Techlearning > > Terror in the Classroom: What Can be Done?, Part 4 > December 5, 2007

Techlearning > > Terror in the Classroom: What Can be Done?, Part 4 > December 5, 2007 I was searching for some material to read when I came across this article. I agree that most parents aren’t involved enough in their teenagers’ computer use. I have two teenage daughters who both have a MySpace account. I personally have never been on MySpace but several people I work with have accounts and are actively involved with the site. The things I hear about this site is usually not bad but not something I really want my children involved with, but I try not to evade their privacy much. I have expressed my concerns about MySpace and I am repeatedly told I need to trust them. I do explain that it isn’t them I don’t trust it is everyone else. They do allow me to monitor their sites and they keep me informed of anything that they think is strange.

About a month ago my niece was on her MySpace page and this other girl, who is now dating my niece’s ex-boyfriend, was leaving nasty comments on my niece’s page. I didn’t get involved until one night she left a comment stating she knew where my niece lived and wouldn’t it be a shame if the house was to catch fire. This young lady left details about the house and how horrible a house fire would be for her family. There is a bully or harrass button that you can click on the page that immediately sends the designers of the page the threat or comment. Within minutes of sending this out we got a response that the young lady’s page had been discontinued and she would not be able to set up a new one.  I was still not comfortable with the situation and contacted the authorities to have them talk with the girl’s parents. I never heard back from them, but we really had nothing to go on.

So this article really hit home with me. Back when I was younger threats made my teenagers were just merely threats, but today volience is how they cope with daily situations.  I do believe parents need to be more educated and need to evade in their child privacy some. I think if parents and children are educated together and parents let the child know that they will not be punished for coming to them about the bullying, children would be more comfortable talking. These kids don’t want to lose the privelege so they keep secrets. They think they can handle it or that it is really nothing to worry about, whatever it takes to keep from freaking out thier parents and having the priveleges taken away.