Educators and school resource officers are gathering in Milwaukee today for a conference aimed at keeping kids safe in the online age. One of the presenters, Justin Patchin of the Cyberbullying Research Center, says data suggests twenty-to-thirty percent of teens have experienced some form of online bullying whether it is name calling or a type of disrespect.
Patchin suggests adults have communication with adults to address these problems before they escalate such as the case of the Phoebe Prince, a 15-year-old who committed suicide reportedly because of bullying. In doing so he advocates “creative” ways to deal with the problem rather than extreme methods such as expulsion. With students wary of reporting incidents for fear of retribution, the UW-Eau Claire professor cites how some schools have set up anonymous reporting systems so victims can report their experience.
Other sessions will cover signs of abuse and a study of the New Berlin Sexting Case.
The conference is sponsored by the US and Wisconsin Departments of Justice and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
Brian Moon reports (:71)
