Take a Stand Against Cyber-bullying

When:

Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Check-in: 9:45am
10:00am - 12:00pm (PDT)

Where:

Anywhere with internet access and a computer with speakers

Workshop Fee:

$75 - Individual
$65 - Group of 3-5
$60 - Group of 6 or more

 

Webinar Overview:

New legislation prohibiting cyber-bullying on school grounds was enacted in August 2008. This bill added electronic intimidation to anti-bullying legislation originally passed in 2002, which required all schools to adopt a general anti-bullying policy.  Under Senate Bill 5288, not only do school districts have to update their anti-harassment policies to include electronic acts, they also need to give parents information about online and cell phone harassment, and what to do about it (Seattle Times, 2008).

In order to understand Cyber-bullying, it is important to understand the constructs and definition of bullying.  In March 2002, Senate Bill 5528 defined bullying as “An intentional written, verbal, or physical act against a student which is motivated by the bully’s perception of that student’s race, color, or creed, gender, sexual orientation, or other distinguishing characteristics… When the intentional act physically harms a student or damages his/her property; substantially interferes with the student’s education; is so severe, persistent or pervasive that it creates an intimidating or threatening educational environment; or substantially disrupts the orderly operation of a school.” The new legislation utilizes similar verbiage, but explicates and defines electronic devices, fitting new technological language into the bill.

Why is bullying such an important issue? The following facts outline the importance of combating all types of bullying:

• A Secret Service study found that two-thirds of school shooters said they felt “persecuted, bullied, threatened, attacked or injured.” National Threat Assessment Center and Secret Service
• A National Education Association study found that more than 160,000 kids do not go to school each day because they fear being bullied. National Education Association & National Association of School Psychologists
• A study conducted by CNN showed that 4 out of 5 middle school students had engaged in bullying behavior in the last 30 days.

So what is cyber-bullying? Cyber-bullying happens when someone sends unwanted emails to a victim; creates a Webpage dedicated to sending a negative message about a victim; makes up stories or lies about a victim; and/or uses a chat rooms or an online journal to discover or disclose personal information about a victim.

Cyber-bullies use more than just computers. Cyber-bullying also occurs when students use cell phones or pagers to send text messages in order to bully, intimidate or harass another person; send photos to deliberately try to scare, upset, threaten, embarrass, humiliate or abuse another person; and/or spread gossip or rumors about a person to other students.  Cyber-bullying is wide-reaching…anyone can participate.

Cyber-bullying behaviors can be incredibly hurtful.  These behaviors can cause depression, feelings of isolation, lowered self-esteem, drug and alcohol use and abuse, skipping or dropping out of school, or in worst case scenarios, suicide. Cyber-bullying can also leave students feeling helpless. It can occur at any time day or night, reaching kids online at home, in school, or on their personal cell phones or pagers. The following statistics show the importance of recognizing and addressing cyber-bullying behaviors:

• A 2002 study showed that one in four kids had been bullied via their computers or cell phones. www.cyberbullying.ca:        
• A National i-SAFE survey found half of students who use the Internet are being harassed online.
• A recent study showed that 74% of connected young people use instant messaging several times a week.  Pew Report: Bill Belsey
• A recent study showed that 58% of students have not told their parents or another adult about someone being mean or hurtful to them online. I-safe
• Research indicates that one in three kids ages 10-19 now have their own cell phones.  Yankee Group market research firm
• By 2005, the annual number of text and visual messages sent over the Internet was reported to possibly exceed 1.2 trillion.  Bill Belsey: Cyber bullying.ca

Parents, students and educators can work together to take a stand against cyber-bullying. Students need to learn options to address cyber-bullying such as telling a parent, teacher or a trusted adult about what is happening; understanding the use of phone or Internet safety features to block unwanted calls and messages; and the importance of tracking the time and date of all unwanted messages on a computer or cell phone. 

The local police department can also help in a cyber-bullying incident.  In certain cases, the police can order cell phone records, obtain copies of sent text messages, confiscate hard-drives, and criminally charge suspects (if appropriate).

Teachers and school staff can also play an important role in stamping out cyber-bullying. Educators can learn ways to infuse anti-bullying and violence prevention into the curriculum; use group activities or assignments that require sharing or collaboration; praise students for acts of kindness and respect; choose stories and books to share that have an anti-bullying theme; warn students that all computer activity is traceable; and teach students to print all unwanted messages received on a computer.

Workshop Objectives:

The objective of this training is to assist participants in addressing cyber-bullying issues in their homes and/or in their schools.

In this presentation:

• An introduction to cyber-bullying including definitions, constructs and effects of such behaviors will be discussed. 
• Tools for parents and educators to recognize and evaluate instances of cyber-bullying will be described. 
• Tools for educators and parents to positively address and implement effective solutions and interventions for cyber-bullying behaviors will also be addressed. 

 

Webinar Trainer: MICHELLE BENNETT, Civility Solutions

CEUs / Free Clock Hours

Free Clock Hours are available upon request only. Please email Jan Palmer at jpalmer@highline.edu.

Participants can register for Highline Community College Continuing Education Units (CEUs) before starting a course. The cost is $10 per course. Participant should call Extended Learning at 206-870-3785 to apply.

Cancellation Policy:
The cancellation fee is $25. If you must cancel your registration, you may request a refund minus the $25 fee up to 3 working days prior to the event. After this date, no refunds will be issued; you can make substitutions. "No-shows" will be charged the full workshop fee.

Note: All fees must be received within 90 days after event or a service fee of $25 will be added.
Please contact Jan Palmer at clc@highline.edu for any question.

Contact:
For more information about this workshop, contact Jan Palmer, e-mail: jpalmer@highline.edu.