Author Archive: Doral Andersson

Cyberbullying facts and statistics for 2016-2018

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All technology these days produces both good results and notable consequences. The internet is increasingly a perfect case study for this idea. While better connecting the world and democratizing information, the internet has also allowed individuals to hide behind masks of anonymity. The “faceless evil” of the internet is a growing threat for teens, specifically when it comes cyberbullying. Despite a more recent ramping up of awareness campaigns, cyberbullying facts and statistics indicate the problem is not going away anytime soon.

Recent statistics show steady growth in cyberbullying

A 2007 Pew Research study found 32 percent of teens have been victims of some type of cyberbullying. Nearly a decade later, a 2016 study by the Cyberbullying Research Center found those numbers were almost unchanged. By 2016, just under 34 percent of teens reported they were victims of cyberbullying. Meanwhile, the National Crime Prevention Council puts that number much higher, at 43 percent.

Read more at: https://www.comparitech.com

Published by Sam Cook on May 25, 2018

Master the 3 “D”s of Bystander Intervention

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Bystander intervention is one of the most effective ways to prevent sexual assault. An active bystander is someone who has the moral courage to find a way to safely intervene to stop a potentially dangerous situation.  In a recent survey, of the 4% of Junior Enlisted respondents who observed a high risk situation that they believed was or could have led to sexual assault, 86% intervened.*

Safety is Your Top Priority

Before jumping into a potentially dangerous situation, be smart and think about your own safety.

Ask yourself these questions:

  • How can I keep myself safe in this situation?
  • What are all the options available?
  • Who else might be able to assist me?

Learn more:  http://www.usmc-mccs.org/articles/master-the-3-d-s-of-bystander-intervention/

Australian Schools: National Day of Action Against Bullying

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Take a Stand Together on the National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence 2018

Friday the 16th of March is 2018 National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence. This is a day for school communities to take a stand together, and demonstrate their commitment to creating a safe and supportive environment for all students.

See how they do it in Australia:  https://bullyingnoway.gov.au/NationalDay

Pre-Teens Arrested for Cyberbullying Before Girl’s Suicide

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Two 12-year-olds in Florida were arrested for cyberbullying in connection with the death of a middle school student who police say hanged herself two weeks ago.

By JASON DEAREN, Associated Press

Two 12-year-olds in Florida were arrested for cyberbullying in connection with the death of a middle-school student who police say hanged herself two weeks ago.

The circumstances around the death of 12-year-old Gabriella Green on Jan. 10 led to the arrests of the two Surfside Middle School students, Panama City Beach officials said in a news release Monday.

Police did not release the names of the two children who were arrested because they are minors.

Investigators were made aware of the potential cyberbullying against the girl while looking into the death, which led them to examine several cellphones and social media accounts, the news release said.

They interviewed two suspects with their parents’ permission, and say both confessed to cyberbullying.

A police report states that one of the suspects told an investigator that she had started rumors about Green in person, and online.

“Her actions consisted of starting rumors of the victim having sexually transmitted diseases, vulgar name-calling … and threats to ‘expose’ personal and sensitive details of the victim’s life,” the police report said.

The other suspect, a boy, told police he video-chatted with Green after she told him she had attempted to hang herself and had marks on her neck, according to the report.

“(He) responded by saying something to the effect of, ‘If you’re going to do it, just do it,’ and ended the call,” police wrote. “He immediately regretted that statement, and began calling and text-messaging her, but did not receive a response.”

Green’s cousin, Chad Baker, told police she hanged herself with a dog leash in her closet, the police report said.

Police said the suspects did not notify any adult or authority about Green’s state of mind. The two children arrested also acknowledged that their conduct was directed at Green “knowing that said conduct would result in emotional distress.”

 

Jan. 23, 2018, at 3:57 p.m.

How can parents help their kids from being bullied?

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Parents can play a central role to preventing bullying and stopping it when it happens. Here are a few things you can do.

  • Teach kids to solve problems without using violence and praise them when they do.
  • Give children positive feedback when they behave well to help their build self-esteem. Help give them the self-confidence to stand up for what they believe in.
  • Ask your children about their day and listen to them talk about school, social events, their classmates, and any problems they have.
  • Take bullying seriously. Many kids are embarrassed to say they have been bullied. You may only have one chance to step in and help.
  • If you see any bullying, stop it right away, even if your child is the one doing the bullying.
  • Encourage your child to help others who need it.
  • Don’t bully your children or bully others in front of them. Many times kids who are bullied at home react by bullying other kids. If your children see you hit, ridicule, or gossip about someone else, they are also more likely to do so themselves.
  • Support bully prevention programs in your child’s school. If your school doesn’t have one, consider starting one with other parents, teachers, and concerned adults.

