http://www.lba.k12.nf.ca/cyberbullying/gender.

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http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2011/06/27/cyber-bullying-rise-nation-s-schools The introduction of cellphones and laptops in our nations schools has been lauded as a modern thrust into the education system by the Peoples Partnership Government, but these devices are being used as weapons of cyber bullying. President of the National Parent Teachers Association (NPTA) Zena Ramatali said based on reports every other day a child is cyber bullied by other students. Based on our reports, cyber bullying is on the increase because every other day you are seeing something on-line. Students have received reports of threats on-line and via text messages from other students. We also have students who know how to break into another students account. In other instances they target other students by circulating sexually suggestive photos, Ramatali said. The problem, she said, stemmed from primary school since pupils were allowed to carry cellphones to school. Upon leaving the primary schools and entering into the secondary school system, the problem spiralled, Ramatali added. National bullying policy Calling on the Education Ministry to implement a bullying-prevention policy in schools throughout T&T, Ramatali warned that if the issue is not tackled immediately, cyber bullying could have farreaching consequences, one of which could be suicide. Ramatali said principals, teachers and students must be aware of what is cyber bullying and its consequences. Students need to understand exactly what they are doing and how schools could treat it. Schools must act and not sweep reports under the carpet, Ramatali stressed. Saying cyber bullying must be dealt with on all fronts, she said it left long-lasting scars on a childs psyche. We have to implement measures to prevent students from being mean and harmful to other students because for some of them it is fun, Ramatali said. Apart from leaving psychological scars, Ramatali said cyber bullying also impacts negatively on society. It could have far reaching consequences for a child entering the job market because it affects character. The issue of cyber bullying has to do with a childs self worth, Ramatali said. While punitive measures can be implemented she said what must also be examined are the reasons for children becoming cyber bullies. Does it mean that something is happening to that child at home to make him want to bully someone else? Ramatali questioned. Maintaining that the aim of the national policy was not to keep students away from technology Ramatali said the NPTA always supported Governments laptop initiative. She also called on the Education Ministry and parents to play a greater role in

monitoring the use of the devices. We believe it should be managed and used properly rather than making somebody elses life miserable or by torturing somebody. Students must realise they have a civic responsibility as a young person and must work alongside with other. Greater ties with the police While life skills and teaching values in education were important Ramatali said what was urgently needed was greater ties with the police. We want the police to look at what is happening once something is brought to the attention of the school. Once something like the posting of threats is issued the police should come in, Ramatali urged. Asked if cyber bullying was prevalent particularly in troubled schools, Ramatali said it was a problem that was occurring across the board. There might be little incidents in the so-called prestigious schools, but in the Government secondary schools some students see cyber bullying as macho, or as fun to hurt someone and as being in a certain gang. But it is not to say it is only happening in certain schools. There might be incidents happening in some schools that we would not hear about in order to maintain a good image of the school and to maintain the status quo. Looking at the laws Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh has admitted that there has been some degree of cyber bullying but said an examination of the law must first be performed before any policy could be implemented. We understand there is some degree of it and we are looking at it. But first we have to do an examination of the laws as it relates to cyber bullying then we can move forward and told talks with all stakeholders, Gopeesingh said. He said the issue of cellphones in schools was currently engaging the attention of his ministry since it was beginning to become a problem of sorts. Cellphones are posing a problem and we have discussed it. We have a task force on school violence. We are looking at fighting the disease and not merely symptoms of school violence, Gopeesingh said. President of the T&T Unified Teachers' Association (TTUTA) Roustan Job described cyber bullying as a phenomena adding that it was cause for great concern. We do not control the schools but, we need to sit with the Education Ministry to discuss ways of dealing with this because it is a fight we have on our hands. It is a challenge. We have to develop strategies and implement measures so that our children can make better use of their time and lives, Job said. He also levelled some blame on parents saying children were allowed to use their laptops without proper supervision and were being sent to school with expensive cellphones instead of simple ones as stipulated by the Education Ministry.

Facts According to statistics compiled by the Crime and Problem Analysis Branch (CAPA) of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service for the period January 1, 2010 to the same period this year, 79 crimes were reported to have occurred at various schools in the Southern Division. These included sexual offences, robbery, malicious wounding, assault by beating, fighting and indecent assault. This figure represented the highest out of the nine divisions. Central Division reported the second highest with a figure of 62 followed by the Northern Division with a tally of 53. Tobago recorded nine incidents, the lowest out of the nine divisions. What is Cyber Bullying Cyber bullying has been defined as when the Internet, cellphones or other devices are used to send or post text or images intended to hurt or embarrass another person. Cyber bullying could be as simple as continuing to send e-mail to someone who has said they want no further contact with the sender, but it may also include threats, sexual remarks, pejorative labels (i.e. hate speech), ganging up on victims by making them the subject of ridicule in forums and by posting false statements as fact aimed at humiliation. Cyber bullies may disclose victims personal data (e.g. real name, address, or workplace/schools) at Web site or forums or may pose as the identity of a victim for the purpose of publishing material in their name that defames or ridicules them. Some cyber bullies may also send threatening and harassing e-mails and instant messages to the victims, while other post rumours or gossip and instigate others to dislike and gang up on the target. Signs of Cyber Bullying If a child is being harassed or bullied on-line, he or she may: Be reluctant to use the computer or electronic device Avoid discussion about what they are doing on the computer, or other electronic device Look or appear nervous, anxious or jumpy when receiving an e-mail, IM or text message Display unusual anger, sadness, and depression after using the computer or electronic device Discuss revenge Exit or click out of whatever they are doing, if a person walks by Unexpectedly quits using the computer or electronic device Be having trouble sleeping or have other sleeping disturbances Show a decline in school homework or grades Have an unusual interest in self-harm or in suicide Exhibit unusual mood swings Feel unwell with headaches, upset stomach

