Students in pink shirts Wednesday are reenforcing the message that bullying isnB次元官网网址檛 OK in the schoolyard, or its modern-day equivalent, the Internet.
Sooke School District officials and students say online bullying is not as vitriolic as it was just a few years ago. But with easy access to texting and social networking websites, harassment remains a problem.
B次元官网网址淎 lot of teen girls on Facebook make fun of each other. They make fun of your hair style, your clothes, who youB次元官网网址檙e hang out with,B次元官网网址� says Kenzie Leslie, a 15-year-old Grade 10 student at Belmont secondary.
B次元官网网址淪ome people take it really personally. A lot of kids donB次元官网网址檛 understand that people get hurt by it. I see it as bullying and being mean, but itB次元官网网址檚 not as bad as it used to be. I donB次元官网网址檛 see a lot of physical threats.B次元官网网址�
The school district has been grappling with the implications of Internet bullying and Internet safety for about five years, and days such as the anti-bullying Pink Shirt Day on Feb. 23 helps drive home the message.
Even if harassment takes place online and off school property, if itB次元官网网址檚 between students, the district will take an active role to intervene, said Jim Cambridge, SD 62 superintendent.
Instead of outright banning social networking sites or smartphones, Cambridge says teachers and staff focus on teaching kids how to use information technology respectfully and responsibility.
B次元官网网址淭he words that go out on the Internet can last forever,B次元官网网址� Cambridge says. B次元官网网址淧osting insults on Facebook or Twitter about someone is so easy, they last so long and are distributed so far.B次元官网网址�
Maureen Hann, technology curriculum co-ordinator and Scott Rothermel, SD 62 RCMP liaison, have developed a program for students to highlight Internet bullying and how to safely navigate the online world.
Rothermel said after three years of work, students are now becoming more comfortable reporting cases of Internet-based bullying, as opposed to saying nothing or escalating the conflict.
B次元官网网址淏ullying isnB次元官网网址檛 more rampant, but certainly more students are coming forward,B次元官网网址� Rothermel says. B次元官网网址淓ducation is huge. ItB次元官网网址檚 an entirely new form of communication and with that comes digital citizenship and how to communicate respectfully.B次元官网网址�
Often, students caught bullying are highly unlikely to harass fellow students face to face, he says, and often act out of character. B次元官网网址淢ost say they werenB次元官网网址檛 thinking and they got angry,B次元官网网址� Rothermel says.
B次元官网网址淲e try to teach respectful communication and to stop and think before firing off that harmful e-mail. There are no checks unless you self-check.B次元官网网址�
Part and parcel with avoiding bullying situations is understanding how to configure security settings on sites such as Facebook, Hann said, and not allowing strangers access to oneB次元官网网址檚 profile.
If a teen falls prey to being bullied through the Internet, Hann said itB次元官网网址檚 critical to save copies of the text, e-mail or posting that could be used as evidence.
B次元官网网址淒epending on how things escalate, itB次元官网网址檚 important to have copies so police can trace it back,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 important to keep the evidence and to tell someone, to seek help before it gets really bad.B次元官网网址�
She said although tweens and teens might not like it, she encourages parents to check their childrenB次元官网网址檚 security settings on social networking sites often.
B次元官网网址淲e encourage students to create a positive web image,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淎 lot of colleges and employers will do web searches on people, to see what kind of questionable photos are out there.
B次元官网网址淲e try to get across what is out there is likely to be permanent. We want kids to think about the consequences of their actions.B次元官网网址�
editor@goldstreamgazette.com
