Fabius Pompey Elementary School

April 2008 Last week I attended a conference on School Safety. The main topic was regarding Internet safety for children, in particular, cyber-bullying. Cyber-bullying is defined as using the Internet or other digital devices to send or post negative messages, images, or video clips about others. Below is an article from the Hazelden Foundation which I found to be informative. What Can Adults Do to Prevent and Address Cyber-Bullying Adults seldom are present in the online environments frequented by children and youth. Therefore, it is extremely important that adults pay close attention to cyber-bullying and the activities of children and youth when using these new technologies. Suggestions for Parents Tips to help prevent cyber-bullying: · Keep your home computer(s) in easily viewable places, such as a family room or kitchen. · Talk regularly with your child about online activities he or she is involved in. a. Talk specifically about cyber-bullying and encourage your child to tell you immediately if he or she is the victim of cyber-bullying, cyber-stalking, or other illegal or troublesome online behaviors. b. Encourage your child to tell you if he or she is aware of others who may be the victims of such behavior. c. Explain that cyber-bullying is harmful and unacceptable behavior. Outline your expectations for responsible online behavior and make it clear that there will be consequences for inappropriate behavior. · Although adults must respect the privacy of children and youth, concerns for your child's safety may sometimes override these privacy concerns. Tell your child that you may review his or her online communications if you think there is reason for concern. · Consider installing parental control filtering software and/or tracking programs, but don't rely solely on those tools. Although it is my hope that elementary school students would not be a part of unsafe behaviors involving the Internet, it is an area that we must pay attention to and not make assumptions that our children are removed from such possibilities. Children can sometimes be unkind to one another, and the "faceless" opportunity that the Internet - email, My Space, text messaging, blogs, etc. - offer only increases the chance of inappropriate behavior. We talk about bullying here at school on a regular basis - please talk to your children about their behavior when on-line or using the new technologies. Let's continue to work together to keep our students safe. Ms. Andrea Nardozzi Elementary Principal