Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Ten Tips to Prevent Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is the practice of posting or sending harmful images or text via the Internet or other digital communication tools, such as cell phones, email, instant messaging, chat rooms, video game spaces or social networking environments such as My Space and Facebook. Following are some tips for parents and educators to help keep kids safe.
1. Tell students to never pass along harmful or cruel messages or images.
2. Train students to delete suspicious email messages without opening them.
3. Ask students to step up to friends who are cyberbullying and tell them to stop.
4. Teach students how to use technology to block communication with cyberbullies.
5. Speak to students about the importance of telling a parent or adult about any cyberbullying they’re witness to.
6. At home, supervise your child’s time online. Putting the computer in a common area, such as the kitchen, is a good idea.
7. Addressing cyberbullying school-wide is key -- help institute a formal policy for dealing with any cyberbullying instances. Be sure students fully understand the consequences. For some guidelines on crafting a program, visit HotChalk.com and see Preventing Cyberbullying: A Conversation with Mike Donlin.
8. Create a community outreach program to educate those beyond the school walls to the dangers of cyberbullying. Have students work with the Chamber of Commerce or other civic group to create an awareness campaign.
9. Teach students the basics of smart and savvy Web behavior, such as never revealing passwords or real last names.
10. Pay attention. If you notice a student is withdrawn, depressed or reluctant to attend school or social events, investigate.
1. Tell students to never pass along harmful or cruel messages or images.
2. Train students to delete suspicious email messages without opening them.
3. Ask students to step up to friends who are cyberbullying and tell them to stop.
4. Teach students how to use technology to block communication with cyberbullies.
5. Speak to students about the importance of telling a parent or adult about any cyberbullying they’re witness to.
6. At home, supervise your child’s time online. Putting the computer in a common area, such as the kitchen, is a good idea.
7. Addressing cyberbullying school-wide is key -- help institute a formal policy for dealing with any cyberbullying instances. Be sure students fully understand the consequences. For some guidelines on crafting a program, visit HotChalk.com and see Preventing Cyberbullying: A Conversation with Mike Donlin.
8. Create a community outreach program to educate those beyond the school walls to the dangers of cyberbullying. Have students work with the Chamber of Commerce or other civic group to create an awareness campaign.
9. Teach students the basics of smart and savvy Web behavior, such as never revealing passwords or real last names.
10. Pay attention. If you notice a student is withdrawn, depressed or reluctant to attend school or social events, investigate.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Bullying
A bystander is someone who happens to be there when something is happening.
This topic is about being a bystander when someone is being bullied.
This topic is about being a bystander when someone is being bullied.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Cyberbullies and Bullies - Advice for Teens and Tweens
For anyone dealing with cyberbullies and in-person bullies, it can feel hopeless. This advice is designed to help you stop the bullying, get support, and stay positive. Not all of the advice will make sense for each person, so choose the bullying advice that works for you. The most important thing is that you reach out for help. You don't have to deal with it by yourself.
- Talk to a trusted adult, whether it’s a parent, grandparent, aunt/uncle, teacher, coach, youth group leader or priest. Ask for their help. Keep asking until you find someone who can and will help you.
- Don’t let the bullies know you’re upset. Bullies are trying to hurt your feelings and make you angry, scared and embarrassed. It’s hard, but try not to show when they’re getting to you. Your best defense is to stay calm and/or laugh it off. Don’t reply in anger online.
- Stand up for yourself by telling bullies clearly and calmly to “Stop.” Walk away or turn off your computer or phone.
- Ask for a mediator. Sometimes bullies are angry about something they think you may have said or done. Sitting down with an impartial adult or peer mediator can help resolve the disagreement so it doesn’t go any further.
- Find a support group. If possible, make friends who are not connected to the bullying group. If the bullies are at school, look into joining a group, team or activity away from school.
- Find a local peer counseling group or hotline. Sometimes it helps to talk with someone you don’t know who has gone through something similar. Your school guidance counselor or nurse can usually help you find local resources.
