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Lawmakers Take Aim at Cyberbullying
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| Feb. 26, 2007 -- Curbing online harassment will require cooperation among schools, parents and students. |
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| compiled by Jennifer Holladay |
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States Stand Up to Cyberbullying
From Oregon to Rhode Island, lawmakers are considering crackdowns to curb or outlaw the behavior in which kids taunt or insult peers on social Web sites like MySpace or via instant messages. Still, there is some disagreement over how effective crackdowns will be and how to do it.
DISCUSSION
- What is cyberbullying?
- Have you ever been bullied online? Do you know anyone who has?
- Experts say the Internet allows people to bully with some degree of anonymity and that this can be more damaging. Why might an attacker's anonymity matter to a victim?
- The American Civil Liberties Union is concerned that laws against cyberbullying may infringe on free speech rights. When do words become unsafe? Why? How should we balance the desire for a bully-free world with the Constitutional right of free speech?
- Experts say tackling cyberbullying requires cooperation among schools, parents/guardians and community leaders. Why?
- If a classmate was harassing or bullying you online, where would you turn for help, if at all? Why?
- What policies does your school have in place that address cyberbullying? What needs to be added, or changed, if anything? Why?
RESOURCES
e-bully
Bullying has never been easier. Any child, operating in relative anonymity on the Internet at any time of day or night, can harass and intimidate peers. WiredSafety.org, Teen Angels and other experts offer guidance for teachers and schools struggling with cyberbullying.
CYBERBULLYING: One Family's Story
A Kentucky mother struggles to help her family feel safe again after her daughter receives a racist, threatening e-mail at school.
TALK TO KIDS ABOUT... Cyberbullying
Parenting columnist Dana Williams offers tips to keep children informed about cyberbullying -- and safe from its effects.
A short glossary of Internet terminology:
- Instant Messaging: Users can see who among their friends is online and send messages and images instantaneously
- Buddy List: A list of friends' screen names that a user can instant message by clicking
- Text Messaging: Users can send typed messages to cell phones, pagers, and email addresses
- Chatroom: A public or private space on the Internet where buddies can have lengthy typewritten conversations
- ISP: Acronym for 'Internet service provider.' Examples include AOL, Hotmail, Earthlink.
- Social Networking websites: A complex web of friends connected online by common interest. Example: MySpace.com, Friendster.com
- Blogs: Short for 'weblog,' an online journal that is frequently updated and intended for the general public.
Organizations
- The Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use offers effective strategies to help young people behave in a safe, responsible, legal manner when using technology.
- Canadian-based Cyberbullying.org may be the world's first website specifically dedicated to this issue.
- WiredSafety.org provides help, information and education to Internet and mobile device users of all ages.
- StopTextBully.org helps kids, parents and teachers handle "text bullying" -- conducted through personal computers, cell phones and PDAs.
Contact us for permission to reprint this article. Please include the title of the article in your request, along with your school/organization's name and location. |
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