Cyberbullying has been a hot topic among parents and school administrators for a long time, and recently, Michigan passed a law that criminalizes online bullying. Is this the best way to handle these situations?
In many cases, the involvement of parents or teachers worsen bullying situations. Simply punishing the instigators does little good for the harassment victims. Based on this information, plus all that we know about why kids pick on each other, I do not believe that this is the right course of action. Sending kids to jail or fining them (or their parents, rather) for being mean to other kids will not be effective in helping either party.
My suggestion is that any immediate threat to physical safety is taken care of swiftly, and a more careful handling of the social problems can then be carried out. Adults with expertise can evaluate what to do in detail, but cracking down on kids being mean to each other at all times is not a realistic or productive way to control young people online.
Schools should make sure students know how to report harassment and know how to respond to mean comments online. Instead of simply punishing those who bully, parents and teachers should educate children on how to be kind in their everyday interactions and graceful in their response to negativity online. Building up kids' confidence and giving them realistic expectations when entering an online world will help prevent tween drama from escalating to a place that requires adult intervention.
-Dani
In many cases, the involvement of parents or teachers worsen bullying situations. Simply punishing the instigators does little good for the harassment victims. Based on this information, plus all that we know about why kids pick on each other, I do not believe that this is the right course of action. Sending kids to jail or fining them (or their parents, rather) for being mean to other kids will not be effective in helping either party.
My suggestion is that any immediate threat to physical safety is taken care of swiftly, and a more careful handling of the social problems can then be carried out. Adults with expertise can evaluate what to do in detail, but cracking down on kids being mean to each other at all times is not a realistic or productive way to control young people online.
Schools should make sure students know how to report harassment and know how to respond to mean comments online. Instead of simply punishing those who bully, parents and teachers should educate children on how to be kind in their everyday interactions and graceful in their response to negativity online. Building up kids' confidence and giving them realistic expectations when entering an online world will help prevent tween drama from escalating to a place that requires adult intervention.
-Dani
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