Southbridge Student Expelled For Cyber Bullying English Teacher

Southbridge Student Expelled For Cyber Bullying English Teacher: Ken MacLeod reports.

Session highlight videos from FOSI's 2012 Annual Conference

Session highlight videos from FOSI's 2012 Annual Conference are now available online! Check out our YouTube channel to see some of the incredible panels and keynote sessions during the event.

Some of highlight sessions available are:

• Teaching Generation Digital
• Learning to Social-ize: Privacy, Safety and Social Networks
• From Handouts to Handhelds: How Technology is Transforming the Developing World

Missed the chance to see FTC Commissioner, Julie Brill, or One Laptop Per Child’s founder Nicholas Negroponteâs keynote presentations? You can watch them in their entirety on our YouTube page.

You can also see the PowerPoint presentation slides from this year's researchers on the FOSI website, as well as photos taken during the conference.

Online Safety Cards for Kid’s Technology Gifts

These holiday cards aren’t just for the kids. For each set of rules, you’ll have to make a set of promises, too! After all, online safety is a partnership – and it works better when you’re in it together. 

http://aplatformforgood.org/pages/holiday-safety-cards

Snapchat app has parents of teens concerned

New photo-sharing app Snapchat has become highly popular among teens, but it’s raising concern among parents that it may be offering teens a false sense of security about sending compromising photos. NBC’s Andrea Canning reports.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Be an Upstander

A Presentation on the difference between bystanders and UPstanders. In addition, you will learn strategies on how to deal with bullies and those who pick on you by Tabitha Panariso.

Be an Upstander! on Prezi

Anonymous Reporting for Bullying and Cyberbullying Incidents

From the Cyberbullying Research Center

Justin and I strongly believe in the value of anonymous reporting systems in schools.  Based on our experiences working with students across the nation, we have found that they want to speak up and let adults know what is going on (both offline and online), but they are very nervous that it will end up backfiring on them.  They don’t know who specifically to go to, they don’t want it to lead to them next being targetted, and they don’t want to be identified and considered a “tattletale” or “narc” or “rat.”

Read more >>>

Bullied to tears, bored to death

Relentless coverage threatens to diminish bullying — especially to a teen audience that has its share of victims

Here's the thing about directing our attention so fully and passionately toward bullying: The people most affected by it are sick of talking about it.

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/life/sc-fam-1127-teen-bully-20121127,0,487384.story

Brampton students suspended for inappropriate tweets

Published on Thursday November 22, 2012

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JEFF GREEN/TORONTO STARKhadijah Haghighi, 17, left, was one of five students suspended from a Brampton high school for comments about teachers on Twitter.

Jeff Green and Karissa Donkin
Staff Reporters 

Five Brampton high school students have been suspended for tweets sent after school hours that the board has characterized as malicious, explicitly sexual and violent in nature.

Full article >>>

FOSI 2012 Research Launch

FOSI Launches Teach Parents Tech Video Series

FOSI Launches Teach Parents Tech Video Series Yesterday on the first day of the 2012 FOSI Annual Conference, we launched Teach Parents Tech - an exciting new video series for parents! On A Platform for Good, FOSI's newest initiative, we polled parents on their top technology concerns, and now the results are in. The videos are based on what real parents told us they wanted to know more about - from social media and apps to privacy settings. Take a look at our new Teach Parents Tech videos on A Platform for Good! The best part about these videos: the teens are the ones doing the teaching. The videos feature teens talking to parents about current technology topics and services. But parents won't only be interacting with the teens on-screen. Teach Parents Tech also gives them the opportunity to connect with their own teens and other parents about what they've learned! The feature allows parents to comment and discuss the videos, share their knowledge on social media or via email, and have conversations with their own teens about what they've seen. And, after completing any one of these actions, parents will be able to award themselves a virtual badge. Watch and share our videos and get your virtual Teach Parents badge today! Look for more updates from this year's conference in the coming weeks and follow #fosi2012 for the latest news from the event.

