A Family Credo-A Checklist for Parents and Teens
Respect. Being respectful to others is one of our family's values. Bullying and harassing, online or off, is a problem to be addressed.
No victimization of others. Being a bully, online or off, is not okay.
Act if you see bullying. Being a witness to cyberbullying or other forms of harassment is equal to participation. Teens should talk with friends and trusted adults to help victims, while not putting themselves at risk.
Stand up for yourself. No one deserves to be a victim of cyberbullying. Be sure your teens have a trusted adult to help them stand up for themselves and strategize ways to confront the bully.
Don't reveal personal information. Personal information can be exploited online. A family rule should be NEVER to reveal personal information on a personal blog, an IM, an email, or in chat rooms.
Internet use is a privilege, not a right. The consequences for not following the family credo will be that recreational Internet use is taken away.
Six Key Steps:
How Parents Can Work With Schools (from the Rhode Island Department of Education program)
Read and critique your teen's school safety guidelines. Lobby for cyberbullying rules if they don't already exist.
Go over the school guidelines with your teen. Any harassment of other students will not be tolerated.
Report any concerns you have to your teen's teacher or principal.
Contact the school's counselor or social worker if you feel your teen may be a bully or a victim.
Work with school staff on anonymous reporting procedures to protect the witnesses and victims.
Discuss possible consequences of breaking school safety rules with your teen, focusing on Internet safety.
Ajit K. 08/25/07
My son has been bullied online. I don’t know what to do about it. There are not many minority families in our area, and it is tough for him. I am glad to read there are school programs. I am going to ask our school if they can start one.
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