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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, February 22, 2007

Internet bullying spreading

By Kate Brennan
Florida Today

CYBER BULLYING

In the 2003-04 school year, i-SAFE America surveyed 1,500 students in grades 4 through 8 from across the nation on "cyber bullying." Here are some of the results:

  • 42 percent of kids have been bullied while online.

  • 35 percent of kids have been threatened online.

  • 21 percent of kids have received mean or threatening e-mail or other messages.

  • 58 percent of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online.

  • 53 percent of kids admit having said something mean or hurtful to another person online.

  • 58 percent have not told their parents or an adult about something mean or hurtful that happened to them online.

    If you encounter cyber bullying:

  • Tell a trusted adult and keep telling him until he takes action.

  • Never open, read or respond to messages from cyber bullies.

  • If it is school-related, tell your school. All schools have bullying solutions.

  • Don't erase the messages. They may be needed to take action.

  • If bullied through chat or IM, the bully can often be blocked.

  • If you are threatened with harm, call the police.

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    They're called the "plugged-in" generation for their tech-savvy skills and addiction to everything cyber.

    But research shows no matter what their preference — MySpace or YouTube, chat rooms or blogs — the majority of today's teenagers are plugged into potential dangers.

    "There's more dangers coming from in here than from outside the door now," said Jesus Martinez, resource officer at West Shore Jr./Sr. High School in Melbourne, Fla., as he tapped a computer monitor. "When students go online, they're open to the world."

    According to i-SAFE Inc., a nonprofit organization that aims to educate students, parents and community members about online dangers and Internet safety, more and more students nationwide are engaging in high-risk behavior online, including cyber bullying — a growing trend.

    The recent videotaped beating of a 12-year-old Melbourne, Fla., girl that was posted on the Web is the latest — and maybe most gruesome — example of just how bad the problem has become.

    Last year, i-SAFE, a California-based organization that is funded primarily through the U.S. Department of Defense, surveyed 170,000 school-age children and found:

  • Nearly two-thirds of high school students admit to unsafe, inappropriate or illegal activities online.

  • Half of high school students "talk" in chat rooms or use instant messaging with Internet strangers, and one in five met face to face with someone they first made contact with on the Internet.

  • About 50 percent of high school students have posted personal information on their Web pages — such as name, age or address — that could help a stranger identify or locate them.

  • About 40 percent of students in grades 4 through 8 have been bullied online, and 35 percent have been threatened online.

    "What we've taught students in the real world — to not talk to strangers, to be kind and respectful to people — is not translating to the Internet world," said Ann Kirn, professional development manager who oversees i-SAFE programs in 12 states, including Florida.

    Principals and teachers say students' online activities at night have worked their way into the school day, causing disputes between students and disruptions in the classroom.

    Terry Humphrey, principal of Astronaut High School in Titusville, Fla., said the anonymity of blogs and chat rooms has allowed students to feel freer to gossip, make threats and spread rumors about each other. The results: a sense of fear and intimidation among victims who cannot identify their attackers.

    "It doesn't come into the classrooms directly, but students come in with the baggage of what happened the night before; they're upset with each other, they're angry, and then it begins to affect school," Humphrey said.

    Other school officials say the effects of social networking sites have cut even deeper, causing some students to miss school and others to become withdrawn, depressed and even suicidal.

    "It's something that's affecting everyone, every family. It doesn't matter what economic background you are or what age group you are, it's a new arena and it's affecting everyone. The only way to fight it is through education," said Martinez.

    That's a sentiment shared by i-SAFE's Kirn, who said students can't be expected to know the rules of the Web without guidance from adults.

    "We need to provide them the tools, just as we do when they're learning to drive and getting their license," she said. "They need to be taught appropriate, safe and fair use of the Internet."