If you are having problems viewing this email click here to view our web version Visit our website now at: www.fosi.org Follow us on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/FOSI We're also on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/FamOnlineSafety Our FOSI YouTube channel can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/user/FOSI

Protecting Reputations Online in Plain English

Find out how your decisions on sharing things online can impact your life in the real world. Learn to think before you click

New Study Shows Significant Gaps in Perceptions about Teens' Online Behavior

November 14, 2012

New Study Shows Significant Gaps in Perceptions about Teens' Online Behavior Parents and Teens Differ on Perceived Dangers, Both Take Steps to Protect Privacy and Security WASHINGTON, DC - Research released today by the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) (FOSI) explores the online generation gap between parents and teens and reveals a number of disparities in their views about online safety. These gaps in perception demonstrate that great advancements can and should be made to improve communication between parents and teens about online behavior. The nationwide online survey polled 511 teens and 500 parents who access the Internet and was conducted by Hart Research Associates, an independent research company. Key survey findings include: Teens think parents are less informed: The vast majority of parents (91 percent) say they are well informed about what their teens do online and on their cell phones. Teens are much less likely to say their parents are informed about these activities. Three in five teens say their parents are very (21 percent) or somewhat (41 percent) well informed about what they do online. A disconnect exists in online safety conversations: Ninety three percent of parents say that they have talked to their teens about online safety. However, only 61 percent of teens reported having this conversation with their parents. Parents underestimate teens' concerns about potential consequences of their online activities: Less than a quarter of parents (21 %) say teens are most concerned about identity theft, when this is a top concern for a plurality of teens (44 percent). Fewer than 10 percent of parents say teens are worried about online posts creating problems with colleges or employers, when in reality 30 percent of teens say these are top concerns. Parents are monitoring more than teens think: Seventy percent of parents whose teen uses a cell phone have reviewed their teens' cell phone text messages and 79 percent have reviewed their teens' browser history. Eighty four percent of parents whose teen uses a cell phone report that they monitor their teens' cell phones at least somewhat closely. Only 39 percent of teens who use a cell phone report that their parents monitor their cell phones somewhat closely, showing a 45-percentage-point gap between parents' and teens' perceptions of parental monitoring. The survey findings also show promising news: Teens take steps to protect their privacy online: Among teens who use social networks, 81 percent report having used privacy settings on their account, 65 percent have set limits on who they share their posts with and 50 percent have unfriended someone due to an offensive post. Teens don't mind monitoring: Fewer than half of teens who report close parental monitoring say they are bothered by their parents' knowledge of their online or mobile activities. A majority of teens say a parent looking over their shoulder does not present a great nuisance, and more than half of teens say they are not that bothered (32 percent) or not at all bothered (22 percent) by their parents following or monitoring what they do online or on their cell phone. Teens feel safe online and parents agree: Ninety five percent of teens feel they are at least somewhat safe online and ninety four percent of parents feel their teens are at least somewhat safe online. "The goal of this survey was to better understand and address the online generation gap between teens and their parents," said Stephen Balkam, CEO of FOSI. "While significant gaps exist, it's heartening to see that the majority of teens understand the consequences of their actions online and are taking the right steps to be good digital citizens. By better understanding the differences in perceptions between parents and teens, we can work together to improve communication and make the Internet a safer and more productive place for families." The survey was released at FOSI's annual conference and was made possible with the support of Google and Microsoft Corp. For more information about the survey and the annual conference, please visit the Annual Conference 2012 page on the FOSI website. Follow the conference on Twitter: #fosi2012. About FOSI The Family Online Safety Institute is an international, non-profit organization that works to make the online world safer for kids and their families. FOSI convenes leaders in industry, government and non-profit sectors to collaborate and innovate new solutions and policies in the field of online safety. Through research, resources, events and special projects, FOSI promotes a culture of responsibility online and encourages a sense of digital citizenship for all. FOSI's members include: AOL, AT&T, BAE Systems Detica, BT Retail, Comcast, Disney, Entertainment Software Association, Facebook, France Telecom, Google, GSM Association, Microsoft, Mind Candy, Motion Picture Association of America, NCTA, Nominum, Optenet, Sprint, Symantec, Time Warner Cable, Telefónica, The Cyber Guardian, The Wireless Foundation, Verizon and Yahoo!. For more information, visit www.fosi.org. About Hart Research Associates Founded in 1971, Hart Research Associates is one of the leading survey research firms in the United States and has been at the cutting edge of change in the field of public opinion for more than three decades. In that time, Hart Research Associates has conducted well over 5,000 public opinion surveys and has administered and analyzed interviews among more than three million individuals. Hart Research Associates has also undertaken more than 5,000 focus group sessions. To learn more, please visit the Hart Research Associates website.

