Journal #5

"Cyberbullying: How to Fight the New Bullies" by Rosalind Wiseman

A new wave of bullying is taking place. It is called Cyberbullying. Bullies are now using technologies such as instant messages (IMs), text messages, photos, email, videos, etc. to put down and intimidate others. As Wiseman states, what makes cyberbullying so easy is that it is anonymous and can potentially have an enormous audience. Because this has become such a problem, legal and educational systems have begun to take action, placing cyberbullying into their bullying policies. School officials are permitted to get involved in incidents that take place outside of school if the activity impacts the child’s learning environment. The controversy has become whether school officials can “suppress student speech off-campus”. The decision has yet to be made. Wiseman also includes cyberbullying facts and tips for parents in this article.

Questions...
1. What’s my stance on this “off-campus” controversy?
I feel that bullying is not acceptable, no matter where it occurs. If the parents aren’t going to take the appropriate steps to put an end to this, then yes, I think the schools need to step in and do what’s necessary to protect the children.

2. What can I do to make sure my students have safe, fun online experiences, on and off campus?
I can keep my students informed of the dangers of the internet. Perhaps I could introduce them to the Netiquette guidelines, and make sure they are aware of who they should contact in the event that they experience problems online.