Cyber Tools and Schools

Cyber Tools and SchoolsCyber Tools and Schools

A Perspective on BullyingA Perspective on BullyingThe Education Conference Board’s Fourth The Education Conference Board’s Fourth

Annual Policy ConferenceAnnual Policy ConferenceDecember 10, 2009December 10, 2009

Albany, NYAlbany, NY

New York State Center for School Safety - December 2009

“The popularity of this new pastimeamong children has increased rapidly.This new invader of the privacy of thehome has brought many a disturbinginfluence in its wake. Parents havebecome aware of a puzzling change in the behavior of their children. They are bewildered by a host of newproblems, and find themselves unprepared, frightened, and helpless.”1

Parental concerns about technologyParental concerns about technology

New York State Center for School Safety - December 2009New York State Center for School Safety - December 2009

A quote from today (2009)?A quote from today (2009)?

Azriel Eisenberg wrote of this in the Azriel Eisenberg wrote of this in the American Journal of Psychiatry…….American Journal of Psychiatry…….

In 1936…….in an article titled:In 1936…….in an article titled:

““Children and Radio Programs”Children and Radio Programs”


What do these Acronyms Mean?What do these Acronyms Mean? LOLLOL SNSN LMAOLMAO TAWTAW TTYLTTYL CYACYA IDKIDK PPLPPL BRBBRB MUSMMUSM A/S/LA/S/L BFBF KOLKOL PIRPIR PAWPAW NIFOCNIFOC

Laugh out loudLaugh out loudScreen nameScreen nameLaughing my ass offLaughing my ass offTeachers are watchingTeachers are watchingTalk to you laterTalk to you laterSee yaSee yaI don’t knowI don’t knowPeoplePeopleBe right backBe right backMiss you so muchMiss you so muchAge/sex/locationAge/sex/locationBoyfriendBoyfriendKiss on lipsKiss on lipsParents in roomParents in roomParents are watchingParents are watchingNaked in front of computerNaked in front of computer


The Voices of Youth: CyberbullyingThe Voices of Youth: Cyberbullying

Convenience sample of after school Convenience sample of after school programs, ages 11-15programs, ages 11-15

Queried about perceptions, Queried about perceptions, experiences, and solutions around experiences, and solutions around issueissue

Recommendations for adults/adult Recommendations for adults/adult led systemsled systems


Perceptions of Youth

Definitions/examples:• Bullying on the Internet• Bullying on AIM, Facebook, Myspace• Copying a picture and doing bad things

to it online• Making a fake profile• Pranking• Hacking someone’s account and posting

bad things

Perceptions of Youth

Is cyberbullying a “big deal”? Split on perception:

• “no one thinks it’s a big deal”• “it could be a big deal depending on

what happens”Clear sense of when it is “over the line”:

Suicide mentioned, death threats, bias threats, pornography, bombs, rape threats

Experiences

“sometimes when you talk to people really bad stuff pops up like porn…”

“we all see people put up bad status about someone else. It happens all the time”

“…someone saying bad words…” “…someone gives someone else an

AIM screen name and then they harass that person”

Solutions

“You can ignore or block people” “Go up to their face…talk to them” “Tell the teachers – snitch” “Tell your parents” “It’s hard for cyberbullying to happen

on AIM because you control who you talk to”

Recommendations

Reporting: “if it’s not serious then you shouldn’t say anything – if it is you have to tell someone really fast”

Education: “they can have assemblies and meetings to teach everyone”

Policies: “someone told me she was going to beat me up….I printed it and showed it to the principal and she ended up getting suspended”

Issues

“They never talk to us” (re:cyberbullying) “They just bring it up and say “don’t do it”,

but they don’t actually give us real examples or tell us what it is”

“If kids knew how much trouble they could get in, they would do a lot less of it”

“We have no idea what it is (specifics)- they should have a meeting for the whole school”

Strategies to effect change: A Public Health Approach

Impact Policy

Education/Prevention

Environmental/Systems Change

Impact Policy: issues for educatorsImpact Policy: issues for educators

Federal: CIPAFederal: CIPA State: SAVE, including code of State: SAVE, including code of

conduct, VADIR, school safety conduct, VADIR, school safety planningplanning


Federal: CIPAFederal: CIPA

Children’s Internet Protection Act: Children’s Internet Protection Act: federal law relating to access to federal law relating to access to potentially offensive content on the potentially offensive content on the Internet in schoolsInternet in schools

FCC: proposed web-safety education, FCC: proposed web-safety education, requiring education on appropriate requiring education on appropriate online behavior, social networking, online behavior, social networking, cyberbullying awareness/responsecyberbullying awareness/response


State: Relationship to SAVEState: Relationship to SAVE

Threats received on school grounds: Threats received on school grounds: required to be reported under VADIRrequired to be reported under VADIR

