Everyone has that moment whether it is real or one has always dreamed of doing something horribly mean to someone else. Mine was 7th grade. A group of friends (it would not have had the impact if I had done it alone) wrote a terribly mean note about our teacher. We made sure she found it, and she found us. Instead of yelling at us, she cried. At that moment I understood the power of my words and deeds.
Cyberbulling, online harassment, and sexting are only the latest form of cruel behavior we as humans inflict on each other. It has all the components of note passing, bathroom wall graffiti and schoolyard bullying we all can visualize. However the Internet has no police out there to check the “cyber halls” or ‘cyber stalls” for violators.
In a blog written by Mel Riddile entitled, “Kids Are Mean: Cyber-Bullying, “Sexting,” and Other Harmless Pranks “ (2010) he observes, that the Internet are “electronic signals that know no boundaries”. It is too late to ban its use from our children’s lives. They have embraced its power and must be taught its responsibility.
Schools are in a delicate position when monitoring inappropriate cyber activity. If the behavior happens on school grounds, using school property, the responsibility of the school is clear, IF the district has established and will enforce the policy. However Riddile brought up a valid point in his blog: It is the school’s responsibility to create a safe environment and if an act of cyber bullying occurs off school grounds but creates an environment where it is difficult for students to feel safe or work to each child’s best ability, then the school has a duty to at the very least investigate, gather evidence and proceed appropriately to help both the victim and the bully. We, as educators, are legally bond to report child abuse and neglect. Cyberbullying, online harassment and sexting are no different.
I believe a school’s policy should be clear and be aimed at prevention. It must be a part of our philosophy that students have the right to a safe, healthy school environment. Lessons in positive behavior must include “Netequitte” (love that word!) starting at the moment we put that mouse in their tiny little hands. Your mother was right: If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. Anywhere, because we are all listening.
Bibliography:
Riddile, Mel. (2010, January 6). , “Kids Are Mean: Cyber-Bullying, “Sexting,” and Other Harmless Pranks “ Retrieved September 19, 2010 from Lessons Learned From the Middle.
Anne, I completely agree with the idea of teaching our children to use the internet responsibly. As children enter adolescence the internet takes on a whole new purpose, socializing. It is important for our children to realize that once a comment is made or a picture has been uploaded it is there forever. All of us have heard the horror stories of teen that sent an inappropriate picture to a friend that gets passed around like the “common cold.” I also agree that the schools are in a delicate position when it comes to dealing with cyber offenses. Before reading your blog, I had never thought of the analogy of reporting abuse to the same as reporting cyberbullying. When you think of it that way, the choice is pretty clear.
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