If you are having problems viewing this email click here to view our web version Visit our website now at: www.fosi.org Follow us on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/FOSI/ We're also on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/FamOnlineSafety Our FOSI YouTube channel can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/user/FOSI You have been sent this email because you have expressed an interest in the Family Online Safety Institute. We hope you find it informative. If you do not wish to receive email from the Family Online Safety Institute in future please use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this email.

Amazing mind reader reveals his 'gift'

Dave is an extremely gifted clairvoyant who finds out specific financial information. This video reveals the magic behind the magic, making people aware of the fact that their entire life can be found online. And by doing so urging everybody to be vigilant. Tips for using online banking more safely can be found at http://safeinternetbanking.be

FOSI's Stephen Balkam Discusses A Platform for Good with Comcast NewMakers

Kidlogger.net

Kidlogger.net is a new generation of Parental Control, Employee Monitoring and Time Tracking service. Automated and simple. Convenient for tracking the working time of employee and kids. Whenever your employee or Kid works on a PC, Mac or mobile phone - all the data about their working and productivity is in your account.

http://kidlogger.net/

Just what is Mix It Up at Lunch Day?

A national campaign launched by Teaching Tolerance a decade ago, Mix It Up at Lunch Day encourages students to identify, question and cross social boundaries.

In our surveys, students have identified the cafeteria as the place where divisions are most clearly drawn. So on one day – October 30 this school year – we ask students to move out of their comfort zones and connect with someone new over lunch. It’s a simple act with profound implications. Studies have shown that interactions across group lines can help reduce prejudice. When students interact with those who are different from them, biases and misperceptions can fall away.

Learn more >>>

Cyberbullying only rarely the sole factor identified in teen suicides

Public release date: 20-Oct-2012

Contact: Debbie Jacobson
djacobson@aap.org
847-434-7084
American Academy of Pediatrics 

NEW ORLEANS – Cyberbullying – the use of the Internet, phones or other technologies to repeatedly harass or mistreat peers – is often linked with teen suicide in media reports. However, new research presented on Saturday, Oct. 20, at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans, shows that the reality is more complex. Most teen suicide victims are bullied both online and in school, and many suicide victims also suffer from depression.

For the abstract, "Cyberbullying and Suicide: A Retrospective Analysis of 41 Cases," researchers searched the Internet for reports of youth suicides where cyberbullying was a reported factor. Information about demographics and the event itself were then collected through searches of online news media and social networks. Finally, descriptive statistics were used to assess the rate of pre-existing mental illness, the co-occurrence of other forms of bullying, and the characteristics of the electronic media associated with each suicide case.

The study identified 41 suicide cases (24 female, 17 male, ages 13 to 18) from the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. In the study, 24 percent of teens were the victims of homophobic bullying, including the 12 percent of teens identified as homosexual and another 12 percent of teens who were identified as heterosexual or of unknown sexual preference.

Suicides most frequently occurred in September (15 percent) and January (12 percent) although these higher rates may have occurred by chance. The incidence of reported suicide cases increased over time, with 56 percent occurring from 2003 to 2010, compared to 44 percent from January 2011 through April 2012.

Seventy-eight percent of adolescents who committed suicide were bullied both at school and online, and only 17 percent were targeted online only. A mood disorder was reported in 32 percent of the teens, and depression symptoms in an additional 15 percent.

"Cyberbullying is a factor in some suicides, but almost always there are other factors such as mental illness or face-to-face bullying," said study author John C. LeBlanc, MD, MSc, FRCPC, FAAP. "Cyberbullying usually occurs in the context of regular bullying."

Cyberbullying occurred through various media, with Formspring and Facebook specifically mentioned in 21 cases. Text or video messaging was noted in 14 cases.

"Certain social media, by virtue of allowing anonymity, may encourage cyberbullying," said Dr. LeBlanc. "It is difficult to prove a cause and effect relationship, but I believe there is little justification for anonymity."

###

Children with mental health disorders more often identified as bullies

NEW ORLEANS – Children diagnosed with mental health disorders were three times more likely to be identified as bullies, according to new research presented Oct. 22 at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans.

