School Bullying Council

HUDSON – Pasco County authorities say a 16-year-old Hudson girl took her own life Sunday night.  Friends of the Jessica Laney say bullying through social media played a major role.

An investigation into her suicide is underway.

Laney lived in Hudson, where friends say she attended Fivay High School and played soccer. 

But when she was off the field, she spent time online, maintaining blogs on popular social network site Tumblr, and Ask.fm, a site where people could ask questions and make comments anonymously.

Valerie Canales, who calls Laney a friend, said people used the Ask.fm format to bully the victim.

If you take a look at Laney’s Ask.fm page, Jessicamarieee1, some of the anonymous questions asked are innocent enough, talking about boys, and even comments praising her beauty.

But her page is also peppered with disparaging comments, calling her fat and a loser.

One visitor asked her, “Can you kill yourself already?” and another commented “nobody even cares about you”.

While friends speculate that cruel treatment is what pushed 16-year-old Jessica Laney over the edge, an official from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office says neither Laney’s parents nor Laney’s boyfriend were aware of any bullying in her life.

“Our thoughts and prayers go to the Jessica Marie Laney’s family as they deal with their loss… (Pasco County Sheriff’s Office) is not aware of any formal complaint to the Pasco School District or PSO about her being bullied,” said Doug Tobin, Public Information Officer for the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

Canales wrote to ABC Action News, saying she wants to spread the word about what she thinks happened to her friend, and she wants the Ask.fm site shut down.  

“…last night, my friend Jessica Laney took her life. She was constantly bullied and bullied. And she was pushed and pushed to the point where she couldn’t handle it anymore. And if you could spread the word about the website ask.fm, how it needs to be shut down, that would be amazing too. Ask.fm is a website where people can ask anonymous questions to anyone they want. And thats how Jessica was constantly put down and bullied. She was a beautiful girl everyone loved her. Shes gonna be missed. We have to put an end to bullying. Please help…” she wrote on her Facebook page.

Officials say Laney hung herself. She was pronounced dead at 11:26 p.m. Sunday night.

A RIP Jessica Laney Facebook page was created in her honor Monday. http://www.facebook.com/pages/RIP-Jessica-Laney/295483590573080

Poster Tonia Tipton said Laney transferred from Hudson High to Fivay High due to bullying at school. Tipton wrote that the soccer team at Fivay wanted to honor her at a game planned for last night, but due to severe weather the game was rained out. She proposes that both schools Hudson High and Fivay High come together to honor Laney’s memory.

The case is classified as a suicide, as the sheriff’s office continues to investigate the events that led to her death.

Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/region_pasco/hudson/friends-say-online-bullying-led-to-16-year-old-jessica-laneys-suicide-officials-investigating

http://www.sentinel-standard.com/article/20121210/NEWS/121219955/-1/sports

SAN DIEGO – Some San Diego County students were recognized Tuesday evening for their participation in an anti-bullying campaign.

Senior Adrian Altez is the high-school winner for an essay contest, where he documented his own personal struggle with bullying.

“My self esteem started to drop,” wrote Altez. “But I knew I was a first rate person inside and that was all that mattered to me.”

At one point Altez weighed 272 pounds. He remembers being bullied, having low self-esteem and not having any friends to turn to.

“There came a point in my life,” wrote Altez. “Where I told myself ‘Adrian, you can’t trust anybody in this world.’”

Fortunately, Altez is now at a better place in his life. He lost 110 pounds and has overcome the bullying. He now hopes his story will help other children learn the dangers of bullying and what to do if they’re being bullied.

His advice: tell someone if you’re a victim.

“I regret not telling anybody,” said Altez. “Because it actually affected me in a horrible way. At one point I remember feeling depressed most of the time and I was always negative.”

Student Sophia Jones was chosen as the essay winner for the middle-school level. She wrote about a handicapped student in her school and her memories of how he was bullied. She wrote openly and honestly about how she sat by and watched, never speaking up and sometimes laughing along with the other students.

“I don’t know how it is to be bullied,” wrote Jones.  “But I do know how it feels to be a bully and it feels horrible.”

The anti-bullying campaign was spearheaded by U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy, who knows the long-term dangers of bullying.

