Students hear about dangers of cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is a growing issue in today’s high-tech world, but one special agent with the state warns students that repercussions of the practice are definitely no bull. Richard Shaheen, an education outreach facilitator with the state Attorney General’s office, presented an assembly Friday at Lafayette School in the Uniontown Area School District about cyberbullying. Shaheen spoke to the nearly 120 students in fifth through eighth grades about the importance of knowing what cyberbullying is, and the consequences that stem from it.
“Bullies existed on a playground in my day. But the bullying ended when I got home,” Shaheen said. “It doesn’t work that way now in this day and age. A cell phone is a very powerful tool, but if you use it improperly, it can hurt you.”
Shaheen explained to students that cyberbullying might come from computers, cell phones and social media Web sites such as Facebook and MySpace. Attacks, threats and inappropriate photographs or discussions, known as sexting, could have legal consequences.
“Anonymity is the biggest reason cyberbullying is driven because you’re pretty tough behind a computer screen,” he told the students, noting that simply deleting documents does not destroy the evidence. “What you have to understand is that what you are sending through these electronic devices potentially could be a crime.”
Shaheen then provided a video for the students detailing the legal and emotional repercussions of cyberbullying, including clips from family members of a young girl who was a victim of cyberbullying. In what Shaheen calls “death by computer,” the teen committed suicide as a result of the harassment.
Shaheen’s presentation was part of a wrap-up of this year’s anti-bullying program at Lafayette. The program is based on the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, a nationally recognized program to help limit the number of bullying instances in schools. The program focuses on a coordinated effort by all adults in the school to supervise and intervene when any bullying happens and to raise awareness among the students in an effort to help them respond to the issue in the proper manner.
Jamie Miller, the school district’s Title 1 guidance counselor and coordinator of the anti-bullying program at Lafayette, said the initiative is effective. The number of bullying complaints by students has declined by 30 percent since the start of the program two years ago after the school secured a federal grant from Highmark.
“We are way down in instances, which definitely tells us that the program is working,” Miller said. “We are making this a safe place for our students.”
Miller said the students at Lafayette have been working to address bullying since the start of the academic year, entering essay contests, constructing posters and signs hung throughout the school and participating in class discussions monthly.
“The kids use it. The staff uses it. I feel the program is a great asset,” said guidance counselor Ted Czekaj, who helps coordinate the program with Miller. “The staff went really well right out of the gate in this program and it has been a success.”
As part of the conclusion of this year’s anti-bullying program, several students were honored for their monthly achievements in supporting the goals of the program. A dance was held for the students in the gymnasium, which they deemed the “No Bullying Zone” for the event.