Reflection #3

After reading about cyber bullying, one understands why this has become another worry for parents of children who have become computer literate. It was bad enough when television brought questionable topics and images into America's family rooms, but today the computer has the power to bring the world into our children's bedrooms. In addition, the telephone once could frighten us with its "heavy breathers". Today, cell phones can transmit voices, photos, and videos that are real or distorted with software, such as Photoshop, to create cruel messages so disturbing to youngsters that individuals, such as Megan Meier, have committed suicide to escape the pain. An executive from Westchester County in New York State explained how difficult it is for the courts to make a judgment on the cyber bullying cases. “It’s a delicate balance of free speech, child protection and parental supervision,” says Andrew Spane. (Swartz)

Free speech is protected in the U.S. Constitution. Citizens know that what they say is their responsibility. However, the Founding Fathers never could anticipate the anonymity offered via the internet. Kids may find it easier to ridicule their victims since they don’t have to reveal their identity or see the results of their cruelty face-to-face. In this way they have no empathy as a consequence of their bad behavior. A feeling of invincibility is already a part of the teen mindset. How tempting it must be to have the power to be so invisible as well.

At a time when insults can be so hard on children, pre-teens, and teens, it is also when many of them have computer access to internet social sites. In an effort to keep children up to date in his 21st century technology, parents, school districts, and libraries offer the world at their children’s fingertips. Their computer skills far exceed the ability to judge social situations and the consequences of using the written word, photos, or videos to injure another child. Psychologists have witnessed the “devastating damage…even as it is not always obvious to parents and teachers”. (Swartz) Children may not share their distress with a parent or other adult because the result may include restrictions on internet or cell phone use.

Neither parents, nor teachers are capable of supervising their children for all the hours they would like to spend online or texting. However, some attempt must be made to have some ground rules and expectations communicated to children prior to allowing them to use technology. Here, parents and teachers need to be a team in getting the message across. Just as bullying is not tolerated, neither will cyber bullying be allowed. Educating both adults and children is the answer.

Following are links to valuable websites, to educate parents, educators, and students alike, that I found helpful in understanding the seriousness of the problem and to effectively counter the growth of cyber bullying.

 Judge Acquits Lori Drew in Cyber Bullying Case, Overules Jury http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/07/drew_court This site explains a case of cyberbullying that ended with a suicide and a court case that explains how difficult it is to adjudicate this new social crime.

 Cyber Bullying Organization http://www.cyberbullying.org/ This Canadian website is easy to navigate and offers a wealth of information and S.M.A.R.T. acronym of advice.

 Help Put an End to Cyber Bullying http://www.online-bully.com/index.html This site offers the answer to what cyberbullying is, where it happens, and recommends monitoring software to record internet activity on your PC.

 Schoolyard Bullies Get Nastier Online http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2005-03-06-cover-cyberbullies_x.htm Author John Swartz quotes authorities from all over the country who have been involved with cases of cyberbullying. He includes a list of options if you become a victim of cyberbullying.

 A Thin Line http://www.athinline.org/ Author John Swartz quotes authorities from all over the country who have been involved with cases of cyberbullying. He includes a list of options if you become a victim of cyberbullying.

 Bullying: School, Texting and Cyber Harassment is Emotional Assault http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michelle-renee/bullying-school-texting-c_b_437476.html  Michelle Renee offers commonsense advice as a mother of a teen-age girl who was a victim of cyber bullying; even the comments that follow her article are worth reading.

 Cyber Harassment of Children on the Rise http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/02/23/cyber-harassment-of-children-on-the-rise/11637.html Rick Nauert writes authoritative research-based information in an easy to read format. He warns parents to move from being naïve to showing interest in the internet sites visited by their children.

• How to Handle Cyberbullying http://Bullies2Buddies.com/How-to-Handle-Cyberbullying Izzy Kahlman offers an alternative way to handle bullies, including cyberbullies, using video role-playing and lists of ways to neutralize the power of bullies without escalating the problem by involving adults and the law.


• Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use http://csriu.org/ Nancy Willard offers resources for training children to use the internet responsibly.

• McGruff’s Blog: Cyberbullies http://www.mcgruff.org/Advice/cyberbullies.php This is an excellent site for younger students with entertaining games to practice strategies to diffuse peer pressure and promote safe internet use.