Cyberbullying

Researchers suggest that increased academic pressure, economic distress and social media may be contributing to the doubling of the suicide rate among middle-schoolers that statistics from 2007 to 2014 have shown. Some experts are concerned that there is so much pressure on young people that they can become overwhelmed because they have not yet developed the coping skills that adults rely on. This is a good reminder that an incident an adult can easily dismiss can be hard for a middle schooler to shrug off. Schools are being urged to target the issue by teaching students to handle conflict, creating a welcoming climate and training teachers about suicide prevention.

The nonprofit Girl Nation is helping young women between the ages of 8 and 15 understand and cope with the potential downside of social media and technology. Among other things, the organization seeks to help girls with confronting body image issues, "mean girls", and developing healthy social media habits. While the organization holds programs and workshops in the Las Vegas area, there are lots of materials on their website for young women and parents nationwide.

Harassment and abuse are becoming the new “normal” online: 41% of American adults have been personally subjected to online harassment — an increase from two years ago — and 66% have witnessed it, a new study released recently by the Pew Research Center found. Women were twice as likely as men to say they were harassed because of their gender. The study found that 21% of women ages 18 to 29 said they were sexually harassed online — more than twice the number of men in that same age group. About half of female respondents ages 18-29 also told Pew that someone has sent them explicit images they did not ask for, an issue parents certainly need to address with their children when discussing how to handle if these kinds of situations arise.

Overall, while there is widespread concern over online harassment (62% of respondents said they viewed it as a major problem), there is disagreement in how platforms should balance being able to speak freely and preventing abuse. While 53% said it was more important for people to feel safe, 45% said free speech should take precedence. Regardless, most respondents (79%), said tech companies have a duty to step in and prevent abuse on their platforms.

Harassment and abuse are becoming the new “normal” online: 41% of American adults have been personally subjected to online harassment — an increase from two years ago — and 66% have witnessed it, a new study released recently by the Pew Research Center found. Women were twice as likely as men to say they were harassed because of their gender. The study found that 21% of women ages 18 to 29 said they were sexually harassed online — more than twice the number of men in that same age group. About half of female respondents ages 18-29 also told Pew that someone has sent them explicit images they did not ask for, an issue parents certainly need to address with their children when discussing how to handle if these kinds of situations arise.

Overall, while there is widespread concern over online harassment (62% of respondents said they viewed it as a major problem), there is disagreement in how platforms should balance being able to speak freely and preventing abuse. While 53% said it was more important for people to feel safe, 45% said free speech should take precedence. Regardless, most respondents (79%), said tech companies have a duty to step in and prevent abuse on their platforms.

Many of President Trump’s tweets have recently been scrutinized by bullying experts, notes a recent article on CNN.com. The article states that while his tweets about television personalities like MSNBC’s Mika Brezinski and Joe Scarborough would probably not be enough to get him suspended or expelled were he still in middle or high school, they would be enough for school officials to intercede and make him accountable for his behavior. The experts remind parents and teachers that the most important message to give young people who are fascinated by his questionable tweets is to remind them that other people stood up to him, including members of his own party, and pointed out that just because someone has a position of authority does not mean they are entitled to belittle and shame others online.

Many of President Trump’s tweets have recently been scrutinized by bullying experts, notes a recent article on CNN.com. The article states that while his tweets about television personalities like MSNBC’s Mika Brezinski and Joe Scarborough would probably not be enough to get him suspended or expelled were he still in middle or high school, they would be enough for school officials to intercede and make him accountable for his behavior. The experts remind parents and teachers that the most important message to give young people who are fascinated by his questionable tweets is to remind them that other people stood up to him, including members of his own party, and pointed out that just because someone has a position of authority does not mean they are entitled to belittle and shame others online.

As a parent, when you sit down to have a discussion with your child about the ways social media can get them into trouble at school (or with the police), it can be really helpful to have some examples. Education Week has taken the time to examine ten such incidents that made recent headlines. From references to school shootings to racist rants to complaints about water quality, students’ social media posts this past school year have resulted in suspensions, expulsions, arrests, and lawsuits. It is an eye opening read including how much trouble students can get into for filming videos on school grounds (even if it was to expose the bad quality of the water supply in school water fountains, or as a backdrop for a rap video), or even for posting images of texts sent by others in an effort to expose racism. After you finish reading this article you may feel like telling your kids to refrain from posting anything at all! That, of course, is very unrealistic, but these examples do provide context to the advice “think before your post.”

As a parent, when you sit down to have a discussion with your child about the ways social media can get them into trouble at school (or with the police), it can be really helpful to have some examples. Education Week has taken the time to examine ten such incidents that made recent headlines. From references to school shootings to racist rants to complaints about water quality, students’ social media posts this past school year have resulted in suspensions, expulsions, arrests, and lawsuits. It is an eye opening read including how much trouble students can get into for filming videos on school grounds (even if it was to expose the bad quality of the water supply in school water fountains, or as a backdrop for a rap video), or even for posting images of texts sent by others in an effort to expose racism. After you finish reading this article you may feel like telling your kids to refrain from posting anything at all! That, of course, is very unrealistic, but these examples do provide context to the advice “think before your post.”

Technology can be a wonderful tool that connects us with information and with each other, but we all know there is a dark side to technology use, including things like hacking, cybercrime and cyberbullying. Cyberbullying has been a hot topic in schools and in the news over the past decade, but these days we are finding debate about what exactly cyberbullying entails and what is the best way to tackle it.

Jill Berkowicz and Ann Myers, leadership experts in the education field, note in a new opinion piece from Education Week that while FLOTUS Melania Trump has said she wants to make cyberbullying her priority cause, they feel that she needs to learn more about the topic. They hope she will come to understand that the only way to solve cyberbullying is to act as a role model, work on defining cyberbullying for the country, and lead us into a more respectful time. Berkowitz and Meyers also remind readers that the mindset  “if you are being hurt, hurt someone else worse” is something that parents and children are going to have to learn to turn away from if the problem of cyberbullying is ever going to see some kind of resolution.