This module gives very useful information about staying safe online, and cyber-bullying.
Two of the resources provided are appropriate for young kids, and the information is very well presented to suit that age group. I found the cartoon very effective, and the SMART (safe, meet not :)))), accept not :)). reliable not, tell an adult or carer) rules easy to remember, and worth remembering even by us, adults.
The video on cyber-bullying affected me a lot. I very strongly dislike bullying and bullies. I have always thought that real-world bullying is really bad. Most of the time, the person bullied in real life has got some kind of soft spot well identified by a bully, and life may become unbearable for the person bullied. What a shame!!!
This module has made me think that cyber-bullying is even worse, as the act of bullying can reach a wider audience through technology and make the victim's life more unbearable. Visuals, name calling and the like can affect a child or teenager so negatively that it can cause life-long damage to the victim.
Especially the parents have a huge responsibility here. By making sure that they are up-to-date with technology, and by educating themselves on the problems that can be encountered by children or teenagers in a certain age group, they can alleviate some problems faced by their children and support and guide them
Yes, cyberspace has made the act of bullying much more pervasive than the bullying of my youth. Here is a relatively recent example of how cyberbullying led to the suicide of a freshmen university student in America. http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/09/rutgers_suicide_shows_dire_con.html
ReplyDeleteTerrible....
DeleteIn fact, it was only a few days that the verdict was passed on the cyberbully in the case above. See http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/03/parents_of_tyler_clementi_verd.html#incart_mce -- this does show that the justice system is taking the crime of cyberbullying very seriously indeed.
ReplyDeleteMaybe 10 years' imprisonment!!!!!
DeleteThis is a very sensitive topic, and the video was very moving. Again, another module that raises awareness and as teachers we need to be aware of this. Unfortunately, as Steve commented this drives some young people to suicide so we as adults need to be informed.
ReplyDeleteThank you Nilgun, for your reflections :)