CyberBullying is Real, and it HURTS…

• June
• 12

1:53 pm CyberBullying

Just ask Amy Ryan…

She will tell you her story, and it’s hard to believe this even happens in these days of plenty, in the USA!!!

But, I’m sure if we really know what happens with our children on a daily basis in the school systems we would be SO shocked to say the least…

Please listen to her story and download the accompanying pdf and share this story with friends and family and especially your children!

Please teach your children RESPECT…

Responsibility
Enthusiasm
Speaking with sincerity
Popularity without pressure (PEER)
Entrepreneur you’re, your own boss!
Closeness with all, use clarity
Tell others to use RESPECT

The key to managing conflict is to bring participants together and ask them to listen to the other party’s perspective. Listening leads to understanding. I believe the human condition is one of compassion if there is more validation and less accusation. [Read More…]

Here are 2 of the 15 or so questions that Amy answered for our CHWradio.com interview!

1.) What comes to mind when you think of what a “Responsible CyberCitizen” would be and how would a responsible cybercitizen deal with CyberBullying?

There are so many different ways I can think of to describe what it means to be a “responsible CyberCitizen”. As a parent, I feel it is a necessity to know & understand computers well enough to enjoy their many benefits, while at the same time, to be aware of all the dangers associated with the internet, especially when dealing with youths. I personally do my best to model appropriate internet behavior with my children. I allow them limited access to the internet and they also know that our computers are filtered & that I can access the pages they visit at any time. My son is allowed to have a Facebook account but he has to provide me the password, it’s a trade off, he get’s to use my computers but I get to monitor his internet behavior. In doing so, I do not scold him when I feel he’s being unsafe or not using his head, instead we discuss why I’m not comfortable with his internet behavior, and work towards a mutual understanding of why that behavior is not acceptable (unsafe or hurtful).

I constantly discuss with my children the importance of being careful while on the computer, we talk about current events that concern teens/children & the internet, & are continually trying to stay on top of how easy it is to become caught up in something that you can’t easily get out of while on the internet. This goes both ways, I caution them about what they are putting out there as well as being cautious of others on the net, & on how to get themselves out of a difficult situation when needed.

The main thing about being a responsible CyberCitizen is to be AWARE & to spread AWARENESS across every platform possible.

2.) As parents, what is the single most important thing we should tell our teen about CyberBullying?

From what we experienced, as well as what I’ve learned since this experience, is that youths tend to be braver online than they are in person. A youth, young teens especially, tend to make very bold statements online that are public & draw quite a bit of attention. They often don’t know how to get themselves out of what they’ve started, so they either keep it going, or worse, they act it out in reality. I also think that they don’t understand how their words affect the person they are bullying. They often don’t really mean what they are saying or doing and they assume that everyone else is on board with them.

As a parent, & as a teacher, I do my best to talk with my kids & students about how teasing/bullying affects the one being bullied & about real life situations where this type of bullying has lead to real life tragedies. It is very important that out teens understand the severity of their actions, & how others are affected by them. To Read the Rest or to print, Click Here…

Thanks Amy, for teaching all of us that even when things seam like they all going against us that we can endure, and be a teacher for others, and especially our friends and families…

Your CHW Professionals,

Dave and Bill

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