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Cyber Tools and Schools

Cyber Tools and Schools. A Perspective on Bullying The Education Conference Board’s Fourth Annual Policy Conference December 10, 2009 Albany, NY. Parental concerns about technology. “T he popularity of this new pastime among children has increased rapidly.

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Cyber Tools and Schools

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  1. Cyber Tools and Schools A Perspective on Bullying The Education Conference Board’s Fourth Annual Policy Conference December 10, 2009 Albany, NY New York State Center for School Safety - December 2009

  2. Parental concerns about technology “The popularity of this new pastime among children has increased rapidly. This new invader of the privacy of the home has brought many a disturbing influence in its wake. Parents have become aware of a puzzling change in the behavior of their children. They are bewildered by a host of new problems, and find themselves unprepared, frightened, and helpless.”1 New York State Center for School Safety - December 2009

  3. A quote from today (2009)? Azriel Eisenberg wrote of this in the American Journal of Psychiatry……. In 1936…….in an article titled: “Children and Radio Programs” New York State Center for School Safety - December 2009

  4. LOL SN LMAO TAW TTYL CYA IDK PPL BRB MUSM A/S/L BF KOL PIR PAW NIFOC Laugh out loud Screen name Laughing my ass off Teachers are watching Talk to you later See ya I don’t know People Be right back Miss you so much Age/sex/location Boyfriend Kiss on lips Parents in room Parents are watching Naked in front of computer What do these Acronyms Mean? New York State Center for School Safety - December 2009

  5. The Voices of Youth: Cyberbullying • Convenience sample of after school programs, ages 11-15 • Queried about perceptions, experiences, and solutions around issue • Recommendations for adults/adult led systems New York State Center for School Safety - December 2009

  6. Perceptions of Youth • Definitions/examples: • Bullying on the Internet • Bullying on AIM, Facebook, Myspace • Copying a picture and doing bad things to it online • Making a fake profile • Pranking • Hacking someone’s account and posting bad things

  7. Perceptions of Youth • Is cyberbullying a “big deal”? • Split on perception: • “no one thinks it’s a big deal” • “it could be a big deal depending on what happens” Clear sense of when it is “over the line”: Suicide mentioned, death threats, bias threats, pornography, bombs, rape threats

  8. Experiences • “sometimes when you talk to people really bad stuff pops up like porn…” • “we all see people put up bad status about someone else. It happens all the time” • “…someone saying bad words…” • “…someone gives someone else an AIM screen name and then they harass that person”

  9. Solutions • “You can ignore or block people” • “Go up to their face…talk to them” • “Tell the teachers – snitch” • “Tell your parents” • “It’s hard for cyberbullying to happen on AIM because you control who you talk to”

  10. Recommendations • Reporting: “if it’s not serious then you shouldn’t say anything – if it is you have to tell someone really fast” • Education: “they can have assemblies and meetings to teach everyone” • Policies: “someone told me she was going to beat me up….I printed it and showed it to the principal and she ended up getting suspended”

  11. Issues • “They never talk to us” (re:cyberbullying) • “They just bring it up and say “don’t do it”, but they don’t actually give us real examples or tell us what it is” • “If kids knew how much trouble they could get in, they would do a lot less of it” • “We have no idea what it is (specifics)- they should have a meeting for the whole school”

  12. Strategies to effect change: A Public Health Approach • Impact Policy • Education/Prevention • Environmental/Systems Change

  13. Impact Policy: issues for educators • Federal: CIPA • State: SAVE, including code of conduct, VADIR, school safety planning New York State Center for School Safety - December 2009

  14. Federal: CIPA • Children’s Internet Protection Act: federal law relating to access to potentially offensive content on the Internet in schools • FCC: proposed web-safety education, requiring education on appropriate online behavior, social networking, cyberbullying awareness/response New York State Center for School Safety - December 2009

  15. State: Relationship to SAVE • Threats received on school grounds: required to be reported under VADIR • VADIR: reported under Intimidation, Harassment, Menacing and Bullying (IHMB) • At this point, mostly limited to victim based reporting New York State Center for School Safety - December 2009

  16. State: Relationship to SAVE • District codes of conduct: • Required to be developed and reviewed annually by Board of Education • Changes to be made as warranted and as information and technology changes • Should include references to cyber security and related school policy • Define infractions and potential liabilities New York State Center for School Safety - December 2009

  17. Education/Prevention • There are no evidence-based best practices (Nancy Willard) • Partner with youth: adults are immigrants, youth are natives • Social norms approach: assume healthy behaviors are the norm • Adult-youth engagement • Cyber-savvy teens: safe and responsible

  18. Environmental/Systems Change • Comprehensive responses • School climate • Integrating technology in the educational setting – National Education Technology Standards (NETS) • School safety-technology planning links

  19. Environmental/Systems: Filters and blocking • Concerns: • Provides false sense of security • Does not filter all inappropriate content • Does not prevent cyberbullying • May restrict educationally rich sites • Does not build student skills to safely navigate the internet New York State Center for School Safety - December 2009

  20. Environmental/Systems: Is Policy Logical? • It sounded logical when proposed: • Legislation in Congress to make cyber bullying a federal crime, punishable by up to two years in prison • 32% of high school students and 17% of students grades 5-8 admit to having said mean or hurtful things on the internet: DO YOU WANT ALL THESE CHILDREN INCARCERATED??

  21. Environmental/Systems: Is Policy Logical? • It sounded logical when proposed: • Mandatory 24 hour call lines to report bullying and other actions of harassing or violent behavior in every school district • WHO is going to staff those 24 hour lines? • WHAT is the cost going to be for 24 hour staffing, in addition to the cost of telephone hot lines? • WHERE will referrals be made to for helping the caller? • HOW will screening occur to ensure calls are legitimate?

  22. Systems: Integrating Technology in the Educational Setting • International Society for Technology in Education National Educational Technology Standards (2008) • Student learning and creativity • Digital age work and learning • Digital age learning experiences and assessments • Professional growth and leadership • Digital citizenship and responsibility New York State Center for School Safety - December 2009

  23. Environmental/Systems: Comprehensive School Responses • School Safety Committee: linking with Technology Committee • Combined committee effort: • Conduct needs assessment • Regularly update policies • Utilize opportunities for staff and student education • Involve parents and community New York State Center for School Safety - December 2009

  24. To Adults: Be Brave! • Expand your own knowledge level • Try out tools used by youth with ease • Know the lingo: www.netlingo.com/ • Visit the VADIR blog for the NYSCSS and dialogue with others • http://vadir.blogspot.com New York State Center for School Safety - December 2009

  25. Bullying/Cyberbullying • One form of violence in the lives of youth – need to consider global, community-based approaches • Michaud, in J of Adolescent Health 45 (2009) suggested a “global ecological framework” for multi-sector involvement in creating safe environments for youth.

  26. Visit the NYSCSS web site for related resources on this topic • http://nyscenterforschoolsafety.org • New York State Center for School Safety Mary Grenz Jalloh, M.S., M.P.H., CHES 175 Route 32 North New Paltz, NY 12561 845-255-8989 School Safety hotline: 877-7NYSAVE New York State Center for School Safety - December 2009

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