Tag Archives: anti-bullying laws
Facebook for Kids: Is it That Alarming?
Posted on 06. Jun, 2012 by lynette.
A Wall Street Journal article this week has stirred again a discussion about Facebook allowing those under 13 to use its site. Mark Zuckerberg once addressed it in public, when asked about it.
It strikes me as odd as Facebook’s stock continues its slide that such a story would be resurrected, and wonder if the opposite were true, we might never have heard of this again – until perhaps Facebook actually had opened its doors to those under 13.
But besides the suspicious timing of this story, I still wonder why an arbitrary age set by the laws of 1 country that compromises only some of the 900 million Facebook users worldwide creates panic among some of us.
Continue Reading
Helping Kids Take a Stand Against Bullying
Posted on 14. Oct, 2011 by lynette.
While the media and the rest of us have been shocked, saddened, and angered by the extreme cases of bullying that have been widely publicized, most kids will neither be the bully nor be bullied. They are more likely to be someone who witnesses it.
As a parent, I believe this is one of the bigger challenges in raising kids. Since our children will more likely be observers to rather than directly participating in it, the difficulty is in helping them know what and when to do something about it. This is especially tricky when the circumstances of who did what to whom are not so clear, when the Internet enables bullying to happen in ways not previously possible, and more importantly, when the cost, social or otherwise, of taking action outweighs any perceived benefit to kids who are bystanders.
Here are some great resources to guide you and your kids through it.
Continue Reading
If Facebook Had Launched Its New Anti-bullying Services in 2010
Posted on 10. Mar, 2011 by lynette.
Facebook has announced that it will soon unveil new services to help victims of cyberbullying. As part of the White House summit on bullying prevention, Facebook hosted a panel at the White House today to announce some of these new features.
As I watched the broadcast, I couldn’t help but think of how much had changed since 2010 began. Just over a year ago, the international spotlight was on the horrific bullying, cyberbullying, and suicide of Phoebe Prince. It is hard to imagine what might have been if these Facebook capabilities had existed then. How would things have been different?
Continue Reading
Anti-bullying Education: Start Young and Start Collaborating
Posted on 19. Oct, 2010 by lynette.
My daughter’s backpack always comes home filled with interesting things. Two days ago, an unexpected letter was there. It notified us that the students at her elementary school would be discussing issues relevant to our district’s anti-bullying focus.
We are now experiencing the impact of a Massachusetts law passed earlier this year requiring schools to deal with bullying in a comprehensive and proactive way. Passed in response to recent cyberbullying cases ending in suicides, such as that of Phoebe Prince, the law clearly states that bullying, including “through the use of technology or an electronic device”, is prohibited. And school districts are required to have prevention and intervention measures in place, to train staff and students accordingly, and to involve parents and community in the process.