“The statistics and the research show that kids who are involved in bullying, both on the bully and the bullied end,” said Duffy. “Have a tendency to become involved in crime as adults. And those who bully have a propensity to become involved in violent crime.”

Approximately 150 students participated in the essay contest. During an awards ceremony Tuesday, Altez and Jones were recognized for their entries. Dozens of other students were given honorable mention awards for their work.

San Diego Chargers Defensive End Vaughn Martin also spoke at the ceremony about his own experience with bullying.

http://fox5sandiego.com/2012/11/13/students-participate-in-anti-bullying-campaign/

In time for National Bullying Awareness Month, Jennifer Livingston, WKBT-TV news anchor in La Crosse, Wis., received an email from a viewer that criticized her weight and credibility as an appropriate public figure.

Livingston responded to her bully during an on-air special on WKBT-TV to stand up for herself and to take a stance on bullying.

“You know nothing about me but what you see on the outside, and I am much more than a number on a scale,” Livingston said.

Receiving worldwide feedback from the special she hosted, Livingston was featured on NBC’s “Today Show” and the “Ellen DeGeneres Show.” Livingston’s special also received over 10 million hits on YouTube.

On the special, Livingston spoke out to those affected by bullying.

“To all of the children out there who feel lost, who are struggling with your weight, with the color of your skin, your sexual preference, your disability, even the acne on your face, listen to me right now. Do not let your self-worth be defined by bullies,” Livingston said.

She turned her focus to National Bullying Awareness Month and spoke of changes that need to happen. Livingston repeated multiple times throughout the special that the Internet and schools are outlets for bullying.

However, Livingston brought the fault back to the parents, saying that bullying is a learned habit.

“We need to teach our kids how to be kind, not critical, and we need to do that by example,” Livingston said.

Erin Hall is pursuing her master’s degree in elementary education at Drake University and saw Livingston’s special.

“I think Jennifer handled herself and the situation appropriately and tastefully on camera,” Hall said. “She seems to be an intelligent woman and I hope that she didn’t let that cruel email get to her too much. She definitely did the right thing about talking about it.”

While Livingston stood up for herself, she also turned the focus to the changes that need to be made in our schools.

Kelly Friske, a 2012 Drake alumna, is a middle-school teacher in Colorado. Friske has noticed bullying in her classroom.

“Unfortunately, many of my students don’t understand when they have gone past joking to actually hurting someone’s feelings,” Friske said.

Friske’s school has an anti-bullying policy that punishes bullies by detentions or suspensions, as well as campaign posters around the school for National Bullying Awareness month. Although Friske sees bullying at a middle-school level, she believes bullying goes past the pre-teen years.

“I think that bullying continues into college and beyond. I think it can sometimes even escalate in college because unlike before you often can not separate yourself from the bully by going home from school, especially if you are living with or close to them,” Friske said.

Katie McCullough, sophomore studying biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, also believes that there is bullying in college. However, she thinks it is often overlooked.

“The school itself focuses more on Greek hazing than actual bullying. Drake pressures fraternities and sororities to take online seminars to prevent hazing, but I haven’t seen anti-bullying promotions outside of the Greek system,” McCullough said.

McCullough is a member of the Greek social sorority, Delta Gamma.

While Drake may not openly campaign against anti-bullying, the university does have a bullying policy in its student handbook.

According to the handbook, “We abhor acts of oppression, be they denial of freedom of expression; discrimination in its various forms of sexism or racism, or intolerance of religion, age, sexual orientation, or political beliefs; or harassment of any member of the University community.”

If bullying occurs to student at Drake, discipline can be given.

“Drake University will take such disciplinary action and respond with such sanctions as are deemed appropriate,” according to the handbook.

It is unclear as to what those actions are.

The other anti-bullying effort Drake provides is an online class for education majors. Susen Schirmer, an adjunct instructor and education counselor, teaches the three-credit hour online anti-bullying class.

“The online class is an effort to help educators understand what bullying is and is not as well as what they can do to help stop this epidemic that is hurting our kids,” Schirmer said.

The class was a bronze award winner at the United States Distance Learning Association’s annual conference in St. Louis, Mo., in April.

Schirmer agrees bullying continues into college years and longer.

