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Circle of Respect: Are You In?

MARCH 14-20, 2010

The Newton Partnership is featuring a series of activities focusing on cyberbullying and internet safety during the week of March 14-20, 2010.  Concentrated on the theme of building Newton as a “Circle of Respect” and encouraging students, parents, staff, and all community members to get in the circle, activities and programs are being designed to touch all members of the Newton community. 

The goals of the weeklong programming are:

  • To raise awareness of the issue of cyberbullying, including  creating a shared community understanding of cyberbullying

  • To educate parents, students, staff, and the community about safe practices on the internet and other media and to the dangers of cyberbullying

  • To communicate effective strategies to both prevent and intervene with cyberbullying incidents

Calendar Highlights:

Newton Reads: Boys, Girls & Other Hazardous Materials, by Rosalind Wiseman. The Newton Free Library and The Newton Partnership are co-sponsoring a community read of Ms. Wiseman's fiction book, published at the end of 2009.  The event will culminate in a talk and book signing by the author at the library on the evening of Wednesday, March 17 at 7:00 P.M.  Information on this event will also appear in PSAs on NewTV in February and March. Copies of Ms. Wiseman's book are available at local book stores as well as in the Newton Free Library and in school libraries.  Click here to view a flyer about the event. 

Saturday, March 20 8:30 A.M.-1:00 P.M.:  A half day parent symposium, with a keynote presentation by Dr. Elizabeth Englander, Founder and Director of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center (MARC), as well as Technology and “How To” Clinics, workshops on adolescents and cell phones, special issues of technology and children with special needs, and more. For more information, click here.  No RSVP is required and the event is free for any interested Newton parents. 

Click here for a schedule of events planned for Circle of Respect: Are You in?  CONTACT: Susan Linn at 617.559.9061 or susan_linn@newton.k12.ma.us with suggestions or questions.

The most current issue of TNP newsletter (March 2010) is devoted to parenting in the digital age.  Click here for a link to the newsletter.

Did You Know?

Facts and Statistics About Cyberbullying

  • Nearly 35% of kids have been threatened online and almost one in five have had it happen more than once.
  • Four out of ten middle school students have had their password(s) stolen and changed by a bully who then locked them out of their own account or sent communications posing as them.
  • About 58% of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online. More than four out of ten say it has happened more than once.
  • 41% of cyberbullying victims do not tell anyone in their off-screen lives about their abuse, but 38% did tell an online
  • Of kids who told someone about being the victim of cyberbullying, the situation improved for 19% of them. 
  • In a recent study of 6,000 youth, 17% reported bullying other kids online.  In that study, those who admitted bullying others online, when interviewed, most considered it fun or instructive; such as a way to strengthen their victims
  • About 15% of parents are “in the know” about their kids’ social networking habits, and how these behaviors can lead to cyberbullying.

Statistics from dosomething.org, lovetoknow.com, and cyberbullying.us.

OTHER RESOURCES

An ever-changing array of helpful resources exist on the subject of cybersafety and cyberbullying.  We recommend that you look at several sites and bookmark a few on your computer to go when you have questions.   Because technology and trends change so quickly, remember to go back occassionally to get updated technology information, tips and reviews.

Click here for an annotated list of selected resources compiled by The Newton Partnership or here for a link to "Net Cetera," a guide published by On Guard On Line of the Federal Trade Commission.

The most current issue of TNP newsletter (March 2010) is devoted to parenting in the digital age.  Click here for a link to the newsletter.