Read more at http://www.ncpc.org/topics/bullying/what-parents-can-do

 

Bullying and Suicide

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The relationship between bullying and suicide is complex. Many media reports oversimplify this relationship, insinuating or directly stating that bullying can cause suicide. The facts tell a different story. In particular, it is not accurate and potentially dangerous to present bullying as the “cause” or “reason” for a suicide, or to suggest that suicide is a natural response to bullying. We recommend media not use the word “bully-cide.”

  • Research indicates that persistent bullying can lead to or worsen feelings of isolation, rejection, exclusion, and despair, as well as depression and anxiety, which can contribute to suicidal behavior.
  • The vast majority of young people who are bullied do not become suicidal.
  • Most young people who die by suicide have multiple risk factors.
  • Some youth, such as LGBT youth, are at increased risk for suicide attempts even when bullying is not a factor.
  • A recent CDC publication provides more information on the relationship between bullying and suicide.

Read more about the possible harm of connecting bullying and suicide in what to avoid.

Above article found at:  https://www.stopbullying.gov/media/facts/index.html#target

 

Parents: ‘Criminal’ inaction by Penn State, frat members led to son’s death

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(CNN)The parents of 19-year-old Timothy Piazza, who died after participating in a hazing ritual at a Penn State fraternity, say the students who have been charged in the case “murdered” their son, and called the system governing fraternities at the university “criminal.”

“They killed him,” Jim Piazza said in an interview with CNN, referring to members of Beta Theta Pi who now face charges in the February 4 death of his son.
“They fed him lethal doses of alcohol and they killed him, and then they treated him like a rag doll, like road kill, they slapped him around, threw water on him, one kid punched him.”
His son died following his first night of pledging at Beta Theta Pi — a fraternity that was supposed to be alcohol-free at Penn State, a result of a suspension eight years ago. The university has now permanently banned the fraternity from operating on campus.  Click here to read more

Former Somerville athletes say hazing went undetected before assault

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Galileo Mondol, shown in 2016, is suing the city of Somerville for more than $1 million

– Boston Globe by Dina Rudick/Globe Staff

Somerville’s mayor and school officials have insisted for nearly four years that they did all they could to prevent members of the high school soccer team from indecently assaulting three teammates during a city-run summer sports camp in the Berkshires. They described the incident, which involved the crude use of a broomstick, as an isolated crime.

But three former captains of the Somerville High School soccer team and at least five other players who attended the 2013 camp have testified under oath that the broomstick assault was preceded that weekend by numerous incidents of sexualized misconduct that purportedly went undetected by Somerville coaches and chaperones who were responsible for supervising the student-athletes.

The two juveniles who pleaded guilty to the assaults and served 13 months in youth detention facilities also gave sworn statements that they were victims of hazing or sexual misconduct at Somerville’s sports camp the previous summer. Click here to read entire article

Louisiana teachers arrested in bullying case

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Cops: Teacher told girl to kill herself, forced other kids to bully her

 

By Tina Burnside, CNN

Updated 5:22 PM ET, Fri April 28, 2017

Forced fights

St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz said he learned of the accusations back in February after the girl’s mother filed a complaint. The mother returned to the sheriff’s office in April to say the abuse was continuing.
Deputies said Shelvin, a teacher at Washington Elementary, threatened to fail three of her students if they didn’t fight the girl. She also allegedly told the bullied girl to “go and kill herself.”
In a police report obtained by CNN, a student involved in the incident told deputies that Shelvin forced her to start a fight that resulted in several students sent to the principal’s office.
Click here to read more

NATIONAL BULLYING STUDY FINDS MAJOR ISSUES IMPACTING TEENS

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Researchers found that 1 in 5 students said that they had been threatened with a weapon at school, 73 percent of students reported that they had been bullied at school at some point in their lifetime, and 70 percent of the students said that someone spread rumors about them online.

One of the latest and most ambitious studies on bullying and cyberbullying in middle and high school students begs to differ with the adage, “sticks and stones can break my bones, but names can’t hurt me.”

One of the latest and most ambitious studies on bullying and cyberbullying in middle and high school students begs to differ with the age-old adage, “sticks and stones can break my bones, but names can’t hurt me.” The study, conducted by researchers at Florida Atlantic University and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UW-EC), used a nationally-representative sample of 5,600 children between the ages of 12 to 17 years old to address various forms of bullying and cyberbullying, sexting and dating violence, as well as thoughts of suicide, deviant behavior, and resilience or coping mechanisms.

Sameer Hinduja, Ph.D., a professor of criminology and criminal justice within FAU’s College for Design and Social Inquiry and co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center, and Justin W. Patchin, Ph.D., a professor of criminal justice at UW-EC and co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center, spearheaded this latest study. They have conducted numerous formal surveys of teens, educators, law enforcement, and parents over the last decade across more than 20,000 respondents.

 

Learn more: http://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/bullying-study.php