CyberBullying A Lesson in CYBERWORLD Culture, Customs, Culture, Customs, Language, and Safety

INTRODUCTION MCPS Public Service Announcement

CYBERBULLYING Cyberbullying occurs when an individual is embarrassed, humiliated, threatened or targeted by another person or a group of people using Internet , instant messaging, social web sites, blogs, mobile phones, or other technology methods.

JFA-RA Student Rights Regulation Harassment and intimidation (bullying) means conduct, including verbal, physical, or written; or an intentional electronic communication that creates a hostile educational environment by substantially interfering with a student’s educational benefits, opportunities, performance, or with a student’s physical or psychological well-being; and is motivated by an actual or perceived personal characteristic such as race, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, or disability; or is threatening or seriously intimidating and occurs on school property, at a school activity or event, or on a school bus; or substantially disrupts the orderly operation of a school.

CYBER BULLIES’ TECHNOLOGY   Cell phones  Pager text messages  Console games (PS3, Xbox, Wii)  Instant messaging  Defamatory personal web sites (Blogs)  Defamatory Bulletin Gossip sites  Defamatory online personal polling web sites  Chat rooms

CYBER BULLYING TYPES “Flaming’: Online fights using electronic messages with angry and vulgar language “Harassment”: Repeatedly sending offensive, rude, and insulting messages “Cyber stalking”: Repeatedly sending messages that include threats of harm or are highly intimidating. Engaging in other on-line activities that make a person afraid for his or her own safety “Denigration”: ‘Dissing’ someone online. Sending or posting cruel gossip or rumors about a person to damage his or her reputation or friendships

CYBER BULLYING PREVALENCE In the school year, i-SAFE America surveyed students from across the country on a new topic: Cyber Bullying It is a topic that not many adults were talking about but one that is all too familiar with students. 42% of kids have been bullied while online. 1 in 4 have had it happen more than once. 35% of kids have been threatened online. Nearly 1 in 5 have had it happen more than once. 21% of kids have received mean or threatening or other messages. 58% of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online. More than 4 out of 10 say it has happened more than once. 53% of kids admit having said something mean or hurtful to another person online. More than 1 in 3 have done it more than once. 58% have not told their parents or an adult about something mean or hurtful that happened to them online. Based on 2004 i-SAFE survey of 1,500 students grades 4-8

CYBER BULLYING EVENT Who May Be Involved:   Principal   Superintendent/OSP   Education Field Officer (EFO) School Counselor   Information Assurance Officer   Police   Attorney (School or Private)   Internet Service Provider

Megan Meier DARDENNE PRAIRIE, MO., Nov. 21 — Megan Meier died believing that somewhere in this world lived a boy named Josh Evans who hated her. He was 16 and owned a pet snake. She thought that he was the cutest boyfriend she ever had. Josh contacted Megan through her page on MySpace.com, the social networking Web site, said Megan’s mother, Tina Meier. They flirted for weeks, but only online — Josh said his family had no phone. On October 15, 2006, Josh suddenly turned mean. He called Megan names, and later they traded insults for an hour. MySpace.com The next day, in his final message, said Megan’s father, Ron Meier, Josh wrote, “The world would be a better place without you.” Sobbing, Megan ran into her bedroom closet. Her mother found her there, hanging from a belt. She was 13. Source: The New York Times

Can’t Take It Back

What to Do About Cyberbullying Do not respond to harassing messages. Save all harassing messages. Change your account. Tell a trusted adult. Call police if the contact involves threats of violence, stalking, child pornography, sexual solicitation, obscene calls or text messages.

Recommendations Parents, guardians, and school staff needs to have open communication with their children/student about Internet safety. Parents should question their children about their Internet contacts and activities. Encourage children to report any incident that makes them uncomfortable to a trusted adult. Parents, guardians, and school staff should measure their responses to any disclosure.

CYBER BULLYING LEGAL ISSUES School Safety and Security, Information Assurance Officer, Law Enforcement should be contacted if School staff becomes aware of: Death threats or threats of other forms of violence to a person or property Excessive intimidation or extortion Threats or intimidation that involve any form of bias or discrimination Any evidence of sexual exploitation

When To Contact Law Enforcement/Cyber Tipline You find child pornography on the computer Your student has received sexually explicit images or communication. Your student has been sexually solicited by someone by someone first met online After contacting law enforcement, keep your computer turned off to preserve any evidence. Do not copy or print any images or text unless specifically directed to do so by law enforcement.

Sexting Sexting (v): To trade images with dirty messages, nude or sexually explicit photos, often in reference to teenagers.

Sexting A national survey last fall found 20 percent of teenagers said they have sent or posted online nude or semi-nude pictures of themselves, and 39 percent said they have sent or posted sexually suggestive message in-sexting-case.html

Sexting Cases Spotsylvania, Va., two boys, ages 15 and 18, were charged with solicitation and possession of child porn with intent to distribute after an investigation found they sought nude pictures from three juveniles — one in elementary school. In Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Juvenile Court Judge Thomas O'Malley struggled to figure out what to do with eight teens, 14 to 17, caught trading nude cellphone pictures of themselves. He says the father of one of the girls found the images.

Teen committed suicide over ‘sexting’ March 6: 18-year-old Jesse Logan took her own life after a nude picture of her was passed around by .

REPORTING CALL THE CYBER TIPLINE OR MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE Pedophile Section

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Questions and Answers