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Spread the Word About Cyber Bullying & Help Prevent Kids from Becoming a Statistic.

Written by Elizabeth 19 August 2010 2 Comments

I was reading an article the other day on eSchoolNews titled, “Federal Officials Aim to Prevent Bullying” where they were discussing day two of the federal Bullying Prevention Summit in Washington, D.C. What I found interesting about this article was how federal officials were short on answers to questions specifically about cyber bullying.

I have read and heard so many sad stories of cyber bullying and it’s crazy to me that preventing it has not become a staple conversation for teachers, parents, and the kids themselves.

I remember the story of Megan Meier, a 13 year old from Missouri, who killed herself in response to cyber bullying on MySpace. Apparently, she was harassed by a mother of a former friend and later found guilty on all charges.Âą

There was also the story of Ryan Halligan who was taunted for months. His classmates spread rumors via instant messaging that the 13 year old was gay. A female classmate pretended to like him and chatted with him online only to copy their personal exchanges and share them with her friends. Unable to cope, Ryan killed himself. ²

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The issue of cyber bullying is close to me, as to I have nieces/nephews/cousins/little people in my life that I love dearly and hope will never experience these issues in their lifetime. But statistically, I think we all know the chances of them never experiencing these issues are probably slim. So, in an effort to help educate and prevent, I wanted to bring to your attention a part of SimpleK12 that you may or may not know about.

We’ve taken the time to collect hundreds and hundreds of internet safety resources to help educate and protect kids. There are numerous resources for cyber bullying as well as other internet safety issues such as protecting kids from online predators, identity thieves, inappropriate sites, and more. If you find these resources valuable, all I ask is that you pass it along to friends, parents, colleagues, etc…and start (or continue) educating others about how we can prevent kids from becoming a statistic.

¹ Nimmo, Kurt. “Cyberbullying Bill Not About Protecting Kids, It is About Shutting Down the Opposition.” Infowars. 7 May 2009. 29 June 2009 <http://www.infowars.com>.
² Mckenna, Phil. “The rise of cyberbullying.” Newscientist. 19 July 2007. 29 June 2009 <http://www.newscientist.com>.

2 Comments »

  • Gwyneth Jones said:

    This is a great post, thank you! But I really am getting tired of hearing the term “Internet Safety” IMHO there is no “safe” only AWARE. Internet safety gives a false sense of security…like if only I have “net nanny” i don’t have to worry about my kid online. or that they won’t be cyber bullied…the piece of technology that perpetrates bullying on these days? the phone! as “smart” phones take the place of laptops, two thumbs replace keyboarding, more and more parents need to talk about texting, sexting, and other pitfalls that happen in the machine that’s on them at all times. /rant Sorry, [grins] i’ve been teaching Internet Safety & awareness since 1999.

    19 August 2010 at 1:52 pm
  • Vytheeshwaran Vedagiri said:

    Hi!
    Great post! Thanks a lot for sharing this important info with the world!
    Vytheeshwaran Vedagiri recently posted..Online Tutoring from India Part-1My Profile

    20 August 2010 at 10:05 am