Parents and Guardians,

This week in the Computer Lab we discussed an important topic: Cyber Bullying.  Here is some information that I would like to share with you. Please take the time to discuss this with your family:

Cyber bullying–the willful and repeated act of harming others electronically (through
email, instant messaging, Web sites, chat rooms, social networking sites, cell phones and other electronic means)–is a relatively new issue. But it has clear consequences and needs to be addressed.

The consequences of cyber bullying can be far-reaching. Victims may experience low self-esteem, poor academic achievement, difficulty making friends, loneliness, depression, and suicidal thoughts and tendencies. Reports of suicide following incidents of cyber bullying have been in the news.

About one-third of all teens using the Internet have been bullied, and as more students become “wired” at increasingly younger ages, this rate will increase. We also know that bullying in any form is tied to a host of other behavior problems, including substance abuse.

http://www.hazelden.org/web/public/08sumcyberbully.page

For more info:* Cyberbullying & Cyberthreats: Responding to the Challenge of Online Social Aggression, Threats, and Distress, by Nancy Willard
* Bullying Beyond the Schoolyard: Preventing and Responding to Cyberbullying, by Sameer Hinduja and Justin Patchin
* Cyber Bullying: A Prevention Curriculum for Grades 3-5 and Cyber Bullying: A Prevention Curriculum for Grades 6-12, by Susan Limber, Robin Kowalski, and Patricia Agatston

Keep the internet safe,

Mr. Larry Proctor

Computer Resource Teacher

Irene B. West Elementary