Girl on Girl Fighting: A scary new trend
Monday, February 8, 2010
 Last week, The Early Show did a report about a scary trend that has been emerging. Viral videos of teen girls fighting have been popping up across the country. In the video you see here, there are two adults watching, both who have now been charged with felony counts of cruelty to a juvenile because nothing was done to stop the fighting. (Click "The Early Show" to view report and video.)
Is this something that is becoming glorified? The Early Show reported that before, it was mainly boys who got into fights. Now with the technology so readily available to video these kinds of activities, and with the psychological push that someone can become a viral celebrity overnight, I am wondering if this is just fueling the need for some teens to be noticed.
According the local educators, almost 80% of school fights are now girl on girl, which some believe is fueled by the internet. Which brings us to what are kids are viewing online, is it good? Is it healthy?
When we think about what our kids have access to online during this influential time in their life, are you curious to know what they’re viewing? Do you think knowing for sure what they’re influenced by would help you facilitate conversation with them? These are not just “teen” issues. There are serious consequences to those who participate in these types of behaviors that can haunt them later on down the road.
It is so important for parents to discuss these crucial matters with kids. Not only must we discuss these issues, we must also be a positive influence on them. If our kids don’t see us behaving in a positive manner toward others, for example, if we are mean and tend to want to fight or be hateful, what makes us think they would be any different?
By downloading McGruff Safeguard, you are choosing to be a part of their life. You are choosing to know what they're into. Understand the kinds of influences that are shaping them. By downloading McGruff Safeguard, we can give you exact information on what they’re viewing online. Let’s all be a part of the solution. What are your thoughts? Labels: bullying, fighting, McGruff Safeguard, The Early Show
posted by Lindsay Manfredi at 8:04 AM Link to this Article
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Bullying Leads to 15-year-old Suicide
Monday, January 25, 2010
 We have posted many articles about bullying via texts and social media platforms such as Facebook and Myspace. We have heard of a few teen suicide stories which these platforms have been a launch pad of emotional abuse. Here’s one more to add to it. One thing we need to keep in mind as parents is that our kids don’t think like we do. Some things we understand, which only come with growth and maturity, are far out of the scope of the “everyday reality” that our kids face on and offline.
Phoebe Prince is yet another example of why it’s so important to get in touch with that reality…their reality. According to the Boston Globe, Prince had been a victim of both bullying and cyber bullying, which authorities believed may have prompted the 15 year-old to take her life.
Prince and her family moved to Western Massachusetts last year from a small village in west Ireland. Last fall, she enrolled at South Hadley High School which has a student body of approximately 700 students. “In a school with that many kids, there are going to be issues,’’
Sergeant Robert Whelihan, a spokesman for the South Hadley Police Department
said yesterday. “We are investigating what effects the bullying might have had
on the suicide.’’
The bullying included disagreements over teen romances at school, school
officials said. And it continued with taunting text messages and harassing
postings on Facebook, the popular social networking site.
“The real problem now is the texting stuff and the cyber-bullying,’’ said
South Hadley School Superintendent Gus A. Sayer. “Some kids can be very mean
towards one another using that medium.’’
You may think to yourself, “Well, if my son/daughter were having issues with other kids, they would surely let me know.” Unfortunately, this is not always the case. They may feel embarrassed, disconnected, or ashamed of what is happening. There are lots of reasons kids don’t communicate as we do. They’re kids. If they knew any differently, they probably would.
That’s why it’s important to know what is happening behind the scenes. McGruff Safeguard is about keeping those you care about safe. It’s about giving you the information necessary to facilitate conversation.
Could this suicide have avoided? I absolutely think so. There is a whole mess of stuff that happens that we don’t know about. If your kids are being cyber bullied…that’s one thing we can alert you on. Then, you have an inside look as to what your kids are going through. Download McGruff Safeguard today. It can definitely make you aware, and it may help save a life.
Labels: bullying, cyberbulling, Facebook, McGruff Safeguard, myspace, Pheobe Prince, South Hadley High school, teenage suicide
posted by Lindsay Manfredi at 8:32 AM Link to this Article
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School Takes a Stand Against Bullying
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
In light of our recent blog posts on cyber bullying, the following article depicts how some schools are really taking a stand against bullying…both on school grounds and via technology.
BURLEY - Students and staff at Cassia County schools who engage in any type
of bullying behavior could find themselves expelled from school or their
employment terminated.
