What schools can do about bullying and cyber bullying

Arne Duncan (the secretary of education) admits to getting letters from children across the nation asking for help, saying they are being bullied and scared to say anything, or nothing has been done when they have told. Many of these children also admit to contemplating suicide. Duncan works with the Education Department and schools that want their help to battle the issue. The Obama administration setup an informational website, www.stopbullying.gov. The administration is also working on developing a uniform definition of bullying in order to help schools confront the problem. The stop bullying website includes the following advice on preventing cyber bullying:

 • Educate students, teachers, and other staff members about cyber bullying, its dangers, and what to do if someone is cyber bullied.

 • Discuss cyber bullying with students. They might be knowledgeable about cyber bullying, and they might have good ideas about how to prevent and address it.

• Be sure that your school’s rules and policies address cyber bullying.

 • Investigate reports of cyber bullying immediately. If cyber bullying occurs on campus or through the school district’s internet system, you are obligated to take action. If the cyber bullying occurs off campus, you can still help. Even cyber bullying that occurs off campus can affect how students behave and relate to each other at school.

 • Closely monitor the behavior of the students involved at school for all forms of bullying.

• Investigate to see if those who are cyber bullied need support from a school counselor or school-based health professional.

• Notify the parents of students involved in cyber bullying.

• Talk with all students about the negative effects of cyber bullying.

• Contact law enforcement. Notify the police if the aggressive behavior is criminal. The following might constitute a crime: threats of violence; child pornography and sexting; taking a photo image of someone in a place where he or she would expect privacy; harassment, stalking, or hate crimes; obscene or harassing phone calls or text messages; sexual exploitation; and extortion. About 80 percent of gay and lesbian youths

in New York reported experiencing verbal harassment in

2009, the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network

found in a statewide survey, and 33 percent reported

physical harassment.

To prevent such bullying, said Eliza S. Byard, executive director of the network, schools should:

• Establish a policy that specifically bars harassment based on sexual orientation.

 • Encourage the establishment of Gay-Straight Alliances at schools.

• Urge adults to be supportive of GLBT students.

Copyright (c) 2011, The Buffalo News, with additional reporting by eSchool Media. Visit The Buffalo News online at www.buffalonews.com. Distributed by MCT Information Services.

Bullying is actually something that I feel very strongly about, it WILL NOT be tolerated in my classroom. There is no reason for anyone to feel like they do not belong. It is hard for some people to understand the impact on bullying until they have gone through it themselves. In a perfect world I would have a class where everyone liked each other, and got alone, but that is not reality. When I was younger I was "bullied" and sat alone a lot of the time at lunch. It is hard to focus on learning when you are worrying about who's going to be mean to you, or if you are going to be able to find a place to sit at lunch. Young children follow the crowd, and if one person is mad at you, or does not like you, the rest of the group feels the same way. My thirteen year old sister is going through the same thing at school right now. Sometimes shes friends with the group of girls, and other times shes not. When one of them is upset with her, they all are. The worst part is she does not eat all day because she feels like she has to get to the lunch room first to get a seat or she will not have one to sit in. Overall I find bullying to be a serious issue that should not be taken lightly, it is not "just a joke".

Charges considered in New York teen’s ‘bullycide’

     Police are investigating whether school bullies can be charged with harassment after freshman Jamey Rodemeyer of Williamsville North High School in Amherst, N.Y committed suicide. Jamey was found outside of his home on September 18^th. Jamey complained for years that he was bullied n school and online because of his sexual orientation. Police Chief John C. Askey stated “We’re going to look into whether he was the victim of any crimes leading up to his suicide,” Williamsville School Superintendent Scott G. Martzloff, agreed to be cooperative. If there are students who can be criminally prosecuted in Jamey’s case, they could face minimum harassment violations, and using the computer in the crime makes it aggravated harassment. If the case is involving juveniles the case would most likely be held in Erie County Family Court and a “hate crime” would not be charged. Several civilians have contacted police after Jamey’s death with information leading toward the fact that Jamey was the victim of harassment. A specific group (known to police and school officials) have been specifically targeting Jamey for a long period of time. Askey revealed that although police are looking into what may have occurred recently, they believe that one to three students might have been bothering Jamey since middle school. Jamey’s mother admitted that she knew of the bullying and that the situation escalated about a year ago because of anonymous posts on Jamey’s Formspring blog stating he would be better off dead. Jamey’s friends reported the abuse to the guidance counselors at school, and defended him on Formspring. One of the strategies the U.S. Department of Education recommends in fighting cyber bullying is to contact law enforcement if there is evidence of online harassment. The Police Department regularly deals with student bullying cases, cyber bullying, and each case is investigated. Askey found that his department was never contacted by anyone regarding Jamey. Jamey regretted creating his Formspring account because of the hate he received. Eventually Jamey stopped using Formspring and things seemed to be getting better. Jamey’s suicide has prompted a bill against the trend of “bullycides”. Under the bill, a person convicted of bullying someone who ultimately commits suicide could be charged with second-degree manslaughter and go to jail for up to 15 years. Included, is cyber bullying someone under the age of 21 which would be considered a third-degree stalking, punishable by up to a year behind bars. Jamey’s story also influenced Lady Gaga, who spoke with President Obama on Sept. 25 about ending cyber bullying. State Assembly is expected to come up with a companion bill, and the Senate is expected to pass its bill next year. Technology has been used to create a petition available to sign on Facebook.

Copyright (c) 2011, the Buffalo News and amNewYork, with additional reporting by eSchool Media. Distributed by MCT Information Services.

      I can barely write about this story it upsets me so much. This was not an isolated incident; Jamey has been bullied by the same group of people for years. I cannot fathom why something was not done to help him. Where was anyone in that school that cared for Jamey and noticed that he was having a hard time? Where were his teachers? The problem was evident, and clear. Jamey’s friends told school officials who have did nothing. I believe several people should be held accountable for this boys death, (school officials, and the bullies) and I consider it murder. The issue of bullying in schools has been grossly neglected. The worst part is that this is not the first time this has happened. How many kids are going to have to die before people stop being so selfish and listen, and notice someone who is crying out for help? As teachers we have to be aware of everything around us. You have no idea what someone is going through on a day to day basis. Everything is not fine just because they were able to make it to your class on time.

About Me 9/16/2011

My name is Trista! I guess the best words to describe me would be loud, (I'm German and Italian, its not my fault) genuine, happy, and thoughtful =) I have a bit of an attitude, you are able to read every emotion I am feeling right from my face. I am very independent, I do things on my own and have a hard time asking for help. I live in Binghamton New York with my mom, my thirteen year old sister and my grandma. I love animals, children, and music. I am huge on helping people, (that can be as simple as just listening to someone talk). I strongly feel that no one should feel alone in the world (there are more people that feel that way than you think). I feel that everyone means well, and that they are really good at heart. Honesty is very important to me, I am not a good liar. I want to be respected, people often underestimate me. I fear being wrong, and needing someone else. I work at Kohl's department store, I have been there four years (I hate it). I also work as a nanny and am a dog sitter.