VADIR: reported under Intimidation, VADIR: reported under Intimidation, Harassment, Menacing and Bullying Harassment, Menacing and Bullying (IHMB)(IHMB)

At this point, mostly limited to victim At this point, mostly limited to victim based reportingbased reporting


State: Relationship to SAVE State: Relationship to SAVE

District codes of conduct:District codes of conduct:• Required to be developed and reviewed Required to be developed and reviewed

annually by Board of Educationannually by Board of Education• Changes to be made as warranted and Changes to be made as warranted and

as information and technology changesas information and technology changes• Should include references to cyber Should include references to cyber

security and related school policysecurity and related school policy• Define infractions and potential Define infractions and potential

liabilitiesliabilities

New York State Center for School New York State Center for School Safety - December 2009Safety - December 2009

Education/Prevention

There are no evidence-based best practices (Nancy Willard)

Partner with youth: adults are immigrants, youth are natives

Social norms approach: assume healthy behaviors are the norm

Adult-youth engagement Cyber-savvy teens: safe and

responsible

Environmental/Systems Change

Comprehensive responsesComprehensive responses• School climate School climate

• Integrating technology in the Integrating technology in the educational setting – National Education educational setting – National Education Technology Standards (NETS)Technology Standards (NETS)

• School safety-technology planning linksSchool safety-technology planning links

Environmental/Systems: Filters and Environmental/Systems: Filters and blockingblocking

Concerns:Concerns:• Provides false sense of securityProvides false sense of security• Does not filter all inappropriate contentDoes not filter all inappropriate content• Does not prevent cyberbullyingDoes not prevent cyberbullying• May restrict educationally rich sitesMay restrict educationally rich sites• Does not build student skills to safely Does not build student skills to safely

navigate the internetnavigate the internet


Environmental/Systems: Is Policy Logical?

It sounded logical when proposed:• Legislation in Congress to make cyber

bullying a federal crime, punishable by up to two years in prison

32% of high school students and 17% of students grades 5-8 admit to having said mean or hurtful things on the internet: DO YOU WANT ALL THESE CHILDREN INCARCERATED??

Environmental/Systems: Is Policy Logical?

It sounded logical when proposed:• Mandatory 24 hour call lines to report bullying

and other actions of harassing or violent behavior in every school district

WHO is going to staff those 24 hour lines? WHAT is the cost going to be for 24 hour staffing, in

addition to the cost of telephone hot lines? WHERE will referrals be made to for helping the

caller? HOW will screening occur to ensure calls are

legitimate?

Systems: Integrating Technology in Systems: Integrating Technology in the Educational Settingthe Educational Setting

International Society for Technology International Society for Technology in Education National Educational in Education National Educational Technology Standards (2008)Technology Standards (2008)• Student learning and creativity• Digital age work and learning• Digital age learning experiences and

assessments

• Professional growth and leadershipProfessional growth and leadership• Digital citizenship and Digital citizenship and

responsibilityresponsibilityNew York State Center for School Safety - December 2009New York State Center for School Safety - December 2009

Environmental/Systems: Environmental/Systems: Comprehensive School ResponsesComprehensive School Responses School Safety Committee: linking School Safety Committee: linking

with Technology Committeewith Technology Committee Combined committee effort:Combined committee effort:

• Conduct needs assessmentConduct needs assessment• Regularly update policiesRegularly update policies• Utilize opportunities for staff and Utilize opportunities for staff and

student educationstudent education• Involve parents and communityInvolve parents and community


To Adults: Be Brave!To Adults: Be Brave!

Expand your own knowledge levelExpand your own knowledge level Try out tools used by youth with easeTry out tools used by youth with ease Know the lingo: www.netlingo.com/Know the lingo: www.netlingo.com/ Visit the VADIR blog for the NYSCSS Visit the VADIR blog for the NYSCSS

and dialogue with othersand dialogue with others• http://vadir.blogspot.comhttp://vadir.blogspot.com


Bullying/Cyberbullying

One form of violence in the lives of youth – need to consider global, community-based approaches

Michaud, in J of Adolescent Health 45 (2009) suggested a “global ecological framework” for multi-sector involvement in creating safe environments for youth.

Visit the NYSCSS web site for Visit the NYSCSS web site for related resources on this topicrelated resources on this topic

http://nyscenterforschoolsafety.orghttp://nyscenterforschoolsafety.org

New York State Center for School SafetyNew York State Center for School SafetyMary Grenz Jalloh, M.S., M.P.H., CHESMary Grenz Jalloh, M.S., M.P.H., CHES175 Route 32 North175 Route 32 NorthNew Paltz, NY 12561New Paltz, NY 12561845-255-8989845-255-8989School Safety hotline: 877-7NYSAVESchool Safety hotline: 877-7NYSAVE


Cyber Tools and Schools

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