Doug Carder
Editor
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Schools proactive in curbing cyber bullying
Editorial
By: Doug Carder, dcarder@miconews.com
The state Legislature was wise to make all school districts craft policies on how to deal with bullying. Those policies have to be in place by Jan. 1.
Most school districts already have bullying policies, and every school district in our area takes prevention seriously.
Cyber bullying has brought a new dimension to the age-old problems school districts are trying to combat. E-mails, Facebook, text messages, camera phones and other technological advancements make communication easier than ever before. Unfortunately, advanced communication tools also make it easier to bully someone.
The days when bullying meant physical confrontations on the playground are past. Sending hurtful e-mails, taking pictures with camera phones of people undressing, and making threats through text messages are all part of today's bullying landscape. It's much tougher for schools to police, but administrators and teachers are taking this responsibility seriously by putting certain Internet restrictions in place, banning camera phones from locker rooms and other measures.
Of equal importance, schools are implementing character-building programs designed to foster tolerance of others and positive interaction among students.
Schools need parents' help in enforcing anti-bullying policies and discouraging unwanted behavior. It does little good to enforce these policies at school if they are not emphasized at home, too.
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Most school districts already have bullying policies, and every school district in our area takes prevention seriously.
Cyber bullying has brought a new dimension to the age-old problems school districts are trying to combat. E-mails, Facebook, text messages, camera phones and other technological advancements make communication easier than ever before. Unfortunately, advanced communication tools also make it easier to bully someone.
The days when bullying meant physical confrontations on the playground are past. Sending hurtful e-mails, taking pictures with camera phones of people undressing, and making threats through text messages are all part of today's bullying landscape. It's much tougher for schools to police, but administrators and teachers are taking this responsibility seriously by putting certain Internet restrictions in place, banning camera phones from locker rooms and other measures.
Of equal importance, schools are implementing character-building programs designed to foster tolerance of others and positive interaction among students.
Schools need parents' help in enforcing anti-bullying policies and discouraging unwanted behavior. It does little good to enforce these policies at school if they are not emphasized at home, too.