Cyberbullied {Infographic}

October is National Bullying Awareness Month!

Lets make 2012 the year that we all woke up from our slumber and got on the ball about this bullying issue!
What on earth do people think they are doing, adults, teens and children are all being bullied by people who in my honest opinion (from the movie The Water Boy)  need a "can of whoop ass" opened up on them! It makes me so mad to see people treated in such a manner.
Educate yourself and know the signs, know how to respond and how to help those who are bullied. If you are the victim, know that you need help and not to suffer in silence! You are a wonderful, worthy and  a much better person than your bully! God does not make junk!

Today, 160,000 kids stayed home from school. Not because they were sick or forgot to do their homework, but because they were afraid of being harassed by a bully. One in every four kids get bullied, which adds up to 13 million kids a year.

October 1st marks the beginning of Bullying Prevention Awareness Month .  Each year millions of children and youth experience the humiliation and devastating effects of bullying.  Bullying damages the physical, social, and emotional well-being of its victims. It also hurts the children who bully, as well as those who watch it happen. In fact, bullying creates a climate of fear, callousness, and disrespect for everyone involved.  SAMHSA is committed to reducing the impact of bullying and we will take this month to share information about bullying and its impact, and how everyone can and should play a part in taking action against bullying. (Credit to the SAMSHA blog for some of the info provided here)

Bullying 101 :

Bullying begins in the preschool years, peaks in early adolescence, and continues, but with less frequency, into the high school years. But bullying does NOT have to be a part of growing up.

Bullying is a form of emotional or physical abuse that has three defining characteristics:

1. Deliberate – the child that bullies’ intention is to hurt someone
2. Repeated—the child that bullies often targets the same victim again and again
3. Power Imbalanced—the child that bullies chooses victims he or she perceives as vulnerable

Bullying occurs in many different forms, with varying levels of severity. It may involve:

• Physical Bullying—poking, pushing, hitting, kicking, beating up
• Verbal Bullying—yelling, teasing, name-calling, insulting, threatening to harm
• Relational Bullying—ignoring, excluding, spreading rumors, telling lies, getting others to hurt someone

Know the Warning Signs 

A culture of silence often surrounds bullying. Many children who are bullied never tell anyone. 

Most bullying is not reported because children . . .

• Don’t recognize it as bullying
• Are embarrassed
• Don’t want to appear weak
• Believe they deserve it
• Want to belong
• Fear retaliation
• Don’t know how to talk about it
• Don’t have a trusted adult to confide in
• Think adults won’t understand
• Think nothing can be done about it

Just because you don't see it, and children don't talk about it, doesn't mean bullying isn't happening. Even when children fail to report bullying, they often show warning signs.

What are some warning signs of bullying?

• Unexplained damage or loss of clothing and other personal items
• Evidence of physical abuse, such as bruises and scratches
• Loss of friends; changes in friends
• Reluctance to participate in activities with peers
• Loss of interest in favorite activities
• Unusually sad, moody, anxious, lonely, or depressed
• Problems with eating, sleeping, bed-wetting
• Headaches, stomachaches, or other physical complaints
• Decline in school achievement
• Thoughts of suicide

Some children may withdraw, while others may get angry and seek revenge. Don’t assume the problem will go away on its own: Invite children to talk about what is bothering them. If you find out a child is being bullied, show support, help develop a response strategy, and follow up to make sure the bullying does not continue.

What You Can Do 

Recommendations and Strategies for Adults

If you don't intervene, bullies, victims, and bystanders will continue to believe in the power of bullying, rather than the power of prevention. They will continue to let bullying happen. So, why don't adults intervene more often? Sometimes, it’s because we don't see it happen; we’re not sure what to look for. But often, it’s because we don't know what to do or we're afraid that our actions will somehow make matters worse

When adults respond quickly and consistently to bullying behavior they send the message that it is not acceptable. Research shows this can stop bullying behavior over time. There are simple steps adults can take to stop bullying on the spot and keep kids safe.

Do:

• Intervene immediately. It is ok to get another adult to help.
• Separate the kids involved.
• Make sure everyone is safe.
• Meet any immediate medical or mental health needs.
• Stay calm. Reassure the kids involved, including bystanders.
• Model respectful behavior when you intervene.