“The long-term effects of bullying in some circumstances can be likened to PTSD. Of course, bullying behaviors often carry over into adulthood, just watch a bit of television and you see countless examples,” Schirmer said.

Schrimer believes bullying is growing problem as well.

“Current estimates in Iowa estimate that 85 percent of students K (to) 12 have experienced bullying and that number continues to climb. The Internet certainly impacts this as it can send a message much quicker and to a broader audience 24/7,” Schrimer said.

For more information about National Bullying Awareness Month, visit www.pacer.org/bullying.

http://timesdelphic.com/2012/11/08/bullying-epidemic-in-the-workplace-and-at-universities

According to ViolencePreventionWorks.com, “Cyber bullying, like traditional bullying, involves an imbalance of power, aggression, and a negative action that is often repeated.”

Typically, when one thinks of cyber bullying, one might think of adolescents being bullied on social media. There is more to it though.  Think about when your email is bombarded with spam.  What if you receive a lot of spam from someone impersonating Twitter, Linked In, Better Business Bureau or FBI.  This is a form of cyber bullying, not only to you, receiver of the spam, but also to the companies that are regularly being impersonated, who have to field off calls in regards to these emails.  Business reputations are on the line because of malware being sent out by unknown sources, when companies/government agencies are unable to put a stop to the spam.  The cyber bullying is is not only grossly unfair, it’s illegal.  BBB works closely with both public and private sector organizations, including law enforcement, to identify criminal spammers and shut them down.

Here is one example of cyber bullying, supposedly, from a well-known company:

 As you can see, both Google and YouTube’s names are on here.  The URL link goes to a website entirely unrelated to either Google or YouTube.  One can see this in the picture above and also by hovering over the link on the email.

Should you receive spam or unwanted email, such as this, forward it to spam@uce.gov within the United States.  The Canadian government is launching a “Fight Spam” website in 2013 that will be able to handle similar requests from Canadian citizens.  Individual companies also have spam reporting services and appreciate your alerting them when their name, logo or other trademark is being used fraudulently.

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• Gimmicks, Trickery, and the Not-so Verbal Agreement

http://www.bbb.org/blog/2012/11/cyberbullying-an-imbalance-of-power/

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Although it’s been around for as long as I can remember, I appreciate that for most adults cyber-bullying is quite a new phenomenon. And I don’t quite think they’ve yet grasped how to treat it. Unlike other forms of bullying, its effects often aren’t seen until it gets completely out of hand, and sometimes when it is too late.

According to the cyber bullying charity the Cybersmile Foundation, every 20 minutes a child between 10 to 19 years of age attempts to commit suicide in England and Wales. While one in three children in the UK suffers from cyber-bullying.

However, apart from the occasional scandalous news story such as the recent suicide of Canadian teenager Amanda Todd, most of it is never brought to light. So what’s really going on?

In my experience, most cases of cyber-bullying incidents aren’t, thankfully, as bad as Amanda Todd’s story. They usually comprise of arguments on Facebook that turn into popularity contests. Someone will spark off the conflict with a claim or rude post on the other person’s wall or photo and it will lead to a string of abusive and sarcastic messages. The rules of the battle are to remain nonchalant throughout and the winner is decided by whose comments received the most “likes”.

It then becomes almost a spectacle with everyone watching the fight unfold and messaging each other on who they think is faring the best. The bravest friends stick up for their comrade with their own comments and those less willing to get involved will simply join the mass of likes. This goes on until the receiver or the poster of the original message has enough sense to delete it and the fight continues in private.

Unfortunately, not all cases are so harmless and some can lead to serious emotional damage. A friend of a friend was a recent target when girls in her year created a Blackberry messenger group about her. It was comprised of over 20 people messaging each other about how they should kill the “slag”, supposedly because she was going out with an older boy. They then added her to the conversation and she wasn’t seen at school for two weeks. A close friend of mine was also a recent victim of abusive texts after false accusations arose around her having cheated with somebody’s boyfriend. “I felt so isolated and exposed,” she told me, “There was nowhere I could turn where they couldn’t get to me”.

There are also instances of malicious public statuses, embarrassing pictures being sent round and abusive questions on sites such as Formspring, a medium on which anonymous questions can be posted to specific people. Teens hiding behind their anonymous identity can post extremely hurtful things, which they would never say in real-life, but which they feel are acceptable in cyber space. Those who don’t answer are often accused of being cowardly and as a result receive even more “hate”.

