Cyber Bullying in School

[chanel]

Officials say the tough stance -- which regulates student behavior off campus and outside school hours as well as during the school day -- is necessary to tackle a growing trend of cyberbullying. Studies suggest as many as 4 in 10 kids are targeted by bullies online.

Under the new Student Code of Conduct, passed by the Chicago Board of Education on Wednesday, cyber-bullying will be considered as serious an offense as burglary, aggravated assault, gang activity, drug use or more traditional forms of bullying. Students who use computers or phones to "stalk, harass, bully or otherwise intimidate others," will be suspended for five to 10 days and could be referred for expulsion. The details will automatically be referred to Chicago Police, who could hit students with criminal charges.

Chicago Public Schools crackdown on cyberbullies :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Education

Think it will hold up?

 

[strollingbones]

what is stalking with kids? kids are mean....just plain mean....computers and phones are just another avenue for them to be mean. schools shouldnt be monitoring the acitivies of kids outside of school..that is for the parent to do

 

[strollingbones]

however, it is a timely topic that needs to be discussed...you have kids committing suicide due to cyber postings

 

[chanel]

That's just it hellbitch. I monitor my kids facebook pages (which tick me off BTW) but I have never once looked at their phones. I imagine most parents haven't.

Teachers and administrators won't be doing it either. But if a child or parent comes forward with proof, then I guess the school will have to investigate.

Brand new territory. I can see the ambulance chasers drooling as we speak.

 

[strollingbones]

my kid was before the facebook and all....and i did look at his cellphone...cause of much friction...i dont see how you can let kids have cells and not monitor them...sextexting and sending semi nudes photos is a big thing with kids...i would worry more about the cell than the computer...

 

[chanel]

Let me think about that one. My kids are 17 and 20 and to be honest I don't know what I'd be looking for. I guess if they gave me a reason to distrust them...

Their facebook pages are full of profanity. And they are friends with my mom and some of their teachers. The older one has joined some pretty controversial groups just to troll and stir up shit. I've asked him to get those off of there.

I've never worried about bullying with my kids, but I have friends with daughters who have been victims. Yes - mean girls are getting meaner.

 

[editec]

It's a mean-assed society.

Why are we surprised that our kids are mean to each other?

 

[blu]

I also think its a problem of most parents/teachers/principals being old and not in tune with the latest technology/websites. if you handed the average parent a phone and said 'here check if your kids are threating people via phone' they would have no idea what to even do with it.

 

[Annie]

Officials say the tough stance -- which regulates student behavior off campus and outside school hours as well as during the school day -- is necessary to tackle a growing trend of cyberbullying. Studies suggest as many as 4 in 10 kids are targeted by bullies online.

Under the new Student Code of Conduct, passed by the Chicago Board of Education on Wednesday, cyber-bullying will be considered as serious an offense as burglary, aggravated assault, gang activity, drug use or more traditional forms of bullying. Students who use computers or phones to "stalk, harass, bully or otherwise intimidate others," will be suspended for five to 10 days and could be referred for expulsion. The details will automatically be referred to Chicago Police, who could hit students with criminal charges.

Chicago Public Schools crackdown on cyberbullies :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Education

Think it will hold up?

The school board can pass all the 'codes of conduct' they like, none of which by virtue of such makes them law. The school may suspend, but I do wonder about their playing Joe detective, hell in Chicago many can't even help the kids learn to read.

Parents need to control their kids and help their kids deal with social bullies.

If I found my kid hurting another, they'd lose the puter and cell phones.

 

[Samson]

Let me think about that one. My kids are 17 and 20 and to be honest I don't know what I'd be looking for. I guess if they gave me a reason to distrust them...

Their facebook pages are full of profanity. And they are friends with my mom and some of their teachers. The older one has joined some pretty controversial groups just to troll and stir up shit. I've asked him to get those off of there.

I've never worried about bullying with my kids, but I have friends with daughters who have been victims. Yes - mean girls are getting meaner.

