By AUTUMN OWENS

CYBERBULLYING & CYBER SAFETY IN

STEPHENVILLE SCHOOLS

CYBERBULLYING (NOUN): THE USE

OF ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION TO BULLY A PERSON, TYPICALLY BY SENDING MESSAGES OF AN INTIMIDATING OR THREATENING

NATURE.

STUDENTS WILL ENCOUNTER CYBER

SAFETY ISSUES

• According to schools.uknowkids.com, 33% of

all teenagers have been cyberbullied before.

Locally:

• 183 students at Stephenville High School will

experience cyberbullying.

• Another 269 students will electronically share an

inappropriate image.

• And 215 students will experience sexual

solicitation.

“The cyber

world is a

wonderful

world, but also

a dangerous

one.”

–Renee Goodwin,

Principal of Henderson

Junior High

Sgt. Ernest Rivera of the Attorney General’s office gave a presentation at Stephenville schools about cyber safety on Sept. 25.

PHOTO BY AUTUMN OWENS

A CYBER SAFETY PRESENTATION FOR

STUDENTS

The presentation included:

How to detect online predators and what to do in that situation.

TMI online- information spreads quickly and can reach people you don’t want it to.

Using privacy settings on social media sites.

Sexting

Cyberbullying

Inappropriate content- drinking/drug use, hate speech, lewd or offensive gestures, revealing or suggestive images and more.

• “If you would be embarrassed for your parents to see it, then don’t post it.”

-Sgt. Rivera

**Tips for parents were also available in a brochure**

ONLINE PREDATORS• Are mostly male

• Are honest about being an adult

• “Are great at grooming you” – Sgt. Rivera

• Will flatter you

• Send you gifts

• Discuss adult subjects

• Ask you to keep secrets

• Share or ask for revealing images

• Blackmail you

• Tell you they love you more than friends and family

• “There’s no one in this world who loves you more than your

parents.” –Sgt. Rivera

65% of males met someone online who asked to meet in person.

39% of males who had uncomfortable online experiences did not tell anyone.

If you or someone you know has been victimized, tell someone. A report can

also be made at www.cybertipline.com.

Survivor Diaries-Real Teens Talk About

Internet Predators (video):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2g0lXpRL20

PHOTO BY AUTUMN OWENS

T.M.I. (TOO MUCH INFORMATION)

ONLINE:

• Will reach people you don’t want it to.

• Will be permanent.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

• Don’t allow people in your life that you don’t know.

• Delete people you haven’t met before (they won’t know that you

did).

• Have a different password for each account.

• Use privacy settings.

• Don’t share passwords…EVER.

• Ask yourself: “who might this hurt?” and “do I like what this

says about me?”

Cyberbullying- The Amanda Todd Story

Canadian, Amanda Todd,

made a Youtube video about

her experience being

blackmailed online and

cyberbullied. After she made

the video she ended her own

life; the video went viral.

April of this year they have

found the 35-year-old man in

the Netherlands who had a

hand in Todd’s suicide. The

man is involved in other

cases and was charged with

extortion, internet luring,

criminal harassment and

child pornography. “It is time

to use the Amanda Todd

story as a wakeup call for

children everywhere.”PHOTO FROM:

WWW.CHRISTIANPOST.COM

http://youtu.be/vOHXGNx-E7E

“BULLYING SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN.”

–SGT. RIVERA

• Cyberbullying- spreading rumors and gossip through text or online.

• Cyberbullying happens 24/7, it doesn’t end once you leave school.

• Once you put it online, the whole world can see it.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

• Don’t respond

• Block that person

• Save the evidence

• Setup new accounts

• Stand up for a victim

• Don’t encourage

PHOTO FROM:

RESOURCES.UKNOWKIDS.COM

More than 10,000 youths were surveyed:

• 7 in 10 young people are victims of cyberbullying.

• 37% of them are experiencing cyberbullying on a highly frequent basis.

• 20% of young people are experiencing extreme cyberbullying on a daily basis.

• 54% of young people using Facebook reported they have experienced cyberbullying.

• Cyberbullying found to have catastrophic effects upon the self-esteem and social lives

of up to 70% of young people.

2014 Cyberbullying Statistics from

nobullying.com:

“CYBERBULLYING HAS HAPPENED

HERE, SEXTING HAS HAPPENED

HERE; YOU ARE THE ONES THAT CAN

STOP IT. I ASK THAT YOU DO THAT,

YOU HAVE RESOURCES AND YOU

HAVE FRIENDS WHO CAN HELP YOU.

THIS COULD BE OUR FIRST BULLY-

FREE CAMPUS.” –RENEE GOODWIN

CITATIONS:

• Abbott, Greg. “Cyber Safety.” Texas Attorney General. Brochure.

• Rivera, Ernest. “Cyber Safety.” Henderson Junior High, Stephenville. 25

Sept. Presentation.

• “The Amanda Todd Story.” The Movement Against Bullying. 2014 .

http://nobullying.com/amanda-todd-story/

• “Cyberbullying and Bullying Statistics 2014, Finally!” 2014. nobullying.com

http://nobullying.com/cyberbullying-bullying-statistics-2014-finally/

• No Cyber Bullying. Photo. resources.uknowkids.com

• Swoda.“Are Stephenville High School Students Safe Online?” July 2,

2013. http://schools.uknowkids.com/internet-safety-at-stephenville-high-

school-stephenville-tx/