Avoid these common mistakes:

• Don’t ignore it. Don’t think kids can work it out without adult help.
• Don’t immediately try to sort out the facts.
• Don’t force other kids to say publicly what they saw.
• Don’t question the children involved in front of other kids.
• Don’t talk to the kids involved together, only separately.
• Don’t make the kids involved apologize or patch up relations on the spot.

Get police help or medical attention immediately if:

• A weapon is involved.
• There are threats of serious physical injury.
• There are threats of hate-motivated violence, such as racism or homophobia.
• There is serious bodily harm.
• There is sexual abuse.
• Anyone is accused of an illegal act, such as robbery or extortion—using force to get money, property, or services.

What ever you do, Do something! don't just stand by in silence!!

Internet Acronyms- Get Smart --KPC

20 Internet Acronyms All Parents Should Know - Learn more about the importance of understanding your teen's language with the short video, "Text Messaging: Lost in Translation?" 

1. POS  = Parents over Shoulders
2. PIR  = Parents In Room
3. P911  = Parents Alert
4. PAW  = Parents Are Watching
5. PAL  = Parents Are Listening
6. ASL  = Age/Sex/Location
7. MORF = Male or Female
8. SORG  = Straight or Gay
9. LMIRL = Lets Meet In Real Life
10. KPC  = Keeping Parents Clueless
11. TD2M  = Talk Dirty To Me
12. IWSN  = I Want Sex Now
13. NIFOC = Nude In Front of Computer
14. GYPO  = Get Your Pants Off
15. ADR  = Address
16. WYCM = Will You Call Me
17. KFU  = Kisses For You
18. MOOS = Member of Opposite Sex
19. MOSS  = Member of Same Sex
20. NALOPKT = Not A Lot Of People Know This
    

Where might you see these acronyms used? Whether it's MySpace, Flickr or Facebook, chances are your child has some sort of profile online. Take action on social networks, instant messaging, and text messagin

What language is your child speaking online? There are thousands of internet acronyms. Some are harmless, but others may be drug slang and "code words."
LOL, POS, AFK, 420—What Does it All Mean?
LOL means Laugh Out Loud. | POS means Parent over Shoulder. | AFK means Away from the Computer. | 420 means Marijuana.

As a parent, there's a real reason to learn the language your child is speaking when they're communicating online or via cell phone text messaging. What may appear to be random letters, numbers, and gibberish are actually phrases and "code words" that teens use to get their point across quickly. Just have a quick look at the Text Messaging: Lost in Translation? video.
Begin with our list of the 20 Internet Acronyms All Parents Should Know. Then, download our Get Smart About Slang desktop widget. The widget uses the DEA Get Smart About Drugs database to help you identify drug slang terms used to describe substances.
The Internet offers a plethora of resources for parents interested in learning how to understand and speak their child's messaging language. To further your knowledge, please visit these additional resources: 
NoSlang has compiled a list of the Top 25 Internet Slang Terms all Parents Should Know.
TeenChatDecoder.com boasts a 6,000+ online acronym database that you can search for phrases you don't understand.
NetLingo offers an Internet slang dictionary that contains acronyms typically used in IM, text messages, and e-mail.

 Stay Smart~~ don't blow it!

June is Internet Safety Month

How careful are you on the web?? What are your kids doing on the web? Think about it and do some research yourself about keeping you and your kids safe. Here are some great links to check out:

http://www.netsmartz.org/index.aspx
http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/net_safety.html
http://www.safekids.com/
http://www.fbi.gov/publications/pguide/pguidee.htm
http://www.safeteens.com/
http://kids.getnetwise.org/
http://www.surfnetkids.com/safety/

These are only a few websites with great information, but you the parent are the first line of defense. Be a smart parent, in this world of tech everything now we have to have some tech savvy to keep up with our kids. I have a Facebook page myself and even signed my teenager up for his own page. He and I are friends on Facebook, so I know what he is doing there and he knows what I am doing. I see his friends list, pictures, groups etc. and he can see mine. If you are suspicious about your child's internet activity, then communication with them is the key. Now is the time to open communication and lay it all on the table, before something happens that you will regret later.
Be safe and stay safe online and off!!
~~Leslie~