The Cassia County School District unanimously approved an amended policy on
student harassment that includes new language against bullying someone over
sexual orientation. It also includes a new policy titled "Prohibition Against
Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying" that outlines the district's response to
issues such as spreading rumors, cyber bullying and "sexting," which have become
issues since the original policy was adopted in 2000.
"These reflect current things we experience in the community and other
parts of the state," said district Superintendent Gaylen Smyer.
The new policies put in place guidelines that define cyber bullying as the
use of any electronic communications device to convey a message in any format -
including audio, video, text, graphics, or photographs - that intimidates,
harasses or intends to harm another individual.
"Parental awareness will play a big role in this," Smyer said.
According to the policy, school administrators will report any conduct they
believe is in violation of the law to local law enforcement and no retaliation
will be taken by the district, employees or students for someone who reports
harassment or bullying.
The district will maintain a written record that is submitted to the
district with witness statements and investigative reports. Those records will
be kept in district administrative offices and will not be purged by district
personnel without board approval.
The prohibition extends not only to actions on school grounds but those
originating at a remote location and carried out via technology. The policy also
includes a section on district employees and staff members engaging in bullying
behavior. (This article was written last week by Laurie Welch.)
We commend this school for taking a stand to protect those who can’t always protect themselves. Kids and teens SHOULD be protected from bullies. It is my hope that parents are not only trying to protect their kids from bullying, but also trying to teach them to not BE bullies. This ultimately begins in the home. It makes me think about the type of parent I am. How am I with my friends? What kind of example am I setting? Am I being kind to the people in my life? Do I have bullying behavior?
As parents, we have to keep in mind that we are the prime example setters. What can we do in our lives every day to secure a positive foundation for our kids? McGruff Safeguard is here to help make you aware of what’s going on out there. Let us know if you have any questions!Labels: bullying, Cassia County, internet laws, Laurie Welch
posted by Lindsay Manfredi at 2:04 PM Link to this Article
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It DOES Take A Village
Thursday, October 29, 2009
 Last night, I was watching an episode of Lie To Me with actor, Tim Roth. In this episode, a video was made by a girl that was being bullied by her classmates. What made things tricky was that the bullying was encouraged by the gym teacher that this girl trusted. The "trusted teacher" was provoking her classmates to bully her. The video that was made expressed violence toward others, however, the violence was actually what she wished upon herself. She then attempted suicide. In the end, they caught the suicide attempt in time. She survived and worked up the courage to confront the students as well as the teacher.
I bring this example to you because this happens more often than we think. A few weeks back, we posted a video on the intensity of cyberbullying. Here are some mid-blowing statistics on this issue that we wanted to bring to you in regard to technology that folks are using today in order to hurt other people.
• According to the National Crime Prevention Center, more than 40 percent of all teenagers with Internet access have reported being bullied online during the past year.
• Girls are more likely than boys to be the target of cyber-bullying. Also, there is a direct correlation to the amount of time girls spend online and the likelihood that they will be bullied.
• The National Crime Prevention Center study found that only 10 percent of those kids who were bullied told their parents about the incident, and that a mere 18 percent of the cases were reported to a local or national law enforcement agency.
• According to a recent study, 58 percent of fourth- through eighth-graders reported having mean or cruel things said to them online. 53 percent said they have said mean or hurtful things to others while online. 42 percent of those studied said that they had been “bullied online,” but almost 60 percent have never told their parents about the incident.
• Cell phone cameras and digital cameras are a growing problem in the cyber-bullying world. A recent survey found that 10 percent of 770 young people surveyed were made to feel “threatened, embarrassed or uncomfortable” by a photo taken of them using a cell-phone camera.
This is alarming. Imagine your child being the target of intentional cruelty. And the sad part is that often, kids don’t want to tell anyone. Usually out of fear or embarrassment. As a result, they are dealing with these huge issues that kids really shouldn’t have to deal with.
Going back to the episode of Lie To Me, the popular girl who was doing the bullying didn’t really want to do it. She felt pressured by her peers and by a teacher whom she looked up to. This leads me to believe that WE can help influence our kids through conversation, IF we know what is actually happening in their lives. McGruff Safeguard is a key way to monitor your kids, whether they are the victim, or the bully. You can be a part of the solution. As the old saying says, “It takes a village” to raise a child. Help us help you keep your children safe. photo credit to mikebogdanski.com Labels: bullying, cyberbulling, Lie To Me, McGruff Safeguard, Tim Roth, two-sided conversation
posted by Lindsay Manfredi at 11:03 AM Link to this Article
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