Cyber Bullying

When I was a student, bullies would give people noogies or even worse - an atomic wedgie. Today's kids are much more sophisticated, and the impact can be much more dangerous. They are the first Internet generation, and in some cases they are using the web to bully other kids. You can't always see it, but you can help them understand it.

I teach my students to be respectful of others online, as well as in the real world. They know they will not always get the same respect that they give, but they know the best thing to do is to ignore the bullies. Bullies thrive on any kind of response or attention. I also teach them how to block bullies, and avoid situations where they will find them or be isolated. However, when the threat is serious, they know they can talk to me about it any time.

It's important that kids know that they do not have to accept any online activity that is meant to intimidate, threaten, tease or harm them or anyone else. So if they encounter a bully online, make sure your children know to:

• Tell a trusted adult and keep telling them until they take action.
• Never open, read or respond to messages from cyber bullies.
• Do not erase the messages. They may be needed to take action.
• If bullied through chat or IM, use the software to block them.

Make sure kids and parents both know to tell the school if it is school related. We have bullying solutions in place. If you they are threatened with harm, talk to parents and the local police.