Prosecutor Taylor initiated in December 2004 a county wide conference on domestic violence and bullying prevention. Since that time a county wide working group composed of educators, community activist and law enforcement meet periodically to plan and develop programs to educate school administrators, teachers, students and parents on bullying and how it can be prevented. Melisha Anderson Community Justice Coordinator of the Prosecutor's Office heads the office's community outreach program along with Victim Witness Coordinator Claire McArdle. Claire McArdle has received training and both are available to teach the teachers and meet with parent organizations. The Prosecutor's Office also offers presentations for students, teachers, school administrators and parents on Cyber Safety. For information or to request a presentation, please contact Melisha Anderson.
Bullying Prevention is Crime Prevention
Bullying is aggressive behavior that is intentional and that involves an imbalance of power or strength. Typically, it is repeated over time. Bullying can take many forms, such as: Physical bullying, hitting and punching; emotional bullying, intimidation through gestures or social exclusion; and cyber bullying, sending insulting messages through email, instant messenger, or social networking web sites.
Tips for Children
If you are bullied, tell your parents
Tell a trusted teacher, or adult at school
Do not retaliate or get angry
Respond firmly or say nothing and walk away
Develop friendships and stick up for each other
Avoid unsupervised areas of school
Don't bring expensive items to school
Tips for Parents
Encourage your child to share problems with you, assure them this is not tattling
Never tell your child to ignore bullying
Praise and encourage your child - a confident child is less likely to be bullied
Contact your child's School - keep detailed accounts of bullying episodes
Help your child to establish friendships
New Jersey Attorney General
1-877-NO-BULLY
http://www.njbiascrime.org/njbcoa.htm
New Jersey State Bar Foundation
1-800-FREELAW
United States Department of Health
1-800-789-2647
www.nobully.org.nz/advicek.htm
http://www.bullyonline.org/related/cyber.htm
http://responsiblenetizen.org/cyberbullying/
http://www.ncpc.org/topics/by-audience/parents/bullying/cyberbullying
http://www.mcgruff.org/Advice/cyberbullies.php
http://www.cyberbullying.info/
http://www.bebo.com/CyberBullying.jsp
http://www.stopbullyingnow.hsra.gov
http://www.anxietyfreechildren.com/bullinganxiety.html
Letter To The Editor - Bullying is a Serious Issue
RESOURCES:
Peer Leadership: Cyber Safety for Students
Wildwood Convention Center
Wildwood Middle School: Cyber Safety/Cyber Bullying for Students
Wildwood High
Sea Isle Elementary School: Cyber Safety/ Cyber Bullying for Students
Sea Isle School
Dennis Township Elementary School: Cyber Safety for Students
Dennis Township School
Upper Township Middle School: Cyber Safety/Cyber Bullying for Students
Upper Township Middle School
Margaret Mace Elementary School: Cyber Safety/Cyber Bullying for Students
Margaret Mace School North Wildwood
Margaret Mace PTA: Cyber Safety/Cyber
Bullying for Parents and Teachers
Margaret Mace School North Wildwood
Citizen's Police Academy: Cyber Safety for Adults
Cape May County Police Academy, Crest Haven
St. Anne's Elementary School: Cyber Safety/Bullying and Sexting for Students
Ocean City Library: Cyber Safety for Adults
Middle Township Elementary #2: Cyber Safety/Bullying Presentation
Be careful about giving our personal information. Never give friends your passwords
Supervise your child’s use of the computer
Learn about the sites your child visits on the Internet
Encourage children to speak to a trusted adult if something seems wrong
Walk away from the computer if harassment starts
Don’t erase the messages or pictures. Save these as evidence
Be aware that what happens online can be reproduced and spread very easily. Nothing online is ever private.
Contact the police if cyber bullying involves acts such as:
√ Threats of Violence
√ Extortion
√ Obscene of harassing phone calls or text messages
√ Harassment, stalking, or hate crimes
√ Child pornography
Cyberbullying is important because it is the newest form of intimidation and harassment among students that is becoming increasingly evident across the nation.
Regarded as the newest form of bullying, Cyberbullying is defined as when a student uses information and communication technologies such as email, cell phone and pager text messaging, instant messaging, defamatory personal websites and defamatory online personal polling websites to harass, humiliate, intimidate and/or threaten other students on the Internet.
Across the United States, teenagers are increasingly using the Internet to deliver derogatory photographs and cruel and harmful messages, which can include racial, religious, cultural and sexual slurs.
The striking difference between old-fashioned bullying and Cyberbullying is that Cyberbullying can occur both on and off school grounds, making the victims extremely vulnerable and susceptive to this new type of bullying at virtually all times of the day.
Furthermore, another difference is that, with Cyberbullying, the bully does not see the immediate impact that his or her bullying has on the victim. Bullies do not see the harm they have caused their victims, which make them less capable of actually feeling remorseful or empathetic to the victim for their actions.
It is extremely important that both educators and law enforcement personnel are aware of the dangerous threat that Cyberbullying poses to the youth of America.
