Critical Issues
Cyberbully 101
County school systems, like the one in Charles County, can take charge of the cyberbully issue by supplying information and resources about cyberbullying to guidance counselors who can plan lessons around the issue. Parents and the students themselves can help, too. Here are some suggestions from the Media Awareness Network, a Canadian website focused on media and information literacy for young people.
What schools can do
- Integrate curriculum-based anti-bullying programs into classrooms.
- Educate teachers, students and parents about the seriousness of cyberbullying.
- Change the school or board's bullying policy to include harassment perpetrated with mobile and internet technology. There should be serious consequences for anyone who doesn't follow the guidelines.
- Update the county school or computer usage rules to specifically prohibit using the internet for bullying.
What kids can do
Because most incidents of bullying occur off adults' radar screens, it's important that kids learn to protect themselves online and take action when they encounter it.
- Guard your contact information. Don't give people you don't know your instant messaging name, email address or cell phone number.
- If you are being harassed online, take the following
actions immediately:
1. Tell an adult you trust a teacher, parent, older sibling or grandparent.
2. If you are being harassed, leave the area or stop the activity (i.e. chat room, news group, online gaming area, instant messaging, etc.).
3. If you are being bullied through e-mail or instant messaging, block the sender's messages. Never reply to harassing messages.
4. Save any harassing messages and forward them to your email service provider like Hotmail or Yahoo. Most service providers have appropriate use policies that restrict users from harassing others over the internet and that includes kids!
5. If the bullying includes physical threats, tell the police as well. - Take a stand against cyberbullying with your peers.
Speak up whenever you see someone being mean to another
person online. Most kids respond better to criticism from
their peers than to disapproval from adults.