Over 80 per cent of children fear that cyber-bullying is getting worse. Due to the growth of social media, every move you make on sites such as Facebook and Twitter is watched and regulated. Just a slight slip such as an “uncool status” or adding somebody as a friend, who you supposedly don’t know well enough, leaves the perfect opportunity for bullies to strike.

Victims of cyber bullying are always told they should seek help from school but they can often be just as confused as the perpetrators themselves. Although it is the wrong thing to do, many teenagers believe that their only chance of survival in the social media jungle of bullying is to fight back with equally as harsh and hurtful comments. This just leads to more tension and leaves schools and authorities with no easy way of putting an end to it without being accused of showing favouritism to a particular side.

I spoke to the founder of the Cybersmile Foundation, Scott Freeman on what he recommends when he receives distressed phone calls from victims and parents. Many parents are extremely worried about whether their child is being cyber-bullied and often are not sure how to protect their children if they don’t even know if it’s going on.

They are told to look out for certain signs such as their child acting paranoid and protective about other people looking at their computer and not wanting to go to school. A big reason why children may not want to alert their parents to the problem is the fear that their privileges, such as having a Facebook account and surfing the web may be taken away. Parents must show that they are on their child’s side and want to help them not punish them.

Children who call the helpline are suggested to talk to either to their parents or a member of staff at school about it straight away. If given permission to do so Cybersmile will contact their parents to run them through what can be done. If the child feels uncomfortable with that they should talk to a close friend, the most important thing is not to suffer alone. Cybersmile also offers counselling for anyone who is really having trouble. Most children live in fear of being cyber-bullied and this shouldn’t go on.

The charity also raises awareness of the problem, they fear is growing, by giving talks in schools and universities. They are designed to shock students into thinking about what they do online and who they may be affecting. Cyber-bullying workshops are also on offer for parents and children in order to bridge the gap between both generations and work on ways to combat the problem.

Cybersmile is working on changing the harassment law which they feel is outdated because it does not include online bullying. They believe that the internet should be viewed as a public space in which people who are acting abusive should be punished by law. A petition calling for government action has already received over 1,000 signatures, in the hopes of helping to erase cyber bullying. The foundation is producing anti-cyber-bullying wristbands which will be available from the 5th November. The money raised will be used towards supporting their 24 helpline which can be contacted on 0845 6887277.

For more information about the Cybersmile Foundation visit www.cybersmile.org

Tagged in: bullying, cyber-bullying, internet, school

http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/10/26/the-growing-problem-of-cyber-bullying/

From time to time I am asked what the biggest problem in our schools is. Bullying, including cyber bullying, qualifies as one of the most reported issues.

Bullying is defined as aggressive behavior with intent to cause harm or distress that is repeated over time, and usually occurs where there is an imbalance of power or strength in the relationship. Cyber bullying falls under one of the indirect bullying categories as it lacks direct contact between the individuals. It is bullying through the electronic media, be it Internet chat, texting, instant message, etc. Many young people today are connected to the Internet almost 24/7 and being part of this connection is very important to them. Unlike the “traditional” school bully, cyber bullying usually takes place away from school. The overwhelming number of reported cases occurs outside of school. Incidents reportedly occurring during the school day almost always involve a student’s personal equipment. Victims of cyber bullying feel they can’t escape and simply staying away from the media is not viewed as an option.

Having an environment free of physical and emotional harm is one characteristic of a safe school. Bullying of any kind interferes with a student’s education. Cyber bullying sometimes borders on threats or criminality, as in sexting, which is a crime in Indiana. Often there may be credible evidence of a threat, but not evidence of a credible threat. In such cases a threat assessment is also conducted. We work closely with area law enforcement agencies and the Juvenile Probation Department when the case merits it.

What can we do to fight cyber bullying? This is where parent and school cooperation is very important. We respond and investigate all reported incidents. What then? Schools have to be very careful. If cyber bullying is documented, a substantial disruption to the educational process also must exist in order for school officials to impose any sanctions. One thought is that schools should educate rather than sanction in all cases. The thought being that correcting and ceasing the behavior is the ultimate goal. If the offenders are taught to understand their wrongdoing, they will stop for good.

