Digital Citizenship & Cyber Bullying Resources

Our world has become engulfed in social media and the cyber world is becoming just as relevant to our well being as real world actions. With the growth of cyber bullying between peers, friends and family it is important to give outlets for students (and people), so they may understand that what is being done to them is not right, and they have people there to support with many different ways. This is becoming such a major issue that in some cases their have been police arrests, the most extreme of which are having to serve jail time. "Young people should be aware that some forms of online bullying are considered criminal acts. Under the Criminal Code of Canada, it is a crime to communicate repeatedly with someone if your communication causes them to fear for their own safety or for the safety of others" (mediasmart.ca). Cyber bullying by definition is, "bullying that takes place using an electronic technology. [This tech may include] cell phones, computers, tablets, [which influences digital communication] through text messaging, social media, and web chats" (stopbullying.gov). 

Along with cyber bullying comes our own digital citizenship which can mean a number of things, but by definition it is, "a person who develops the skills and knowledge to effectively use theInternet and other digital technology, especially in order to participate responsibly in social and civic activities” (dictionary.com) A good resource for making students and their parents aware of what it means to be a good digital citizen is http://www.digitalcitizenship.net . This site goes into great detail about the many different aspects about the cyber world and the dangers that come along with being deeply involved in the internet world. Making students aware of how to use social media, and the different interactions that they may come across is crucial because it is becoming the #1 way of communication in our world today.

To ensure my students have every resource about cyber bullying & digital citizenship I have created a Pinterest account with a board dedicated to these topics. By doing this I will be able to continuously add more information and resources that will be available at all times. I felt by choosing to go this route it will open up doors for those who are getting bullied because it is not a face to face interaction, everything is done anonymously, and may feel more comfortable seeking out help this way. Once the person feels more confident about the situation after review some resources my hope is they will feel comfortable seeking out my help, and know that they are not alone. I am here to help, people are here to help! My account can be reached HERE, or there is a link just to the right, in the footer, and by email if any of these other options does not work.