Stop+Cyber+Bullying

The two worst swear words for a child during anytime of the year are “free time”. Particularly during the summer, these words can be extremely damaging. Why? It may allow Cyber Bullying to become a part of your household. What is Cyber Bullying? It’s the use of any digital device to display negative messages, images or video clips about others. This includes the use of chat rooms, message boards, websites, social networking sites, online gaming sites, cell phones, instant messages or e-mail. Verbal, physical and isolation bullying can result in a child becoming anxious and depressed. I believe that Cyber Bullying can develop these unwanted qualities much more quickly, because it can be done 24/7. With summer upon us, more “free time” may allow Cyber Bullying to escalate. In order to prevent my fear, parents must be proactive. First, they should discuss this topic with their children, just as they do other sensitive topics such as drinking, drugs and sex. Then, parents need to set up rules for the use of all technology in their home. One rule I recommend is “The Grandma Rule”. If you wouldn’t want your grandmother to read it, then you shouldn’t write it for all of the Cyber World to read. Plus, parents must make their children aware of the law! In other words, children must be aware that there are consequences to bullying. Parents should also encourage their children to be become “empowered bystanders”…these are children who will report cyber bullying that they receive about another person on their own equipment of technology. This is “KEY” in hindering the “success” of Cyber Bullying. If your child has been a victim of Cyber Bullying, you have many options for intervention. First, you save the evidence (print a hard copy or save the message on your computer). If it’s an isolated incident, you may wish to delete the sender or block your computer from the bully. You can also report the bullying to the site on which the comment was posted. If the cyber bully is a student in your child’s school, it can be reported to the school counselor, and he/she will check if other bullying had taken place in school with this perpetrator. Also, your school counselor can guide you with other avenues to take regarding this issue. If you feel comfortable, you can contact the bully’s parents. Many parents are shocked and thankful that this behavior has been brought to their attention. Unfortunately, others are bullies themselves and their child has learned this behavior from their own parents…in this case, it may not be an appropriate option and you may wish for a more “seasoned professional” to handle it. Which brings me to my final approach, which is contacting a lawyer and/or the police. Some areas have effective “Cyber Crime Units” that should be made aware of any bullying containing threats, intimidation or sexual exploitation. I believe this option should be used when the bullying is persistent and dangerous. Finally, as parents of a small community, you must not assume that Cyber Bullying would never happen here. That is not being proactive, nor realistic. The Laurel Community is a wonderful town to raise a child, but all forms of bullying happen anywhere and everywhere. A recent study of fourth graders showed that 65% of the students surveyed said that they had been intimidated or bullied. This statistic is unacceptable and disturbing. Please help your household establish proper, safe rules for technology. Spend time with your child during the summer, so that “free time” doesn’t become the “swear words” that allows technology to be used inappropriately in your household. There will always be bullies among us, but working together among school, home and community, we can limit the number and their effectiveness. Websites: [|www.cyberbullying.org] [|www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.org]

[|www.cyberbullyhelp.com] [|www.olweus.org] [|www.bullypreventioninstitute.org]

Peace, Todd Cole, Teacher of Masterpieces