13-year-old girl’s suicide in October 2006 was the result of a cruel cyber hoax and cyber bullying. Classmates to be held responsible…

ABCNews.com

13 year old Megan Meier from Missouri struck up an online friendship on the popular social networking site MySpace. She believed the person was a new boy in her hometown. In actuality, the “friend” was a group of individuals, including adults, who were intent on humiliating the poor girl because of a friendship with another child that had gone awry.

This year, a student from Downsfield Middle School was suspended and later expelled after forwarding a computer-generated image of a penis to a cell phone.

Five students from Miscoe Hill School were suspended, and three questionable Facebook groups were taken offline after school officials learned of them last week.

Boston Globe, Dec. 2009

Cyber bullying Netiquette Reacting v. Responding Impact 101

Being cruel to others by sending or posting harmful

material using technological means; an individual or group that usesinformation and communication involvingelectronic technologies to facilitatedeliberate and repeated harassment orthreat to an individual or group.

Also known as: ‘Electronic Bullying’ & ‘Online Social Cruelty’

E-mail Cell phones Text messages Instant messaging Defamatory personal web sites (Facebook, etc…)

Defamatory online personal polling web sites

Chat rooms

Who May Be Involved:

Assistant Principal

Principal

School Social Worker

School Psychologist

Parents

Police

Attorney (School or

Private)

Superintendent

Internet Service

Provider

Violates School Limits

Violates Criminal and Civil Law Limits

Violates Defamation Limits

Material that Constitutes an Invasion

of Privacy (1st Amendment)

What You Need to Know

All behavior and actions have consequences

Cyber bullying hurts- period! Cyber bully and accomplices often

become the target of cyber bullying themselves

Cyber bully- you can’t hide anymore. We knowwho you are!

Reacting is emotional and often occurs without much thought

Reacting usually causes more problems

Responding is thoughtful Responding allows for reflection Responding reduces the chance for additional problems

Your reputation with your friends, family, and others

Legal problems for you and your family

Loss of ability to get a summer job Loss of school privileges and sanctions

Long term consequences- college and employment

Tone- avoid negativity especially about other people

Language- no swearing (abbreviations, too)

Self-control is learn to say no to invitations

Profile impressions- what impression does a stranger get from your picture and profile

Wall- delete inappropriate comments Tagging- don’t tag in unflattering ways

Purge and sanitize several times a year

Overall- imagine your Facebook page is on your teachers’ white boards.

We should: Focus on values of kindness and respect for each other

Awareness of others’ feelings Develop effective problem solving skills

Empower bystanders