Another great chanel thread

I swear to gawd I'd probably not even log into the internets if it wasn't for chanel

A. I cannot believe you monitor a 17 and 20 year olds' facebook.

B. Facebook, etc., are ways people, including teens, express themselves. It shouldn't be the ONLY way. If it was up to me, my 14 & 16 yo houseapes would be outside, knocking on doors, making money mowing lawns all summer without any time to lounge around on facebook

C. Bullies will bully with or without facebook, and those susceptable to being bullied will react.

D. Parents need to teach kids how to react appropriately: Tell the school, document the bullying, and ignore it. Yeah, I know, this might not work: My plan B is to become a bigger monster to the bully's parents than they can stand.

I can be pretty awful.

 

[chanel]

Thanks Samson. You're a sweetie.

Yes I do monitor the kids' facebook. Force of habit I guess since the old myspace days. Plus they stay logged on to MY computer so...

Son #1 doesn't give a crap about what he says on line. I do. I know college admission people and future employers look at that stuff. Someone described the internet as a "permanent Scarlet letter". There are companies that now will try to erase damaging info for a fee.

Son #2 is never home and very "private" about his social life. If it weren't for facebook, I wouldn't know what the hell he was up to. He won't "friend" me, but he doesn't realize that "friends of friends" can see his wall.

Bullying has become more prevalent since the internet. People are meaner on line and can damage a reputation in a split second. Hell - I've never been called a **** or a twat in my entire life until I joined USMB.

I like your Plan B.

 

[blu]

B. Facebook, etc., are ways people, including teens, express themselves. It shouldn't be the ONLY way. If it was up to me, my 14 & 16 yo houseapes would be outside, knocking on doors, making money mowing lawns all summer without any time to lounge around on faceboo

being "outside all summer" is way overrated and generally a waste of time. your kids would be shocked at the amount of information they would learn if they read leisurely for for 3 or 4 hours a day during summer

 

[Middleman]

You can delete things posted to your facebook page. You can block specific people. The schools should certainly teach the basics of tech etiquette and give the kids the tools to deal with possible scenarios surrounding the use of social media, cellphone, texting, ect.

In my opinion, the schools need to control bullying at the school. They should enforce existing laws on harassment, assault, battery, etc. Teenagers should be subject to laws that are already on the books. I never understood why a young man assaults someone at school doesn't face a criminal charge. If I hit a co-worker, or harassed them, I would be breaking the law.

But outside of school? With the strapped budgets the schools are facing? It's a nice Utopian dream that is impractical.

 

[chanel]

True. But as a teacher, I can assure you that cell phone usage is out of control. Schools have just surrendered. No way to control or monitor that. As far as facebook, most schools block it but tech savvy kids can get around the blocks and with 3Gs; no internet is needed.

I imagine the "dangers of the internet" are taught in most computer classes. But does it work? Probably as well as sex ed. Hardly.

Teachers and administrators don't want to get involved. Period. If I witness a kid being hassled in the hallway, I will take the bully to the office. However most bullies are sneaks also, who manage to do that shit when no adults are around.

NO ONE wants to look at a kids phone. Kiddie porn and all that crap.

I wish Chicago luck. Like you said "Utopian". Another one of those feel good regulations that no one plans to enforce anyway.

 

[Samson]

B. Facebook, etc., are ways people, including teens, express themselves. It shouldn't be the ONLY way. If it was up to me, my 14 & 16 yo houseapes would be outside, knocking on doors, making money mowing lawns all summer without any time to lounge around on faceboo

being "outside all summer" is way overrated and generally a waste of time. your kids would be shocked at the amount of information they would learn if they read leisurely for for 3 or 4 hours a day during summer

You can't read outside?

 

[Samson]

Thanks Samson. You're a sweetie.

Yes I do monitor the kids' facebook. Force of habit I guess since the old myspace days. Plus they stay logged on to MY computer so...

Son #1 doesn't give a crap about what he says on line. I do. I know college admission people and future employers look at that stuff. Someone described the internet as a "permanent Scarlet letter". There are companies that now will try to erase damaging info for a fee.

Son #2 is never home and very "private" about his social life. If it weren't for facebook, I wouldn't know what the hell he was up to. He won't "friend" me, but he doesn't realize that "friends of friends" can see his wall.

Bullying has become more prevalent since the internet. People are meaner on line and can damage a reputation in a split second. Hell - I've never been called a **** or a twat in my entire life until I joined USMB.

I like your Plan B.

