Cyberbullying = An Epidemic that Must be Stopped!

Ask any teenager where the majority of bullying today takes place, and he/she will most likely not say the school building but instead discuss cyberbullying. Harassment, stalking, bullying, and attacks on-line have become omnipresent and all-to-easy for teens to pull off. After all, it is a heck of a lot easier to say something bad about someone online rather than in person.


I have seen the devastating impact cyberbullying has had on my own students recently, leading one student to the breaking point (which led to a heated fist fight in the cafeteria) and another to try to transfer schools altogether. It is sad and disappointing that schools are limited in what they can do to reprimand these bullies, as much of cyberbullying occurs in students' homes off of school property.


Educators, however, need to be equipped with the right tools to help support students in overcoming cyberbullying, getting appropriate help and therapy, and ultimately learning ways to protect their online identities and use the Internet responsibly.


Here are some thoughts to get you started:

February 2011 | Volume 68 | Number 5 Teaching Screenagers    Pages 48-52 

High-Tech Cruelty

By Sameer Hinduja and Justin W. Patchin

Online aggression isn't just traditional bullying with new tools. It's widespread, devastating, and knows no downtime.

Cyberbullying: In one way, it's nothing new. Kids have been bullying one another for generations. But looked at another way, cyberbullying is new. Teens can now use technology to expand the reach and extent of their harm in a way that previous generations couldn't.

Full article available at: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb11/vol68/num05/Adventures-with-Cell-Phones.aspx