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H i g h S c h o o l N E W S Freedom From Chemical Dependency As part of the development of the High School Pastoral Programme in recent years we have invited various individuals and groups to come and visit the High School to speak about pertinent issues. We are pleased to advise you that on Friday 6th March visitors from a group called ‘Freedom From Chemical Dependency’ will be visiting the school and meeting with each of the grade levels. Nurse Melhus has outlined more details in her section of the Informer. Online safety Earlier in the month Ms Wallace and I sent out a communication alerting parents to the potential dangers in using the internet at home and school and I thought it pertinent to extend the discussion a little further in this edition of the Informer. There are very few people in our community who are not ’connected’ through one form of electronic communication equipment or another. A mobile phone isn’t just a phone anymore. With texting, cameras, and web capacities, there are many ways to send and receive information. Instant messaging has almost superseded email, and chat rooms, blogs (electronic diaries) and multi-purpose online services are the ‘must use’ now. In this dizzying environment of digital possibilities it is essential that teachers and parents are ‘digitally literate’ too, and keenly aware of the potential for misuse of technology. This has been increasingly highlighted in the local press, many educational and family guidance websites, and for good reason with cyberbullying and digital predation being two of the main problems. A cyberbully is defined as “anyone who repeatedly misuses technology to harass, intimidate, bully or terrorize another person. Such behavior usually takes the form of inappropriate and hurtful rumors or threats sent through e-mails, instant messages, text messages, or Web site posts, with the sender often anonymous or disguised as someone else.” Victims and bystanders are reluctant to admit or report these actions until they are desperate enough to involve adults. Cyberbullies will often have more than one victim and will continue until they get caught. It is worth remembering though, that no computer or mobile phone and therefore no person is really anonymous in cyberspace. People tend to have the impression that everything that happens in cyberspace is temporary and fleeting, but the truth is that communication in cyberspace leaves a trail. Cyberspace reaches far and wide and deep in to the hard drives of individual computers in classrooms and private homes. More important, behaviors in cyberspace (yes, words are deeds) are downloadable, printable, and sometimes punishable by law. While technology serves to connect people and connect them almost instantly, it also has reduced the ‘think time’ between an idea, opinion or action and confidentiality or privacy. In the case of an email or text message, once sent it is out of the sender’s control and can be passed on to anyone, anywhere. The forum of a chat room broadens the audience with limited control of the recipients/participants and blogs, by their very nature, are open to anyone and everyone. You may have to ‘join’ by submitting a few details but essentially all communications or postings are public domain, and these days, public doesn’t mean local, it means global! The sender’s data can make appear to be older or younger than they are. Chat rooms and other online services have been created to increase the spontaneity of communication. Along with this came the possibility of creating new or alternate identities through the choice of names, or profiles. Our young adolescents are attracted to these forms of communication and they certainly can be fun – however, there are increasing numbers of cases of cyber bullying incidents as well as an increasing number of ‘digital predators’ using chat rooms and the online services to identify and ‘stalk’ or ‘groom’ their victims. So 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 the cyber bullying and the activities of children and youth when using these new technologies. suggestions for parents and tips to help prevent cyber bullying include: Keep your home computer(s) in easily viewable places, such as a family room or kitchen. 8 · The In f o r m e r 18 fe b r u a ry 2009 www.isstavanger.no • • • • Talk regularly with your child about on-line activities he or she is involved in. • • • Talk specifically about cyber bullying and encourage your child to tell you immediately if he or she is the victim of cyber bullying, cyberstalking, or other illegal or troublesome on-line behavior. Encourage your child to tell you if he or she is aware of others who may be the victims of such behavior. 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 on-line 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 these tools.
H i g h S c h o o l N E W S Tips for dealing with cyber bullying that your child has experienced: Because cyber bullying can range from rude comments to lies, impersonations, and threats, your responses may depend on the nature and severity of the cyber bullying. Here are some actions that you may want to take after-the-fact. • • • • • • Strongly encourage your child not to respond to the cyber bullying. Do not erase the messages or pictures. Save these as evidence. Try to identify the individual doing the cyber bullying. Even if the cyberbully is anonymous (e.g., is using a fake name or someone else’s identity) there may be a way to track them through your Internet Service Provider. If the cyber bullying is criminal (or if you suspect that it may be), contact the police and ask them to do the tracking. Sending inappropriate language may violate the “Terms and Conditions” of e-mail services, Internet Service Providers, web sites, and cell phone companies. Consider contacting these providers and filing a complaint. If the cyber bullying is coming through e-mail or a cell phone, it may be possible to block future contact from the cyberbully. Of course, the cyberbully may assume a different identity and continue the bullying. Contact your school. If the cyber bullying is occurring through your school district’s Internet system, school administrators have an obligation to intervene. Even if the cyber bullying is occurring off campus, make your school administrators aware of the problem. They may be able to help you resolve the cyber bullying or be watchful for face- www.isstavanger.no • • • to-face bullying. Consider contacting the cyberbully’s parents. These parents may be very concerned to learn that their child has been cyber bullying others, and they may effectively put a stop to the bullying. On the other hand, these parents may react very badly to your contacting them. So, proceed cautiously. If you decide to contact a cyberbully’s parents, communicate with them in writing — not face-to-face. Present proof of the cyber bullying (e.g., copies of an e-mail message) and ask them to make sure the cyber bullying stops. Consider contacting someone for legal advice in cases of serious cyber bullying. Contact the police if cyber bullying involves acts such as: • Threats of violence • Extortion • Obscene or harassing phone calls or text messages • Harassment, stalking, or hate crimes • Child pornography As we all know, bringing up our children is the most important job that any of us will ever do. I hope that everyone takes these points in the intended spirit—as helpful, actionable information not scare tactics. It is a daunting, but exciting, journey and we are all on it together. In the spring we be holding an information evening for parents and we will be bringing together a panel of ‘experts’ to answer questions on a range of adolescent issues. More details will follow. That’s all for this edition, Headgear samples for High School skaters Gareth L Jones High School Principal The In f o r m e r 18 fe b r u a ry 2009 · 9
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