Teachers

Keeping Kids Safe Online

NEA has a new, bi-monthly newsletter designed to help educators and parents keep kids safer online. It is called bNetS@vvy.

We think you'll find this content valuable. NEA Read Across America has partnered with NEA Health Information Network to provide this resource---which has been developed in partnership with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and Sprint.

What's the newsletter?

bNetS@vvy will come to you every two months, packed with articles by teachers, experts and young teens themselves, covering topics such as cyberbullying, internet predators and keeping kids safe online. We'll also include links to more tools and resources.

According to a recent Fight Crime: Invest in Kids poll, Cyberbullying has become a serious and growing problem. The good news is that there is plenty that we all can do to prevent this.

Check out past issue about Technology, Safety and Schools.

If you have a questions or a story to share, please email us at internetsafety@nea.org. Together we can help young teens make the most of technology - safely. Visit us at http://neahin.org/.

Below is just a sample of what the newsletter contains:

Cyberbullying

By now we've all seen the tragic headlines. Cyberbullying is a serious and growing problem among today's young teens-but there is plenty adults can do to address and prevent it.  

What is Cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying covers a range of cruel or hurtful conduct. It involves using interactive technologies-e-mail, instant messaging (IM), texting, wireless phones, and Websites-to send or post insulting, abusive or threatening messages. Unlike traditional bullying, it can be done anonymously and victims can be targeted 24 hours a day, at home, at school, anywhere they go online.

"I've seen cyberbullying range from something as trivial as ‘that's insulting and hurtful, but I have enough confidence to turn it off and block you' to life-changing and devastating," says family therapist Julie Guido.

Under-Reported and On the Rise

Several recent studies suggest that cyberbullying in all its forms is a pervasive and growing problem. In a recent Pew Internet & American Life Project survey, one-third of online teens said they have been targets of cyberbullying.

The real numbers may be even higher. A recent poll by Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, a national organization of law enforcement leaders, found that one in three teens and one in six preteens have been victims of cyberbullying-that's more than 13 million children age 6 to 17. As many as 2 million of these young people did not tell anyone about the attacks.

Young teens who are cyberbullied or harassed may be reluctant to tell parents, teachers or other adults because they feel humiliated or ashamed. They may fear that adult involvement will only make the situation worse, or limit their access to technologies.

A Far-Reaching Impact

Cyberbullying can be devastating to the victims, as recent news coverage attests. It can take a serious toll on self-esteem, social confidence, relationships with peers and family, and on schoolwork. Children who are bullied are five times more likely to experience depression, according to Fight Crime: Invest in Kids.

Friends and bystanders also suffer. Cyberbullying creates a climate of fear, uncertainty and disrespect-all conditions that can disrupt learning in a school environment.

Bullying of all forms is most persistent and acute among middle school-age teens, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics. For this reason, parents, teachers and other adults who work with young teens must be savvy about cyberbullying, and work to keep the lines of communication open.

What We Know About What Works: Solutions to Cyberbullying

The media coverage doesn't always include the good news that there are some proven solutions. As the phenomenon continues to capture attention nationwide, many schools are tackling the issue and establishing policies to protect and intervene-and to make sure that the educational and social benefits of new technologies are not undermined by the potential for misuse.

It is no easy task, and educators and administrators may have more questions than answers as they begin.

A growing number of effective tools and resources are being developed to help. Many of these resources are available online and include role-playing scenarios and multimedia activities adults and kids can use together. Our partner, NetSmartz, has great activities for teens and adults at http://www.nsteens.org/. Another multimedia resource is Adina's Deck, a Website and film about cyberbullying that was created based on research in three California middle schools. Check our Links/Resources section for more great sites.

"The most important action that parents and teachers can take is to understand what young teens are doing online and on wireless phones," says Jerry Newberry, executive director of the NEA Health Information Network. "Supervise their interactions and talk to them openly about cyberbullying and appropriate behavior. Encourage them to talk to you."