To the Editor:Re ”Snooping on Your Tech-Savvy Teenagers,” by Michael Winerip(Parenting, Feb. 25)
Mr. Winerip is an excellent essayist and no doubt a responsible parent, but he just doesn’t get it! The whole point of the Internet is that you have left your ‘’safe place” and there is no such thing as just ”a little dangerous.”The era in which Mr. Winerip grew up in is over. The teenager’s thrill of looking at a Playboy magazine in a friend’s basement is a pale comparison to accessing pornography online. There are more than 100,000 Web sites instructing thousands of pedophiles where to find children. Accessing porn is an open invitation to all of them.Today’s parents need to talk to their children about responsible use of the Internet. While children’s curiosity should be encouraged, they are after all minors, and it is good parenting to keep your children safe.As professional educators and national bullying-prevention experts, we endorse a combination of age-appropriate filtering software and ongoing conversations with your children regarding their activities in cyberspace.Roni E. BensonGinger LiebermanPlainviewThe writers are co-directors of the Long Island Professional Education Network and the Bully Frog Program. ]]>
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The co-directors of The Bully Frog Program met with Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy on January 15th to discuss pending legislation regarding laws regarding violence prevention, including cyberbullying. The Federal government has promised to increase funding for the No Child Left Behind grant. Congresswoman McCarthy is advocating for school based programs on bullying prevention as part of the funding.
]]>From today, children contacting friends through the internet forums MySpace, Bebo, MSN instant messaging or Yahoo will be faced with a pop-up advertisements showing examples of text message and cyberspace abuse and bullying. They will carry the message: “Laugh at it and you’re part of itâ€.
Government research into the extent of cyber-bullying found that a third of 12 to 15 year olds reported having been victims. There are also examples of teachers being ridiculed, threatened and subjected to false allegations online by pupils.
The government campaign reminds parents whose children bully classmates or teachers by mobile phone or the internet that they could face parenting orders and fines of up to £1,000 if they fail to put a stop to their child’s actions.
The campaign is backed by the mobile phone and internet industries, as well as children’s charities and teaching unions. It follows complaints from teachers, pupils and parents that cyber-bullying is ruining lives and has got out of control.
Ed Balls, the Children, Schools and Families Secretary, said that cyber-bullying was particularly poisonous as it could follow young people wherever they go, including normally safe spaces such as their bedrooms, and it was often difficult to find out who the bully was.
“One message I want to get across to young people is that bystanders can inadvertently become perpetrators,†he said. “Simply by passing on videos or images they are playing a part in bullying. It is important that pupils are aware that their actions have severe and distressing consequences and the participating in such activity will not be tolerated.â€
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