A strong effort is made in all our schools to educate all students, beginning at an early age, about all forms of bullying. It is also important for parents to educate themselves and their children about this issue. Our guidance counselors have resource information for parents if needed. Nationally, reports of cyber bullying spike around sixth grade and continue into high school.

Parents should take an active role by monitoring their child’s electronic communications. Responsible use of electronic media must also be taught. If your child abuses the media, take away the device(s) for a time as part of their education. Parents need to talk with one another and present a united front to students and say, “We won’t tolerate this.” We must continue to work together to teach our children responsible use of electronic media.

This column solely represents the writer’s opinion.

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/columnists/duneland-schools/bullying-will-not-be-tolerated/article_5bdf3fc6-fd96-5604-b833-3283dcdc1eab.html

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) – 9 On Your Side has taken a stand against it for awhile now. Thousands of children are bullied every day.

But instead of doing nothing about the issue, some photographers in the East are taking a stand themselves. Dyal Photography Studio in Jacksonville is tackling the issue one snapshot at a time.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and there’s no doubt these children have something to say. You’d never know it but they’ve all been bullied.

“Mostly they just called me names, one person said that they would run me over with a train,” said Paige Jamison.

They’re just 10, 12, and 15 years old but last year Paige, Mackenzie and Ryne were ready to give up.

“It was non-stop, I’d get on the bus, get a text, go home, get a facebook message…I turned to drugs because that’s who i was accepted with,” said Ryne Reece.

“Once, this kid said he wanted to strangle me just to watch me die. That was it. I went home. My mom could not touch me I was crying so bad and I told her I wanted to end my life,” said Mackenzie Davis.

That is until they met photographer Tricia Dyal. She was so touched by the story of a 10-year-old girl who took her own life, she knew she had to take a stand.

“My mom called me and said for me to hug my girls and tell them how powerful their words are,” said Dyal.

That’s why she designed the “Inside Out” program. Several times a month Dyal and her team connect with local schools. Teachers, parents, and other students can nominate kids who have been affected by bullying. 10 students from each school get a free photo shoot at Dyal Photography, complete with hair and makeup.

“Bullying is a lot different from when we were children. The more awareness you have, the more likely you are going to be successful at intervening,” said Leslie Seas, with Inside Out.

Ryne, Mackenzie and Paige were some of the first to get the experience.

Since the photo shoot, the kids say they have a new attitude. Words may be powerful, but a smile – that’s invincible.

If you’d like more information on the “Inside Out” program or want to nominate a school, visit: http://www.theinsideoutproject.org

http://www2.wnct.com/news/2012/sep/26/photographers-tackle-bullying-one-snapshot-time-ar-2641708/

A video made by the Y11 students for their CyberBullying campaign.

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Don’t do this to yourself, you have another option. HOW TO: BLOCK ON FORMSPRING & TUMBLR: MUSIC: “Royalty Free Music #116 (Why is Kolaveree) Rock/Reggae Parody.” SECOND CHANNEL: youtube.com LINKS: facebook.com twitter.com kristencorpse.tumblr.com http dailybooth.com keek.com flickr.com TAGS: kristencorpse advice turn off anons block anonymous anon comments formspring tumblr harassment sexual mean bullying cyberbullying bully bullying trolls trolli

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Bullying affects every community in our nation. Children are faced with cruel text messages, whispers in hallways, and even physical violence on a daily basis. As martial arts instructors we have a special opportunity to be a positive influence on the lives of these children and help them take a stand and end bullying in their communities through the life skills of confidence, honor, respect, integrity, and honesty. Stand with us as we work to change our communities and end bullying. Share your

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Posted: Thursday, July 5, 2012 12:10 am

Twitter bullying an alarming trend

By Shelby Burke
Moorestown High School

Calkins Media, Inc.

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I’m the first to admit, I love my Twitter. In fact, I’m sort of addicted.

I love scrolling down my feed and seeing what everyone is doing. I love tweeting things I think are witty. I love following celebrities, fitness advice, recipes and parody accounts.

