Over 1 in 4 Novato 9th Graders report being a victim of cyberbullying!

It’s Valentine’s Day, a time where people are focused on demonstrating affection and caring towards others.  The Novato Blue Ribbon Coalition for youth would like to use this holiday emphasis to remind parents they can do things to help their children develop positive relationships and reduce incidences of bullying that occur. With rapid technological advances, cyberbullying is becoming more of an issue that young people face.

According to a survey conducted by NUSD in 2010, 29% of Novato 9th graders reported being a victim of cyberbullying.  That’s over 1 in 4. Cyberbullying is the use of digital media tools, such as the Internet and cell phones, to deliberately humiliate and harass others, often times repeatedly. Kids need to hear from us what to do if they are a victim of cyberbullying and they need guidelines to help them differentiate the often fine line between what is a joke, and what is cruel behavior. 

Do you know how to set guidelines around appropriate online and media usage for your child?  Do you know how to talk to your child about cyberbullying, sexting, Facebook, and the long term impacts of the messages and pictures they’re posting today?

The reality is that kids spend far more time interfacing with media than they do at school or with their parents.  The average 8-18 year old spends 7.5 hours a day online, watching TV and movies, playing games, and listening to music.  Kids no longer make a distinction between the “real” world and the “virtual’ one.  It’s all one and the same to them.

The digital world offers amazing opportunities for kids, but because it’s a world with a huge audience, where kids who crave recognition are rewarded for boundary-pushing behavior, and actions are separate from consequences, there are also multiple challenges.

Kids also need to understand that everything that is posted on the internet becomes available to a vast audience.  It’s impossible to know who will be viewing their information.  For example Facebook has 400 million active users  as of April 2010.  If it were a country, it would be the third largest in the world, between India and the United States.  This means that interactions kids might think are just among friends can be seen by a wider audience than they might intend.

Once something is out there, it’s hard to erase.  This happens in part because something can be cut and pasted without your knowledge, so even if you delete a photo on your Facebook profile, for example, a friend may have already taken it and posted it on her page.  And because it’s becoming easier and easier to search content online, the photo is pretty easy to find.  The digital footprint our kids create today will be visible tomorrow to college admissions officers, job recruiters etc.

For more information and tips regarding our kids digital world please consider attending a free workshop put on by the Novato Youth Center on Thursday February 27th from 5:30 - 7 p.m.  Snacks and childcare will be provided.  The workshop is offered in Spanish and English.  To register for this free event please call 415-892-1643 ext. 316. 

Another way general community members can make a difference, is to attend a Bullying Prevention & Intervention Committee meeting where we talk about coordinating efforts in all different areas related to bullying. This is a NBRC4Y sponsored group that strategizes on ways to develop and implement resources throughout Novato to reduce incidences of bullying. Our meetings that are open to the public occur once a month, the next meeting is Wednesday, March 5th from 5:30-7pm at Hill Education Center (720 Diablo Ave., Novato) in Room 26. If you have any questions you can contact NBRC4Y Coordinator Jasmine Freese at jasmine@novatoblueribbon.org or 415-798-5329.