Bullying is a form of youth violence defined as repetitive, intentional aggression that involves a disparity of power between the victim and perpetrator. A 2011 nationwide survey found 20 percent of U.S. high school students were bullied during the preceding 12 months. And while it is well-established that victims of bullying are at increased risk for mental health illness and suicide, few studies have investigated the mental health status of those who do the bullying.

In the study, "Association Between Mental Health Disorders and Bullying in the United States Among Children Aged 6 to 17 Years," researchers reviewed data provided by parents and guardians on mental health and bullying in the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health, which included nearly 64,000 children.

In 2007, 15.2 percent of U.S. children were identified as bullies by a parent or guardian. Overall, children with mental health disorders were three times more likely to bully other children. A sub-analysis by type of mental health disorder found that children with a diagnosis of depression were three times more likely to bully, while a diagnosis of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) was associated with a six fold increase in the odds of being identified as a bully.

"These findings highlight the importance of providing psychological support not only to victims of bullying, but to bullies as well," said study author Frances G. Turcotte-Benedict, MD, a Brown University master's of public health student and a fellow at Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence, RI."

"In order to create successful anti-bullying prevention and intervention programs, there certainly is a need for more research to understand the relationship more thoroughly, and especially, the risk profile of childhood bullies."

Watch video here

###

Kevin Curwick, Minnesota Teen, Fights Cyberbullying With A Very Nice Twitter Account (TWEETS)

Tired of seeing his classmates taunted on Twitter, a Minnesota teenager decided he would fight cyberbullying in his own way: by starting a Twitter account that would only spread good things in his school community, KARE News reports.

Read more >>>

School Climate and Cyberbullying: An Empirical Link

Source: Cyberbullying Research Center

One promising way to prevent cyberbullying and other problematic online behaviors from occurring is to develop a positive climate at school where students feel safe and cared about.

Learn more >>>

Cyberbullying a factor in teen suicide, but not only reason

Cyberbullying a factor in teen suicide, but not only reason

Posted on October 23, 2012 By Hope Gillette Health

While cyberbullying is a real issue, experts say most students are bullied online and at school (Shutterstock photo)

When it comes to teen suicides, cyberbullying is rarely the sole leading mechanism of peer torment, states a small study presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics’ national conference in New Orleans last weekend. According to the research, teens who commit suicide are usually depressed and experience bullying both at school and online.

Read more: http://www.voxxi.com/cyberbullying-teen-suicide/#ixzz2A98tV56c

How High School Students Use Facebook To Fool College Admissions Officers

How High School Students Use Facebook To Fool College Admissions Officers: "College admissions officers have learned to check applicants' Facebook profiles, and what they see there can have a negative impact on the students' chances. Guess what? The kids are a step ahead of them."

Smart public image management in social media | NetFamilyNews.org

Smart public image management in social media | NetFamilyNews.org:

Break Bullying: Not in the Break Room, Not on the Playground

Break Bullying: Not in the Break Room, Not on the Playground

Study highlights the power of positive relationships for girls' mental health

Study highlights the power of positive relationships for girls' mental health

New York / Heidelberg, 10 October 2012

The experience of being bullied is particularly detrimental to the psychological health of school girls who don’t have social support from either adults or peers, according to a new study by Dr. Martin Guhn and colleagues from the University of British Columbia in Canada. In contrast, social support from adults or peers (or both) appears to lessen the negative consequences of bullying in this group, namely anxiety and depression. The work is published online in Springer's Journal of Happiness Studies.

Guhn and his team looked at whether the combination of high levels of bullying and low levels of adult as well as peer support have a multiplicative negative effect on children's well-being.

A total of 3,026 ten-year-old school children from 72 schools in Vancouver, Canada, took part in the study and completed questionnaires, which assessed their satisfaction with life, their self-esteem, and their levels of anxiety and depression. The authors looked at whether the ratings for these factors differed, according to the quality of the children’s relationships with both adults and their peers and how often they felt victimized.

Overall, girls were more likely to report positive relationships with both adults and peers, higher satisfaction with life, higher self-esteem as well as higher anxiety levels. There were no differences between boys' and girls' reported levels of bullying and depression. However, as many as 1 in 7 girls and 1 in 6 boys felt victimized several times a week, with verbal and social victimization more commonly reported than physical bullying; cyber bullying appeared to be relatively low.