I imagine that by the time your sons are 37 and 40 you'll be monitoring their facebooks.

Ya know, there's always something for which kids need to adapt: Ancient society probably tried to carefully monitor papyrus use among teens; the telephone was viewed as a disaster for society as teens spent hours talking to one another. Now we have teh internets, and we wonder how they'll cope when they're called a "****?"

Bah.

The important point is they've learned to cope in the past, and they'll learn to cope again.

 

[GHook93]

what is stalking with kids? kids are mean....just plain mean....computers and phones are just another avenue for them to be mean. schools shouldnt be monitoring the acitivies of kids outside of school..that is for the parent to do

Just because that is the reality on the ground doesn't mean we have to accept it! I say bravo to the over-reaching school board on this one. We need to get tough on bullying. It seems bullying has gone to a whole new level.

 

[hylandrdet]

It's a mean-assed society.

Why are we surprised that our kids are mean to each other?

Actually, this isn't recent news.

Bullying has been around since the beginning of mankind.

Its original objective was to prove that you were capable of producing the most powerful offspring. Now, it's more about social status; make fun of a "little guy", you get some "street credit".

But here is where the problem lies now... The "meek" are striking back. Columbine was the result of students, who were bullied, striking back.

Columbine High School massacre - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So this isn't as much about protecting the students from the bullies, as much as it's about protecting the bullies from themselves... Food for thought.

 

[Samson]

It's a mean-assed society.

Why are we surprised that our kids are mean to each other?

Actually, this isn't recent news.

Bullying has been around since the beginning of mankind.

Its original objective was to prove that you were capable of producing the most powerful offspring. Now, it's more about social status; make fun of a "little guy", you get some "street credit".

But here is where the problem lies now... The "meek" are striking back. Columbine was the result of students, who were bullied, striking back.

Columbine High School massacre - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So this isn't as much about protecting the students from the bullies, as much as it's about protecting the bullies from themselves... Food for thought.

Well, while there might be something to Columbine being the result of "bullying," the massacre wasn't committed by the "meek."

In fact, if anything they themselves were perpetraters of online bullying:

Early warning signs began to surface in 1996, when Eric Harris first created a private website on America Online. The original site was set up to host Doom levels that he and Dylan Klebold had created, mainly for friends. .......

Harris's site had few visitors, and caused no concern until late 1997, when Dylan Klebold gave the address to Brooks Brown, Harris's former friend. Brown's mother had filed numerous complaints with the Jefferson County Sheriff's office about Eric Harris, believing him to be dangerous. The website was filled with death threats towards Brooks,

 

[hylandrdet]

It's a mean-assed society.

Why are we surprised that our kids are mean to each other?

Actually, this isn't recent news.

Bullying has been around since the beginning of mankind.

Its original objective was to prove that you were capable of producing the most powerful offspring. Now, it's more about social status; make fun of a "little guy", you get some "street credit".

But here is where the problem lies now... The "meek" are striking back. Columbine was the result of students, who were bullied, striking back.

Columbine High School massacre - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So this isn't as much about protecting the students from the bullies, as much as it's about protecting the bullies from themselves... Food for thought.

Well, while there might be something to Columbine being the result of "bullying," the massacre wasn't committed by the "meek."

In fact, if anything they themselves were perpetraters of online bullying:

Early warning signs began to surface in 1996, when Eric Harris first created a private website on America Online. The original site was set up to host Doom levels that he and Dylan Klebold had created, mainly for friends. .......

Harris's site had few visitors, and caused no concern until late 1997, when Dylan Klebold gave the address to Brooks Brown, Harris's former friend. Brown's mother had filed numerous complaints with the Jefferson County Sheriff's office about Eric Harris, believing him to be dangerous. The website was filled with death threats towards Brooks,

Allow me to be more specific...
Columbine High School massacre - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Early stories following the shootings charged that school administrators and teachers at Columbine had long condoned a climate of bullying by the so-called jocks or athletes, allowing an atmosphere of outright intimidation and resentment to fester which, they claimed, could have helped trigger the perpetrators' extreme violence. Reportedly, homophobic remarks were directed at Klebold and Harris.

Keep in mind my friend that I'm not defending these guys actions, I'm just explaining the origin of their motivation to kill.