 Become reclusive, anti-social and/or is losing friends Be unusually withdrawn or depressed Not want to be involved in family or school activities. What the law says Offences Against the Persons Act Section 30 (a) Harassment of a person includes alarming the person or causing the person distress by engaging in a course of conduct such as (i) making visual recordings of, stopping or accosting the person (ii) watching, loitering near or hindering or preventing access to or from the persons place of residence, workplace or any other place frequented by the person (iii) entering property or interfering with property in the possession of the person (iv) making contact with the person whether by gesture, directly or verbally, by telephone, computer post or in any other way (v) giving offensive material to a person, or leaving it where it will be found by, given to, or brought to the attention of the person. Section 30B (1) A person who is accused of conduct which would constitute an offence under Section 30(a) and which causes the other person to fear that violence will be used against him, and the person whose course of conduct is in question knows or ought to know that his conduct will cause the other person to fear, commits an offence and is liable on conviction on indictment to a fine of $10,000 and to imprisonment for five years or on summary conviction, to a fine of $5,000 and imprisonment for six months.

http://www.igovtt.tt/content/online-bullying Online Bullying Guardian: 19/10/10 Online bullying a real threat Published: 19 Oct 20101 Apart from the traditional idea of bullying, comes the new age of Online Bullying or Cyber-bullying. An avenue opened to teenagers, through Facebook, Myspace and Twitter, to bash and taunt each other in a seemingly harmless fashion. It may seem harmless but a closer look into the increasing statistics may shock the unknowing.

What exactly is Cyber-bullying? According to Bill Belsey, cyber-bullying involves the use of information and communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated and hostile behaviour by an individual or group, that is intended to harm others. Cyber-bullying can be as simple as sending threatening emails, sexual remarks, disclosing personal information at forums and websites or impersonation and ridicule. It is common among boys from an earlier age than girls, but, it increases for girls by the time they hit adolescence. However, whether the bully is male or female, the purpose remains the same: taunt, harass, embarrass, intimidate and ridicule. The facts about cyber-bullying: Adolescent girls are more likely than boys to experience online bullying (as a victim or offender). Cyber-bullying is related to low self esteem, suicidal ideals, anger, frustration and an array of psychological issues. There is a link between traditional bullying and cyber bullying: a child being bullied online is bullied in school; a child that bullies online also bullies at school. Cyber bullying has led to the suicide of one in four adolescents who are bullied online. In a study done by ISafe.org, 58% of the 1500 students surveyed refused to tell their parents or an adult about the incident of online bullying. More than four out of 10 say they have been threatened online, more than once. Adults engage in cyber bullying as well but as it changes from teenager to adult it becomes Cyber Stalking. The existence of this phenomenon in our society: I can only speak from observation because there are no statistics in Trinidad about this form of bullying, or possibly bullying in general. It may be due to the morals instilled in our society: a little bit of rough is good to toughen you up; or the fact that we take these matters too lightly. I have recently noticed a feud of online bullying taking place on a social network that struck my attention. It involved a group of both girls and boys [between the ages 15 and 19], divided by common interest, who slew harsh words [including obscene language] at each other. It included threats, sexual comments, degrading comments about physical features and gang ridicule on one individual in particular. Another incident occurred over a period of one week, where three girls bashed and taunted one girl, all between the ages 17 and 19, using the same threats and comments. They were both friends who decided an online battle was necessary. The victim exited the social network and it was later found that she was dealing with severe depression. The occurrence in Trinidad, or the Caribbean at large, is not widespread but it is apparent and the old ideal of kids being kids must be thrown out the window. The effects of online bullying do not only affect the victim but also the offender who, ironically, is more likely to end up in jail or use drugs [according to Dr. Thomas Tarshis (2008)]. In fact, the effects of bullying may well be the cause of many other social problems we are experiencing presently such as crime and violence in school and widespread delinquency and teenaged depression [the rise of the emo phase]. There are many ways to prevent or stop cyber bullying. One can visit www.Stopcyberbullying.org for more information on cyber- bullying, or call ChildLine at 800-4321 for help and assistance. Poonam Singh Chaguanas North Secondary

http://www.childlinett.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=83:bullying&catid=46:school $

Dont respond. If someone bullies you, remember that your reaction is usually exactly what the bully wants. It gives him or her power over you. Who wants to empower a bully? Dont retaliate. Getting back at the bully turns you into one and reinforces the bullys behavior. Help avoid a whole cycle of aggression. Save the evidence. The only good news about digital bullying is that the harassing messages can usually be captured, saved, and shown to someone who can help. You need to do this even if its minor stuff, in case things escalate. Talk to a trusted adult. You deserve backup. Its always good to involve a parent but if you cant a school counselor usually knows how to help. Sometimes both are needed. If youre really nervous about saying something, see if theres a way to report the incident anonymously at school. Block the bully. If the harassments coming in the form of instant messages, texts, or profile comments, do yourself a favor: Use preferences or privacy tools to block the person. If its in chat, leave the room. Be civil. Even if you dont like someone, its a good idea to be decent and not sink to the other persons level. Also, research shows that gossiping about and trash talking others increases your risk of being bullied. Treat people the way you want to be treated. Dont be a bully. How would you feel if someone harassed you? You know the old saying about walking a mile in someones shoes; even a few seconds of thinking about how another person might feel can put a big damper on aggression. Thats needed in this world. Be a friend, not a bystander. Watching or forwarding mean messages empowers bullies and hurts victims even more. If you can, tell bullies to stop or let them know harassment makes people look stupid and mean. Its time to let bullies know their behavior is unacceptable cruel abuse of fellow human beings. If you cant stop the bully, at least try to help the victim and report the behavior.