But one thing I hate about Twitter is the amount of bullying and gossiping that goes on, and how easy it is to be passive-aggressive or, even worse, straight-up mean.

Facebook is notorious for cyber bullying, but Twitter makes it even easier. Twitter doesn’t hold all of the distractions that Facebook has; it’s just one feed with tweets and the occasional “twitpic.”

Additionally, Twitter has become the land of a thousand “subtweets.” A “subtweet” is a tweet that is obviously referencing someone or something without mentioning specific names. It’s easy to “subtweet” in a high school community because when drama goes down, almost everyone knows about it, eventually rendering the “subtweet” pretty much useless.

We all know who is being talked about, and if we don’t, we’ll snoop around until we find out. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been sent screenshots of tweets by friends in group messages where we can all discuss and dissect the drama.

Recently, I saw a couple of girls I consider friends tweeting about a freshman girl they had never met. They called her “trashy,” “disgusting” and “skanky.” I tweeted that the bullying should stop, but then, fearing confrontation, deleted my tweet.

I was disappointed in my friends for picking on a younger girl who had never personally insulted them, especially in a public forum. But I was much more disappointed in myself for being afraid to stand up to something I knew wasn’t right. I just didn’t want to get involved in the endless cycle of Twitter drama.

There are a lot of really good things about social networking, but bullying is one of its terrible side-effects. There has been a huge emphasis on Facebook harassment, but in reality, Twitter is the site that is growing in popularity among teens.

And the bullying will only get worse.

© 2012 www.phillyburbs.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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http://www.phillyburbs.com/blogs/reality/twitter-bullying-an-alarming-trend/article_6a4ed7ae-cdf9-569b-8407-0e3b69c80c86.html

Legislators, accompanied by anti-bullying advocate Miss New York Kaitlin Monte, released a cyberbullying census last Wednesday, showing students in New York face a new kind of bully — one who is not confined to school grounds.

The data shows students support a bill that would make Internet harassment a crime.

“When I was growing up, we had a tangible bully … the school yard bully,” said Independent Democratic Conference member Jeffrey Klein, D-Morris Park. “It’s much different now. The bully of yesteryear is now the cyberbully and the cyberbully is much more lethal. What you have is hoards of invisible bullies, hiding behind the Internet, hiding behind their cell phones and they’re really very malicious.”

The nine-month long census, surveying nearly 10,000 New York students, was created by the Independent Democratic Conference in light of recent reports of increased cyberbullying, which in some cases has led to suicide.

Monte spoke at schools to help promote the cyberbullying census. “We need a solution that [students] feel is effective and responsive and in a manner that’s appropriate for what they’re dealing with,” she said.

Klein sponsors a bill (S.6132) that would make electronic harassment a crime in New York state. Cyberbullying would be a second-degree aggravated harassment misdemeanor and a third-degree stalking misdemeanor.

“This is a serious problem and should be treated as such and that’s why cyberbullying in this state should be made illegal,” said Klein.

According to the independent senators, by including cyberbullying into these two sections of the penal code, cyberbullying would also be eligible offenses under the New York State Hate Crimes Act. The bill (A.8978-a) is sponsored by William Scarborough, D-Queens, in the Assembly.

The census asked students in grades three through 12 to respond to a dozen questions. Students from 45 state counties and more than 350 schools participated in the census, 68 percent of which responded they have either witnessed or been personally victimized by cyberbullying. Only 1 in 5 students actually reported their cyberbullying incident, according to the survey. More than 69 percent of students think cyberbullying should be illegal.

e-mail this article link to a friendletter to the editor about this articleprint this articlefacebooktwitterdigg itshareLarger | Smaller“Cyberbullying is clearly a problem across our state,” said Sen. David Valesky, D-Oneida. “By gaining a better sense of student’s experiences, we can zero-in on the most effective ways to educate students about its dangers and steer them away from any temptation to bully kids themselves.”

The survey also reported 6.1 percent of students said they have cyberbullied others, 11.8 percent of students reported they had said “nasty things online” but do not consider it cyberbullying, 5.9 percent of students said they have cyberbullied someone with their friends “just for fun” and 14.6 percent said they sent a joke to someone, but the recipient thought it was cyberbullying.