The authors also found that positive relationships with adults and peers were strongly linked to life satisfaction and self-esteem, whereas bullying was strongly linked to depressive symptoms and anxiety. In addition, victimization was particularly strongly linked to low life satisfaction, low self-esteem and more depressive symptoms in girls who reported low levels of social support from adults as well as from peers.

The authors conclude: "Our findings have implications for promoting children's well-being in school and community contexts, supporting interventions that foster relationship-building skills and simultaneously reduce victimization. In other words, children need more than the absence of risk factors to experience good mental health and well-being."

Reference

Guhn M et al (2012). A population study of victimization, relationships, and well-being in middle childhood. Journal of Happiness Studies; DOI10.1007/s10902-012-9393-8

October is 'Bullying Awareness Month' But When is 'Most Kids Don't Bully Month'?

October is National Bullying Awareness Month and that's mostly a good thing because it reminds us that bullying can be hurtful and can be prevented. But part of "awareness," is being aware that most kids don't bully. In fact, numerous studies have shown that the norm among most American (and other) kids is to treat each other respectfully.

A 2011 study conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project for the Family Online Safety Institute found that "Overall, 69% of social media-using teens think that peers are mostly kind to each other on social network sites." Unfortunately, "another 20% say that peers are mostly unkind, while 11% volunteered that "it depends." That's an issue we need to confront, but it's important to realize that about 7 in 10 kids are mostly experiencing kindness, not rudeness and certainly not bullying or harassment.

Read more >>>

Watch What You Post: More College Officials Look at Applicants' Social Media Pages

Today, most college applicants have blogs, Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, Pinterest boards, YouTube videos and other content posted on social media sites. While these websites can be useful - both academically and socially - it is becoming increasingly important for students to use them responsibly to avoid dashing their collegiate dreams.

Read more >>>

Unite Against Bullying

UNITY DAY - OCT. 10, 2012 Unite Against Bullying With Ellen DeGeneres, Anderson Cooper and Thousands of Students Across the Country What are your true colors when it comes to bullying? If you care about students who are bullied and want bullying to end, make your color orange on Unity Day  – Wednesday, Oct. 10. Link together in schools, the community, and online, and send one very large orange message of support to students who have been bullied. This special event is part of PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Month , and the key message is “Make it Orange, Make it End!” Unity Day began in 2011 and is held on the second Wednesday in October. Last year, Ellen DeGeneres wore orange on her television program and talked about the importance of Unity Day as a way to show support and raise awareness. This year, Anderson Cooper will do the same on his daytime show “Anderson Live,” and DeGeneres will “tweet” about Unity Day to her 13 million Twitter followers. Won’t you join them in raising awareness and showing support on Unity Day? What Can You Do on Unity Day? Wear Orange! It’s easy to offer support for those who have been bullied – just wear something orange! Whether you choose orange socks or shoes, an orange necktie, or an orange T-shirt, you will be showing that you care. Students can use orange markers to write “Unity” on their hands and binders, too. If you want to make a bold statement and support the work of PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center at the same time, purchase the “Official” Unite Against Bullying T-shirt  for your school, team, organization, or yourself. PACER is partnering with CustomInk, the “design online” custom T-shirt company, as part of its “Be Good to Each Other” campaign. You can order the official orange shirt, create your own design, or order one designed by a celebrity. All profits from the campaign support PACER. Walk the Walk in a Pair of Hand-painted “Unite Against Bullying” Converse Shoes It’s important to speak up in support of those who have been bullied. If you want to do more than just talk, you can “walk the walk” in a unique pair of orange hand-painted “Unite Against Bullying” Converse shoes. PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center is partnering with The Swanx (theswanx.com ) shoe company of Puyallup, Wash., to offer three different versions of Converse shoes for National Bullying Prevention Month. The Swanx is making a generous donation to PACER for every shoe sold from its entire collection of hand-painted shoes during October. Take a look! Order a Unity Day Banner for Your School “Unite Against Bullying” banners are a great way for students at your school to make a powerful visual statement of support on Unity Day. Hang the banner in a prominent place where kids can sign it and show that they care. Speedy Signs  of Lake City, Fla., is making banners (2 feet by 4 feet) available at a 25% discount to the first 100 schools that request one. To order, visit the Speedy Signs website , select the 24-inch by 48-inch option, click on “add to cart,” and enter the keyword "PACER25." If you aren’t among the first 100 schools to order, there are other value-priced banners, school posters, and decals available. Set up a “Unity Table” to Hand Out Orange Ribbons Unity ribbons are one more way to get students involved on Oct. 10. Set up a “Unity Table” in a high-traffic area at your school, a prominent place where you can hand out ribbons and raise awareness. Create your own ribbons using a 5/8 inch-wide spool that can be purchased at a craft shop or dollar store. Cut the ribbon into 12-inch strips, and use a black permanent marker to write your own message on each ribbon. It can say “Unity,” “The End of Bullying Begins With Me,” or an original bullying prevention message that’s right for your school on Unity Day . Promote Unity Day Online and in Person The more people who participate in Unity Day, the greater the impact will be. There are many ways you can promote Wednesday, Oct. 10 both in school and online. Be sure to ‘Attend’ and ‘Share’ the Unity Day Facebook Event  with family and friends. Print the informational flyer, bring it to school, and talk with your teacher, guidance counselor, or principal about how your school can participate. You might even suggest a class discussion to your teacher about the meaning of “unity.”Learn more Use Social Media to Share Your Unity Day Events, Activities, Photos Students across the country are holding events on Unity Day, and it is important to share what you are doing with others. Use Facebook and Twitter to tell everyone about your Unity Day activities at school, in the community, and online. Be sure to post your pictures on the Unity Day Facebook page  and update your status to “Unity Day – Wednesday, Oct. 10.” Together we can “Make it Orange, Make it End!”

