 31 percent reported that they do not tell because they are concerned their parents might restrict their Internet access. This concern was especially common among girls between the ages of 12 and 14, with 46 percent fearing restrictions, compared with 27 percent of boys in the same age group. One-third of 12-to-14-year-olds reported that they didn't tell an adult out of fear that they could get into trouble with their parents.
Many parents have little understanding of their children's Internet use.
"Many parents do not understand how vital the Internet is to their social lives," Juvonen said. "Parents can take detrimental action with good intentions, such as trying to protect their children by not letting them use the Internet at all. That is not likely to help parent-teen relationships or the social lives of their children."
Most children are using the Internet mainly to connect with friends, not to meet new people, previous research has shown.
"Kids are mainly using the Internet to maintain relationships like we used to in the old days when we called a friend or walked to someone's house," Juvonen said. "It's a way for kids to maintain connections with their friends."
Seventy-three percent of the participants who reported being cyber-bullied said they knew, or were pretty sure they knew, who was doing the bullying.
"This finding is counter to the prevalent myth that cyber-bullying is anonymous," Juvonen said.
The research does not support the assumption that the Internet is dramatically changing the nature of bullying.
Of those participants who experienced bullying, 51 percent said the bullying was done by schoolmates, 43 percent said they were bullied by someone they knew only online and 20 percent said they were bullied by someone they knew, but who was not from school.
The most prevalent forms of bullying online and in school involved name-calling or insults. Password theft was the next most common cyber-bullying tactic. Bullying also includes threats, sending embarrassing pictures, sharing private information without permission and spreading nasty rumors.
Both in-school and online bullying experiences were independently associated with increased social anxiety, said UCLA psychology research fellow Elisheva Gross, co-author of the study and co-president of Barnraising Inc., a new media and art education and youth-development company.
Electronic communication devices are not the cause of problem behavior among teenagers but are tools that can be used to interact with peers in both antisocial and healthy ways, Juvonen said.
Parents and other adults may overestimate the risk of bullying online and downplay the risk of bullying in school, said Juvonen, who recommends that schools try to reduce both. Schools are getting better at taking action to reduce bullying — including teaching students strategies for coping with and responding to bullying — and some of them address cyber-bullying as well, she said.
"There is no reason why cyber-bullying should be 'beyond' the school's responsibility to address," Juvonen said. "Rather, it seems that schools need to enforce intolerance of any intimidation among students, regardless of whether it takes place on or beyond the school grounds."
Many children are using the Internet in the privacy of their bedrooms, which Juvonen does not consider a good idea, because it makes it harder for parents to monitor.
While name-calling and spreading rumors may look rather benign, children often find them hurtful, Juvonen and Gross said.
In research from 2005 by Juvonen and Adrienne Nishina, an assistant professor of human development at the University of California, Davis, nearly half the sixth graders at two Los Angeles-area public schools said they were bullied by classmates during a five-day period.
"Bullying is a problem that large numbers of kids confront on a daily basis at school; it's not just an issue for the few unfortunate ones," Juvonen said.
The earlier research by Juvonen and Nishina showed that children are emotionally affected on the days they get picked on. The students who were beat up and those who were called names were equally bothered.
"Students reported feeling humiliated, anxious or disliking school on days when they reported incidents, which shows there is no such thing as 'harmless' name-calling or an 'innocent' punch," Juvonen said.
Bullying occurs across ethnic groups and income brackets, said Gross, who has received funding from the UCLA Children's Digital Media Center.
In another 2005 study, Nishina and Juvonen reported that middle school students who are bullied in school are likely to feel depressed, lonely and miserable, which in turn makes them more vulnerable to further bullying incidents. Harassment at school interferes with the ability to learn and makes many students want to withdraw, Juvonen said.
Children who are embarrassed or humiliated about being bullied in school are unlikely to discuss it with their parents or teacher, Juvonen and Nishina found. Instead, they are more likely to suffer in silence and dislike school.
Juvonen advises parents to talk with their children about bullying before it ever happens, pay attention to changes in their children's behavior and take their concerns seriously.
Students who get bullied often have headaches, colds and other physical illnesses, as well as psychological problems.
Of the 1,454 participants in the recent survey, 75 percent were female, 66 percent were Caucasian, 12 percent were African American, 9 percent were Latino/Hispanic and 5 percent were Asian American. All 50 states were represented. ..Source.. by Stuart Wolpert swolpert@support.ucla.edu
September 19, 2008
PA- Cyber Bullies Attack Social Networking Sites
9-19-2008 Pennsylvania:
If you take a closer look at myspace, facebook, and other social networking websites you'll find vicious words like slut and sex offender, written by students in our area describing their classmates and teachers!
We've also learned how hateful messages like that can lead to tragedy, after the much publicized suicide of California teenager Megan Meier and Vermont's young Ryan Halligan.
Serena Martin who attends Philadelphia University says she's familiar with cyber bullying. "It gets back to school and everyone goes against each other because of what people say on MySpace or Facebook and like they'll get into fights and teachers never took charge."