- Don’t bully others. You may be tempted to lash out at someone else, or to “get even” with the bullies, but doing so can make the situation worse and even get you into serious trouble.
- Keep a journal. Write down the times you felt bullied. Not only can it help to put your feelings on paper, but it is also useful to keep a record of the experiences in case you need to show the history to someone else.
- Don’t provide ammunition. Avoid taking suggestive photos, sharing too much information online or friending people you don’t know/trust.
- Cancel social networking, email and cell phone accounts and open new accounts. Share the new information with smaller groups of friends. Unfriend or block the people who are involved in the bullying. Don’t let the bullies follow you into your own home by reading their comments online.
- Don’t give up. Bullying is not OK. You have a right to feel safe in school, in your home and around your community.
- Remember that it WILL get better. You aren't the only person going through this. As bad as it may seem, you can get through it.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
The 4 types of bullying
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, bully means: "One who is habitually cruel to others who are weaker."
Basically, bullying is when someone is being mean to others who don't have as much power as them. There are four forms of bullying.
1) Physical: hitting, kicking, pinching, punching, scratching, spitting or any other form of physical attack. Damage to or taking someone else’s belongings may also constitute as physical bullying.
2) Verbal: Name-calling, insulting, making racist, sexist or homophobic jokes, remarks or teasing, using sexually suggestive or abusive language, offensive remarks. This is the most common form of bullying.
3) Cyber: any type of bullying that is carried out by electronic medium such as :
- Text message bullying
- Picture/video clip bullying via mobile phone cameras
- Phone call bullying via mobile phones
- E-mail bullying
- Chat-room bullying
- Bullying through Instant Messaging (IM)
- Bullying via websites
4) Emotional: spreading nasty stories about someone, exclusion from social groups, being made the subject of malicious rumours.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Have you seen bullying?
You can help stop the bullying. Next time you see someone being bullied, try one (or more) of these ideas:
* If it is safe, speak up. Say something like, “Stop it!”
* Tell an adult. Kids who are being bullied are sometimes scared to tell an adult. That is where you come in--tell an adult who you trust, like your teacher or coach. You can tell them in person or leave them a note.
* Be a friend to the person who is being bullied. You can still help the kid who is being bullied:
o Talk with them.
o Sit with them at lunch.
o Play with them at recess.
* Set a good example. Do not bully others.
* If it is safe, speak up. Say something like, “Stop it!”
* Tell an adult. Kids who are being bullied are sometimes scared to tell an adult. That is where you come in--tell an adult who you trust, like your teacher or coach. You can tell them in person or leave them a note.
* Be a friend to the person who is being bullied. You can still help the kid who is being bullied:
o Talk with them.
o Sit with them at lunch.
o Play with them at recess.
* Set a good example. Do not bully others.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
Help protect children from bullying
Bullying is often seen as an unfortunate, but natural part of adolescence. However, pediatrician Dr. Sharon Cooper warns, “Cyberbullying can affect the social, emotional, and physical health of a child.”[1] For these reasons, it is important that parents and guardians take steps to help their child deal with and respond to cyberbullying.
- Tell your child not to respond to rude e-mails, messages, and comments.
- Save the evidence, such as e-mail and text messages, and take screenshots of comments and images. Also, take note of the date and time when the harassment occurs.
- Contact your Internet service provider (ISP) or cell phone provider. Ask the website administrator or ISP to remove any Web page created to hurt your child.
- If harassment is via e-mail, social networking sites, IM, and chat rooms, instruct your child to “block” bullies or delete your child’s current account and open a new one.
- If harrassment is via text and phone messages, change the phone number and instruct your child to only share the new number with trustworthy people. Also, check out phone features that may allow the number to be blocked.
- Get your child’s school involved. Learn the school’s policy on cyberbullying and urge administrators to take a stance against all forms of bullying.
- Make a report to www.cybertipline.com, and if you feel something illegal has occurred, inform law enforcement.
