STOP CYBER-BULLYING!

This week there was news of a very disturbing incident of cyber-bullying incident involving threats to a respected adult blogger. As a result, Andy Carvin, a noted educational blogger has declared today, Friday, March 30, 2007 as STOP CYBER-BULLYING DAY. All over the blogosphere people will be posting about the critical need to stop the unethical uses of blogging, specifically cyber-bullying. Much as I hate to say it, this entire incident has given me reason to pause in my enthusiasm for this amazing new technology.

As teachers and parents, we need to take this very seriously. If you read this post, please talk to your children about the devastating effects of cyber-bullying, the dangers of revealing personal information on the Internet, and most importantly what it means to be ethical, both online and in the "real" world. We need to teach children how to use this technology, not block it. We need to discuss the problems, educate them to the danger, then show them how to be safe and responsible. This is no longer something we can just hope they understand. We must teach it, and teach is as soon as possible at the earliest age they can comprehend it.

There are many resources but here are few of the ones I have found valuable:

Cyberbully.org

Center for Safe and Responsible Use of the Internet

Alice Yucht, a librarian and respected blogger said, "Bullying and social cruelty is hateful behavior, no matter what the format or the age of the instigators. As educators (and parents), it is imperative that we do whatever we can to make sure that it does not happen to
anyone, child OR adult."

Do your part today. Talk to a child about Cyber-bullying.

Thanks to Scott McLeod, J.D., Ph.D.Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Policy
and Administration for the image.