“After reviewing student responses from across Westchester, Rockland and Orange counties,” said Sen. David Carlucci, D-Clarkstown, “I’m more convinced than ever that we need to make cyberbullying illegal in New York state.”

Another piece of anti-cyberbullying legislation (S.6614-a/A.10176-a) sponsored by Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer, R-Williamsville, and Assemblyman Michael Kearns, D-Buffalo, would define cyberbullying as engaging in acts of abusive behavior over a period of time sent by mechanical or electronic means and criminalizing these actions against any minor as a misdemeanor punishable by a fine or imprisonment.

Last fall, a boy from Williamsville committed suicide after years of cyberbullying, according to his parents. Ranzenhofer said the boy went to the same school his children had attended years ago.

“This is an issue that cuts across political lines, cuts across geographic lines. It’s a problem which is prevalent throughout the state of New York,” said Ranzenhofer. “The statutes we have on the books right now are 20th century statutes to deal with a 21st century problem. What we really need to do is modernize our criminal statutes and bring them up to date with society.”

The survey also showed a significant difference in gender. When asked if the student has ever been cyberbullied, 12.6 percent of boys said yes, while 25.1 percent of girls, almost double, said yes.

“Young girls across the state need to feel that they are protected,” said Sen. Diane Savino, D-Staten Island. “By making cyberbullying a crime, we can do just that.”

Jamie Isaacs, 16, became a victim of cyberbullying starting in elementary school and was forced to switch schools because of the harassment. The teenager established the Jamie Isaacs Foundation for Anti-Bullying and also wrote a book illustrating her situation for others. The book is based on her personal journals throughout the years.

“It’s unfortunate to know that this digital age is forcing kids to kill themselves,” said Isaacs. “This law is so important. When I was being bullied I didn’t have anybody making laws like this, I didn’t have anyone who was standing up and doing presentations in schools and trying to get the awareness up. It’s good to know this is happening now when bullying is probably at its highest.”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo introduced a bill over the weekend that would define cyberbullying as harassment, insults, taunting and threats through social media and would also require schools to have an official to act on cyberbullying reports. The legislation would not include a criminal charge and is expected to be voted on by the Legislature this week.

http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-Top-Stories-c-2012-06-18-81831.113122-Bullying-laws-meet-the-21st-century.html

More than 80 percent of victims do not report cyberbullying

Courtesy the Independent Democratic Conference

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NEW YORK—More than two-thirds of New York students have either witnessed cyberbullying or have been victims themselves, according to a survey of almost 10,000 New York students.

Cyberbullying includes harassment and denigration through electronic means, such as cellphone texts, instant messages, or postings on websites such as Facebook.

The nine-month survey drew responses from nearly 10,000 students from 350 schools across the state, including all five New York City boroughs, and 40 other counties. Survey results included responses from students from 3rd to 12th grade. The majority, a little more than 59 percent of respondents, were grades six to eight.

“I would like grownups to know that cyberbullying could crush a kid’s dreams or hurt them forever,” wrote a fourth-grader, answering the survey question: “What are your final thoughts on cyberbullying?”

More than 80 percent of students who have been victimized by cyberbullies or witnessed such actions did not report the bullying to an adult. When asked why they didn’t tell an adult a 10th-grader wrote “Because it makes it worse and people start to call you a snitch.” A third-grader replied, “Because they tell you not to tell.” An eighth-grader said, “I didn’t think there was much anyone could do.”

Courtesy the Independent Democratic Conference

One question asked whether students had been cyberbullies themselves. Six percent said they had cyberbullied others; almost 12 percent had said “nasty things online but don’t consider it cyberbullying;” about 6 percent explained they had cyberbullied someone with their friends just for fun; and 14.6 percent had sent jokes to someone, but that someone considered the joke cyberbullying.

Almost 70 percent of the surveyed students said cyberbullying should be illegal.

Two state senators who joined in the release of the survey results have sponsored legislation that would make cyberbullying a crime in New York.

“Sometimes, what is obvious to our children should be just as obvious to us as lawmakers,” said Sen. Jeff Klein in a release. “Yes, we need greater education on the issue: but education is not enough. Any legislative solution must also make cyberbullying a crime in New York state once and for all.”

