School Bullying Council

The 9-year-old Michigan girl taunted on Facebook by neighbors while she suffered from a terminal disease died Wednesday, according to WXYZ-TV.

Kathleen Edward of Trenton, Mich., died from Huntington’s disease, the same genetic degenerative brain disorder that took her mother’s life in 2009.

Back in late 2010, 33-year-old Jennifer Petkov, who lived on the same block as Kathleen’s family, allegedly began cyberbullying the little girl.

On a Facebook page under Petkov’s name, there were images of Kathleen’s mother, Laura, in the arms of the Grim Reaper and Kathleen above a set of crossbones. Neighbors also accused Petkov and her husband Scott of building a coffin, putting it on their truck and driving past the Edward home, honking the horn.

When asked by a reporter from Detroit television station WJBK why she posted the photos, Jennifer Petkov said it was for “personal satisfaction” and because it upset the child’s grandmother. At the time, the two were locked in a longstanding feud that Kathleen’s grandmother said involved Petkov’s being upset because she believed her children weren’t invited to a birthday party the grandmother threw.

The little girl’s plight attracted attention around the world, and social media pages attacking Petkov sprang up online. The Petkovs also allegedly received death threats and had eggs thrown at their house. Jennifer Petkov later apologized to the Edward family, telling a local newspaper her actions were “ignorant.”

In February 2011, the news web site MLive.com reported that Petkov pleaded guilty to assaulting another neighbor and as part of a plea deal, agreed to serve 18 months probation and was ordered to move out of her house and stay away from the neighbor as well as undergo a psychological evaluation.

At the time the news of the bullying broke, mental health experts told ABCNews.com that without knowing more about the Petkovs, it’s difficult to say exactly why the couple behaved the way they did. The experts believe there could be a variety of reasons for their behavior, including poor conflict resolution skills, a lack of moral development and the desire to bully.

An ‘Extreme Case’ of Cyber-bullying

“This is probably the most extreme case [of cyber-bullying] I’ve ever heard of,” said Cheryl Dellasega, author and professor of humanities at Penn State University College of Medicine in Hershey, Penn. “It’s another way that people can say things that are really cruel that they wouldn’t say to somebody’s face. They’re angry, resentful and jealous and put it up on Facebook knowing that the other person will see it.”

Peter Sheras, a clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Virginia as well as an author of several books on bullying, said if Petkov did exhibit that type of behavior, it’s more indicative of an inability to settle disputes.

“We don’t have very good skills at managing conflict,” said Sheras. “We don’t have enough mechanisms for socializing people into civility.”

Dr. Ken Robbins, clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin, said, “Some people don’t make it to full moral development and don’t learn about empathy or feel guilt or remorse.”

He also characterized the behavior as bullying, and said adults who are bullies lash out at others for the same reason children who are bullies do.

“It’s a way to feel like they’re taking control of a situation, acquiring power by demeaning others and by making others feel humiliated.”

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/girl-bullied-battling-terminal-disease-dies/story?id=15355512

Dozens of Norwood parents filed into the brand new Norwood High School auditorium on Thursday night to gain insight into the troubling topic of bullying (and cyberbullying).

Norwood’s School system has created a protocol for handling bullying and the Norwood School teachers have been trained to recognize and handle bullying by Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center at Bridgewater State University. Norwood’s school website has Bullying Information as well as three different ways for anyone to report bullying, anonymously or otherwise.

“We do not want what happened to Phoebe Prince to happen here in Norwood,” said Dr. Alex Wyeth, Assistant Superintendent of Norwood Schools who chaired the Bullying Prevention Task Force last year. He went on to explained that any form of bullying should be reported immediately.

Also present for the program was Dr. Elizabeth Englander, Founder and Director of the MARC. She said that parents are the key ingredients to bullying prevention. In bullying, she said, there is always unequal power. Bullying is not defined by a single conflict. The important thing isn’t the label of “bullying,” really. The important thing is to focus on how to resolve the situation.

The program noted that bullying has evolved over the past few decades. There has been a significant shift from physical bullying to psychological bullying, especially in the form of cyberbullying. Given the prominence of powerful technology in our lives at a younger and younger age, there is a far broader impact given the immaturity of young brains who possess smartphones, ipods, laptops, tablets and the like. The problem with the ever-increasing digital communications is that emotions, both good and bad, become inflated. Digital communication decreases both the opportunities to practice social skills in difficult situations and the ability to study nonverbal social cues. It also lacks tone, which makes it so much easier to misconstrue. This is where parents need to step in and educate children every chance they get.

Most kids bully other kids as a part of seeking popularity. Cyberbullying is currently more prominent than physical face-to-face bullying because the bully doesn’t have to see the victim and it feels more anonymous online. Parents can help children avoid these issues by helping them develop their self-confidence. Social skills in children can be compared to academic skills – sometimes they need extra tutoring. Dr. Englander stressed the importance of maximizing fun social activities with other kids. She indicated the parents who are willing to host the fun have children who are less likely to encounter bullying issues. Providing constant family support and a safe haven or refuge for kids is key.

Parents should be vigilant and not tolerate any vicious exchanges between siblings. Some key points are not allowing rude behavior, teaching empathy, and keeping the lanes of communication open with your family. Ask your children what is happening in their world daily, and how they feel about all of it. Monitor your child’s technology and all social networking. Be consistent and keep having fun.

If your child tells you that someone is bullying them or they are witnessing a bullying situation, ask for details. When you have fully assessed the situation, tell administration. Parents are an important part of the process of resolving bullying, and must watch for signs – such as changes in behavior, trouble sleeping, or general unhappiness and depression.

As far as technology is concerned, the program noted keeping kids safe by placing the technology in a public space in the home, keeping electronics out of bedrooms at bedtime, and respecting the rules already in place, like keeping kids off Facebook before they are 13 years old. Taking these steps can help kids steer clear of bullying and teach them to handle it maturely if it does happen.

The Norwood PTAs, the Norwood Orient Lodge of Masons, and Norwood Public Schools helped fund the presentation, which will be replayed on NPA-TV for any who missed it.

For further information on bullying, cyberbullying and how to prevent them, check out these resources:

http://www.MASCcenter.org

http://EnglanderDownloads.webs.com

http://ElizabethEnglander.com