Tech Talk: 10/03

Tech Talk: 10/03: The Apple iPad is popular among children, but there is no way to filter out pornography sites with its built-in Safari browser. Now there's an alternative browser that gives kids access to the web, minus the porn. ((CBS News and CNET Technology Analyst Larry Magid has Tech Talk.))

Local elementary schools use Broadway play 'Wicked' to teach about prejudice

When “Wicked: The Musical” begins its run on Wednesday, thousands of Louisvillians will again pack the seats of the Kentucky Center’s Whitney Hall to take in the rousing music and inspiring story of this touring national production.

“Wicked,” based on a novel by Gregory Maguire, fills out the background for the characters of “The Wizard of Oz,” helping to put the famous story into context. In Maguire’s version, the Wicked Witch of the West didn’t start out bad, but suffered from bullying and persecution at the hands of Glinda the Good Witch.

Inspired by the musical’s message against judging people by their appearance, some local educators plan to incorporate its message into their anti-bullying efforts this year.

Read more: http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20120910/FEATURES/309100019/1010/features/wicked-musical-bullybust?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7Cfeatures%7Cp

Welcome to National Bullying Prevention Month!

Welcome to National Bullying Prevention Month!

Here are some initial thoughts and resources:

1.      Plan a kick-off event for your bullying prevention program for this year: an assembly, a play, a series of classroom conversations, a school-wide theme for the year, skirts, a poster contest……

a.      Be sure to involve your entire school staff, families and school partners.

b.      Announce it in your newsletter.

2.      Have discussion with your students of the basic Bullying Prevention Rules:

a.     We will not bully others.

b.     We will try to help students who are bullied.

c.      We will include students who are left out.

d.     If we know someone is being bullied, we will tell a trusted adult – at home or at school.

3.      Include Cyberbullying in your plans.  Some basic ‘starter’ Rules for all of us:

a.      Think before you post.

b.     Remember: once you hit ‘send’, you have lost control of your message.

c.      Remember: once you hit ‘send’, you can’t take it back.

4.      Share your ideas with colleagues across the state!  Really!  Is there something you, your school or your district is doing that you want to share with others?  A program, a set of materials, parent information, a document you have developed….. If so, please let me know.  I’ll pass it along.