The proposed legislation would make cyberbullying a misdemeanor. Legislatures are hoping to pass cyberbullying legislation before the end of this year’s legislative session on June 21, according to the release.

The survey was administered anonymously through email, paper, and the Internet, over a period of eight months. A variety of means were used by the Independent Democratic Conference to inform students about the survey, including requesting school superintendents and principals to tell children about the survey.

 The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/united-states/cyberbullying-affects-two-thirds-of-new-york-students-survey-251738.html

I am upset to hear another suicide because of bullying. I try to persuade kids to tell an adult if they know a bully or someone is being bullied either online or in school. Helpful Links: http internetsafetycenter.com Make sure to say a prayer for the Morales’ family. Thank you, Timmy

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A bully named Drew drives a young teenager to suicide, in the YouTube short “Drew”.

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This is my second video on bullying but this video is on cyberbullying. Check out my other videos and don’t forget to suscribe! Thanks!

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Brandon DeMarco is an average teenager in an ordinary High School that becomes the target of relentless harassment and vindictive cyberbullying. His story’s been seen by thousands of students all over the globe.

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JHS Students Embark on Journey to End Cyberbullying

Written by Rick Karas: syossetjericho@antonnews.com

Friday, 23 March 2012 00:00

Jericho teens start the organization to combat growing online problem

Name calling, teasing, shunning. Whatever form it takes, bullying has been an unfortunate rite of passage for many students from the first day of kindergarten to high school graduation. It’s been around in some form, most likely, since the first-ever school opened its doors.

As the decades roll on, so does technology, and schools do their best to try and keep up. Bullying certainly has; it has turned into cyberbullying, with putdowns moving from the playground to the PC and now, Smartphones.

Schools have addressed the issue of cyberbullying, but two local teens decided to take the matter a step further. The End To Cyber Bullying Organization (ETCB) is a non-profit started last year by Jericho High School juniors David Zhao and Samuel Lam. It’s mission is to raise awareness of cyberbullying and offer an array of services to both identify and end the problem for good.

ETCB held a kickoff event March 15 at the Jericho Public Library, where team leaders hoped to recruit volunteers from other area schools, and spread the ETCB word beyond the walls of Jericho. Its founders say the message is most effective coming from students themselves, not just parents and teachers.

“We really need a push from the ranks from below rather than on top,” Lam said. “If we can inspire change from below and get all the kids to join together and start a movement to teach kids that cyberbullying is not a cool thing to do, that is how we can ultimately prevent it.”

ETCB hopes to eventually employ psychologists to provide counseling. For now, it’s all about educating teens and parents on the signs someone is being cyberbullied, and even to make someone aware that he or she is cyberbullying and may not know it.

“We need to define a clear line between teasing, fun and bullying,” Zhao said, adding that 85 percent of teens have been bullied online at some point. “When you’re hurting someone’s feelings, are you having fun? That’s the line we have to clear up.”

What are the warning signs of cyberbullying? ETCB founders say parents should be on the lookout for any behavioral changes in their child, as minor as they may be.

“If they’re a cheerful kid and all of a sudden they’re not…there are very subtle signs and we have to make sure to explore all of them,” Lam said.

ETCB volunteers plan to travel to area schools to give presentations to students and faculty, and then hope to turn things over to the school itself, with chapters staying in touch and banding together for workshops and other events, culminating in the first ETCB gala in the fall.

The group is aiming high, with a movement under way to work with elected officials to enact cyberbullying laws on the state and even the federal level. Again, it all starts in Jericho, and with the volunteers of ETCB.

“That’s how we’re going to solve this problem, by you guys spreading awareness, by you guys starting programs at your schools,” Zhao told the prospective volunteers at the library. “That’s how we will start this movement, with power we’ve never been able to achieve before.” 

http://www.antonnews.com/syossetjerichotribune/news/21765-jhs-students-embark-on-journey-to-end-cyberbullying.html

amzn.to Hello & welcome to 77 Ways to Parent — a series of books and workbooks designed to help you find solutions to every day challenges in life. My name is Judy H. Wright aka Auntie Artichoke, I am a life educator and word with families just like yours all over the world. If you find you want more coaching and encouragement, please go to and sign up for m newsletter — The Artichoke — Finding the heart of the story in the journey of life. This book is Text Bullyi

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