englishteacheronline:

6 Great Bullying Posters.

Signal boost.

"Facebook has a lot of influence over kids who are mean. They know from their own data that when they tell kids that they’ve posted something inappropriate [and] they ask them to take it down, those kids don’t re-offend. Facebook’s line on this to me was that they have a very low recidivism rate, and so to me, that suggests that Facebook can really use its influence to the good with kids in a way it has been reluctant to do so far, because it doesn’t want to be seen as uncool."

— Emily Bazelon, the author of Sticks and Stones, tells Terry Gross what Facebook could be doing to help stem cyberbullying. (via nprfreshair)

10 Learnist Boards To Help You Understand Bullying →

Here are three:

Online Bullying: 
Lauren Hall created this board about cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is becoming an increasingly troublesome issue as we become connected 24/7.  We must educate students about responsible use of social media, and practice these principles ourselves.

Bullying in Schools
Middle school principal Jay Ackerman created this board about bullying in schools. Bullying is a multifaceted issue that must be stopped through education and intervention. Jay’s discussion of parental involvement in students’ use of social media is key.

A Teen’s Life
World-renown teen expert Jeff Wolfsberg tells amazing stories about the resilience of teens, especially those who have experienced bullying. The first learning on this board is about a bullied girl turned homecoming queen–It shows how a community pulled together to do the right thing and make dreams come true.

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Cyberbullying [INFOGRAPHIC]

5 Steps to Internet Safety (free printable!)

gjmueller:

Teens, kindness and cruelty on social network sites

Among teen social media users:

• 93% have an account on Facebook
• 24% have an account on MySpace
• 12% have an account on Twitter
• 7% have an account on a Yahoo site
• 6% have an account on YouTube
• 2% have an account on each of the following: Skype, myYearbook, and Tumblr
• 1% have an account on Google Buzz

via pewinternet

Only 2% on Tumblr. Really? [skeptical face]

9 in 10 Teens Have Witnessed Bullying on Social Networks [STUDY] →

Teenagers can be mean. But a recent survey suggests that they’re no more so on social networks than they are in real life.

In a survey of 12- to 17-year-olds released by the Pew Research Center on Wednesday, 12% of teenagers reported being bullied in person sometime in the last year, compared to 8% who reported being bullied online.

Most of the teenagers surveyed (69%) said that their peers are “mostly kind” to each other on social networking sites.

What have been your experiences with this?

"In a pair of free-speech rulings, a federal appeals court in Pennsylvania last week came down on the side of the students. In both cases, the court said that schools were wrong to suspend students for posting parodies of their principals on MySpace — one in which a boy made fun of his principal’s body size, and another in which a girl made lewd sexual comments about her principal."

—

Why Students Have a Right to Mock Teachers Online - TIME

I’m all for free speech, but I bet if the tables were turned, and it was the teachers defending themselves, they would’ve lost.  

(via girlwithalessonplan)

When kids do this to other kids, it’s bullying and harassment. When kids do this to adults, it’s… free speech?

This sets a great example.

(via teachplaysing)

This is a very interesting question. What do you think? Share your thoughts with your followers via reblog.

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creativeducation:

How Shakespeare & Social Media Are Fighting Cyber Bullying

William Shakespeare, the bard behind some of the greatest works in the English language, is coming to a Facebook page near you. Weekly Reader has teamed up with the Ophelia Project and White Plains High School to re-enact one of Shakespeare’s plays on Facebook from April 26 to 28.

Much Ado About Nothing will be presented on a special page through status updates, posts, pictures and videos. The students helped create separate pages for their characters complete with pictures, in-character bios and likes. The project is meant both as an educational resource and a tool to combat cyber bullying.

People have long modernized Shakespeare by dressing actors in current clothing and trying to adapt the sometimes dense, complicated language. This project marks a quantum leap in format, as well, updating not only the characters but the way in which they interact. The play will be set in modern day, with dialogue and issues that are relevant to students. The play revolves around issues of hearsay and verbal abuse, making it a perfect segue to talking about online abuse.

For more information, visit the official blog page

Facebook Prank Backfires On Two Preteen Girls →

A Facebook prank is backfiring badly on two girls from Issaquah, Wash., aged 11 and 12, who are being charged with cyberstalking and first-degree computer trespassing.

The two girls allegedly obtained the Facebook password of classmate Leslie Cote and hacked her account — who asked that her name be revealed in order to call attention to the issue.

The duo then posted sexually explicit content on Cote’s profile, including a message indicating that 12-year-old Cote was willing to perform sex acts on people, the Seattle Press Intelligencer reported.

On a sidenote, I just ordered a new pair of binoculars off Amazon. I’m hoping they’ll help me figure out where the parents are.

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Great infographic on keeping kids safe on social media sites.

via blog.zonealarm.com

A Message from President & Mrs. Obama on Bullying →

Sorry I couldn’t embed it. Facebook isn’t cool like that.

"I think the choice of words these students used is very important in this situation. Calling a teacher a rapist or pedophile where it is unwarranted AND in a public setting such as Facebook is a threat to that person’s job. Rape and pedophilia are serious issues - if these kids are let go without punishment of some kind, then what does it say about us as a society? Is it ever ok to joke about these issues, especially in a school setting?"

—

A Disqus comment/reply to this post on a group of 7th graders who may be expelled for posting disparaging comments about a teacher on Facebook.

This is an incredibly interesting story, and I encourage you to weigh in.

Schools Educate Students, Parents on Cyber Safety →

Schools are doing what they can to educate children and parents to keep them safe.

“Well, they’re computer natives. We’re just learning. They grew up with it. They’ve had it since they can walk,” says Grafton High School Principal Joseph Findley.

And, because the internet is second nature most children, they sometimes don’t realize the negative things that can happen.

I’m glad people are talking about this, but it’s starting to feel like they’re not saying anything new.

What would you do to prevent cyberbullying? Respond via reblog, or in the Disqus comments on the actual blog.

ACLU Backs Student’s Facebook Insult Of Teacher →

A California high school student who had been suspended last December after calling his teacher a “fat ass” on Facebook received the backing of the American Civil Liberties Union.

The ACLU released a letter today arguing that the school violated the student’s right to free speech on both state and federal counts, as well as the Education Code.

I’m itching to know what you think. Let me know in the reblog (the bookmarklet doesn’t let me set this up as a question, and once it goes in the Queue the only solution is to delete and rebuild it on Tumblr itself).