And remember to check out the Bullying and Harassment

 and Cyberbullying

 pages on the Safety Center

 web site

Source: http://www.newsday.com/news/nation/prom-queen-prank-backfires-as-community-rallies-1.4043178

Prom queen prank backfires as community rallies

Published: September 26, 2012 5:37 PM
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Photo credit: AP | Students at Ogemaw Heights High School in West Branch, Michigan pranked Whiney Kropp, 16, by nominating her to the homecoming court. (Sept. 19, 2012)

Videos

Community turns tables on school prank

WEST BRANCH, Mich. - A Michigan community is trying to make things right after a 16-year-old girl was named to a high school homecoming court as part of an apparent prank.

Whitney Kropp told WNEM-TV she felt betrayed after some of her classmates at West Branch's Ogemaw Heights High School suggested that her selection announced this month at the 800-student school was a joke. She said she had been picked on in the past, but it intensified afterward.

"I thought I wasn't worthy at Ogemaw Heights at all," she said.

As word spread, however, community members rallied behind the sophomore. She's expected appear at Friday's homecoming football game. And The Detroit News reports businesses will buy her dinner, take her photo, fix her hair and nails, and dress her in a gown, shoes and a tiara for Saturday's dance.

Whitney's mother Bernice Kropp said the support has helped make a bad situation right in the community about 140 miles northwest of Detroit.

"This was something that was really awful, could have ended awful, and because so many people came together, it just turned right around," she said.

Jamie Kline, 35, started a Facebook support page, which drew hundreds of messages of encouragement. Shannon Champagne, 28, and another beauty salon worker offered their services and asked other businesses to do the same. And Donny Winter, an Ogemaw Heights graduate, made a YouTube video to show his support.

"Bullying cannot be resolved by silence, it has to be resolved by actually stating what's happening and actually saying it's wrong," Winter said.

Cyberbulling infographic.

Click to enlarge. Source: Power to Learn

"C

12 Things Your Kids Should Never Do on Social Media

Source: Digital Smarts Blog

Ok, you have probably been over it again and again with them, but here is a succinct article on the subject of the 12 things that students should never do on a social media site. It is a good reminder that even if their profile settings are set to private, you never know who is watching, reading, listening, and worst of all downloading, things your children would not want spread around.

http://mashable.com/2012/09/04/students-social-media-warnings/

Maily - A Safe & Fun Email Application for Kids

Maily - A Safe & Fun Email Application for Kids:

Maily is a free iPad app that provides young children with a safe and fun way to send emails to parents and selected family members. To use Maily parents have to create accounts for their children. Parents select and add contacts for their children. After the account is created children can then send and receive emails only from the people that their parents have added to their children's contacts list. The user interface that children see in Maily is very kid-friendly. Using Maily children can draw pictures, use templates to create emails, and or upload pictures to send. To send an email children click the send button and the select the image of the person to they want to receive their messages.

The video below provides a good overview of Maily. Introducing Maily for iPad from Maily on Vimeo. Applications for Education Using Maily could be a great way to introduce young children to email in a safe environment. You could use the Maily app to have students send weekly emails to their parents about what they did in your classroom each week.

This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers .

Teens are learning distracted driving behavior from parents

Teens are learning distracted driving behavior from parents

Sep 18, 2012 4:00 PM

Risky driving behavior by teenagers is too often learned through observing their parents, according to a new survey. About 90 percent of the teens report observing their parents talking on a cell phone while driving, while 88 percent said they saw them speed.
Conducted by Liberty Mutual Insurance and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions), the survey of 1,700 11th and 12th graders finds these teens witness frequent, dangerous driving behavior by their parents. And the teens mimic these bad practices.

Behavior	Parents (observed)	Teens (self-reported)
Talking on cell phone while driving	91%	90%
Speeding	88	94
Texting	59	78
Driving without a seat belt	47	33
Driving under the influence of alcohol	20	15
Driving under the influence of marijuana	7	16

"The best teacher for a teen driver is a good parental role model," says Stephen Wallace, senior advisor for policy, research and education at SADD.
Whether you're a parent, friend, or sibling, set a good example. Stop the car in a safe place if you need to use a cell phone. And if you're riding with a driver compelled to talk or text with a phone, offer to do it for them. Using a phone behind the wheel can be tempting, but the risks are real and truly not worth it.
Driving under the influence or not wearing a seatbelt are foolish choices. These are not new risks and the consequences are well established. Any responsible driver knows better.
For more information, visit our guide to distracted driving. 

—Jeff Bartlett