Cyber-bullying
During assembly on Thursday, November 6th, Joe Laramie spoke about cyber-bullying. Laramie is a 29-year veteran with the Glendale Police Department and director of the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
He challenged the student body to make a conscious decision to stop cyber-bullying. Given its “under-the-radar” nature, adults are often unaware and not always in a position to help. “This is your issue,” he repeated throughout the presentation.
Laramie discussed several surveys and studies and showed two videos to demonstrate what constitutes cyber-bullying and its pervasiveness. Among the statistics he shared are that
- Regarding cyber-bullying in general: 32 percent of all teens report being victims of online harassment, defined as receiving threatening messages, having e-mails or text messages forwarded without permission, posting embarrassing pictures and spreading rumors.
- Specifically regarding sexual harassment: 52 to 66 percent are perpetrators while 79 to 83 percent are victims.
Laramie warned that adolescents are becoming desensitized to the impact of this harassment, dismissing it as “no big deal.” He said that standard will not hold when students reach the workplace. The central problem, he added, is that online harassment creates a sense of permanence – that the “information” spreads exponentially and never goes away.
To stop online harassment, Laramie recommended the following:
- Don’t respond to it
- Don’t pass it on
- Don’t encourage others to do it
- Stand together against it
- Report it
He advised everyone to take responsibility for and protect their name, their identity and their reputation.