They're hands were tied because it happened OFF school property. Times however have changed. A new Pennsylvania law signed by Governor Rendell over the summer requires all schools in the state to put a cyber bullying disciplinary code in place by January. It allows for detention and even expulsion.
That's a relief to many superintendents and students through the area who are hoping to curb the cruelty. You can see their reaction in our video report.
Technology attorney Dorothy Bollinger wants to remind students and parents that sometimes, school discipline just can't go far enough. Bollinger says, "Sometimes it really involves getting an attorney involved because it's so harmful to the child. You would have to file a lawsuit of defamation, extortion, or harassment."
So we're giving generation tech a heads up! Be careful what you write because it could send you to the principal's office… or worse.
And, one more note. If you've been a victim of online harassment and those hateful messages are still out there in Google searches. You can eliminate them from searches by going to sites like reputationdevender.com or defendmyname.com. That will certainly help you when you enter the work force, since you really don't want your boss's Google search to turn up some nasty false information!
Good luck, stay safe on the web, and try to be nice to one another! ..News Source.. by CBS2
July 29, 2008
KY- Does Kentucky new bullying law go far enough?
7-29-2008 Kentucky:
LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - WAVE 3 is committed to helping parents in the fight to keep kids safe from bullying. Earlier this year, we helped get a law passed that's now in effect, but will it help fight the new bully who does battle online? WAVE 3 Investigator Janelle MacDonald is looking into what the law can and cannot do to protect your kids.
The one thing we can say for sure is that parents are frustrated. After doing these stories in the past, we've heard from lots of you at your wits end.
You're not sure who to turn to when it comes to protecting your kids. As we go about our daily lives, every once in a while, we encounter those age old problems - issues, it seems, without answers. Could bullying be one of them? Certainly, we've all experienced it.
One man tells us, "I was bullied around quite a bit when I was in school."
Another says, "Having to tell the principal otherwise you'd get hurt really bad."
A woman says, "Locked me in the closet something like that."
But school officials will tell you that bullying has changed from when you were in school. Jefferson County Public School's Maurice Risner is in charge of student safety. He says, "It's becoming more of an issue, again, because of the text messaging and the cyber bullying."
Bullying has moved from the schoolyard to online and your - or worse your child's - computer.
Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway says, "Psychologists are telling us that it's more damaging than the typical face to face bullying that we know."
Conway tells WAVE 3 his office has been really involved in trying to catch the law up to technology. He says this new bullying bill WAVE 3 helped push for does address cyber-bullying. It requires schools to report it and any other felony offenses.
Conway says, "If the bullying rises to a certain level, they have to report it to law enforcement."
The problem is school officials say they can't intervene in some cases.
"If it's two students who are on their home computers and they're not linking it back to school, that's going to be interesting there," Risner says.
Even Conway says, "I'll readily grant that this is a gray area. It's a tough area."
In fact, the new law only makes cyber-bullying alone a misdemeanor so don't try going to the police. They have to witness a misdemeanor crime to investigate. Most parents don't want to wait for their kids to be the victim of a felony. So what can you do?
Conway says, "In this new and challenging culture, parents have to get more engaged."
In a lot of cases, that means going after prosecution yourself. Paul Richwalsky is in charge of the Juvenile Court Division for the Jefferson County Attorney. He says, "We've got zero tolerance. Those kids all come to court."
He says if your child is being bullied, you can file paperwork yourself to get a juvenile case started against the bully, but he says, "it has to rise to the level of a criminal offense. Bad words usually doesn't rise to that."
Richwalsky says his office does prosecute bullies and the more documentation you have, the better.
"We can do cases with somebody's word against somebody else's word, but if you can substantiate it," said Richwalsky.
So yes, while we've all experienced bullying and it may seem like there's not a lot of help out there for parents, educators say we've got to do something.
Risner says, "Just because it happened in the past, doesn't mean it's ok because it's hurt a lot of people."
The Court Designated Workers Office is where you would go to file a juvenile complaint, but make sure you think a crime has been committed first. The number in Jefferson County is 595-0036.
Meanwhile, the Attorney General tells me parents need to make sure they know what their kids are doing online and have access to their MySpace and Facebook pages. That way you know if they're being bullied.
We've also made it easy for you to find other things you can do to fight cyber-bullying go to wave3.com and use the speed word "bully."
WAVE 3 would like to make sure the law is doing all it can to fight online dangers. Conway tells WAVE 3 there may never be a perfect law to prevent cyber-bullying, but he's working on others. You may remember the bill we told you about earlier this year. It would create the crime of cyberstalking, prohibit sex offenders from getting on websites like MySpace and allow parents to search email addresses of registered sex offenders. It passed the Kentucky House but failed in the Senate this past session.
Conway says, "If people are interested in this bill, contact your State Senator, contact your State House Member and say that the House Bill 367 from this last session is one that they want to see passed."
Conway says he plans on prefiling the same bill again for the upcoming session. ..News Source.. by Janelle MacDonald
