The Fight Against Cyber Bullying

There used to be a day when bullies would go face to face  and make threats, jokes, or perform other pranks on another child. Today the profile of a bully has even changed. At one time bullies were big, intimidating, and  took advantage of the small shorter children. Today they are the smaller, less intimidating, yet computer savvy individuals that can bully through the internet.

In today’s blog I want to talk about the new type of bullying that has caused a great amount of concern in our schools and overall lives of our youth. This bullying is called cyber bullying. According to Wikipedia the definition of cyber bullying is the use of the internet and related technologies to harm other people, in a deliberate, repeated, and hostile manner.  

Just to let you know the state of cyber bullying today:  

1.   32% of teens say they have been targets of a range of menacing online activities.

2.  20% of teens say “people are mostly unkind” on online social networks.

3. 88% of social network users say they have seen someone be mean on websites.

4. 1 in 6 parents know their child has been bullied over social media(Gilkerson)

Many principals, teachers, and other school officials can tell you that cyber bullying takes up a lot of their time especially on Mondays because of the internet bullying that happens on the weekends. This is something that as parents and overall society we can’t ignore. Parents truly need to be aware of this because your child could be a victim. You may be asking, “What are the signs that my child is being bullied?” 

     

Here are some but not all the signs that your child is being bullied:

    

 1.Coming home from school with damaged clothing or other belongings.

 2.Unexplained cuts, bruises or scratches

 3.Afraid to go to school or participate in other school-related activities.

 4.Drop in grades and performance

 5.Having thoughts of suicide

 6.Appearing sad, angry, or often moody.

What to do if your child is being bullied:

 1.Talk to your child about bullying and ways to avoid situations. Know that they may not tell you right away if their being bullied due to not wanting to be called a “snitch” or “tattler”.

 2. Set up a meeting with the principal, counselor, or teacher about your child being bullied. 

 3.Take immediate action by gathering as much information as possible about who’s doing the bullying. The school may even have camera footage of bullying.

 4.  Encourage your child not to retaliate. A fight will only lead to a suspension which will cause your child to get failing grades.

 5.As a parent, don’t try to contact the bully because it only leads to more bullying. Let the school officials handle the situation.

In some cases when a child ignores the bullying long enough, it fades away. But whatever happens, make sure violence is not the answer. Also make sure that you’re proactive and don’t wait until something bad happens. It’s important for parents to have access to their child’s social media websites too. Everything you want to know about your child is either on their computer or phone. Sometimes you have to be nosey. I understand giving a child space but don’t end up being the parent that finds out their child committed suicide or was beaten by a bully.

So with all that said, I will leave you with my advice to ask questions, keep open communication, and be aware of what's going on with their social websites in order to protect your child. 

Tips on preparing your teenager for college

Time seems to fly so fast in the lives of parents. Most of you can probably remember vividly walking your children into the kindergarten room.  They may have been real excited or cried because it was the first time you had to leave them. The next thing you know, they’re in high school and before you know it, you’re at their high school graduation. As a parent, you want to make sure that the many memorable moments in your child’s life as it relates to education is a positive one. In this blog I want to give some tips to make sure your child is on the right path for preparing for college.

The first step in preparing your child for the future is to find out what occupation he or she wants to go into. In the earlier stages of a child’s life, you will find that they don’t know what they want to be when they grow up. Many children go through 4 years of high school and don’t know what career path they want to pursue. Unfortunately, the mentality of some teens today is “think about today and I’ll worry about tomorrow later”. In my experience as a Principal, many children that don’t have future goals are typically the at-risk youth that often get suspended. On the other hand, you have those who want to be a professional athlete without a plan B for an occupation.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 9,380 professional athletes and you have a .00565% chance of becoming a professional athlete. If your child wants to be an athlete, you don’t want to discourage them. However, they need to know the percentage of those who actually make it as a professional athlete and then choose another career in the case sports don’t work out.

The second step to help prepare your child for college is to guide them to an occupation. What I mean by this is to expose them to various professions and allow them to discover what they want to be. For example, have a simple conversation about various occupations with your child. You can even have them do research online about certain jobs. Try having them Google search “career survey” and do an occupational survey. After finishing the survey, various careers will be displayed based on their answers. You may also discover what kind of jobs would best suite your children by observing the things they like to do as hobbies. Whatever you do, don’t limit them to one occupation. There are thousands of different kinds of jobs in the world and sometimes what you think would be best for your child may not be what they want to be. Allow them to explore the many opportunities that this world has to offer.

The third thing you need to do in order to prepare your teen for college is to make sure they are well prepared for the college entrance exam.  Along with preparing for the exam, they need to research the various colleges and scholarships that institutions of higher learning have to offer. It’s so easy for a teenager to wait until the last minute to take the test and look for scholarship opportunities. I suggest that you have your child see their school counselor and ask about scholarships. There are so many institutions and organizations that are giving money away for many reasons. From being left handed to being short, there’s money out there that your child can get today! If you think I’m joking go to this website: http://www.collegeandfinance.com/32-weird-scholarships-almost-anyone-can-get/

The final step you need to take in preparing your children for college is to make sure they’re involved in extracurricular activities, school/church clubs and community service. Colleges not only like to know that you’re smart, but that you are an active participant in your school and community. For example, it’s looks good on a college application to know that your child was on the basketball team, member of the debate team, and volunteered at the homeless shelter. This shows colleges that your child is a team player and cares about helping others.

These are some but not all the things that will help prepare your child for college and ultimately a future career. Don’t wait until your child’s senior year of high school to do the things mentioned above. And don’t expect them to do these things without your guidance. Once they graduate and out of your house then they will have to handle all the responsibilities that come with being in college. That’s of course until they ask for money. College kids tend to call home for money sometimes. Oh how I remember those days. LOL

Jesse Duckworth

Homework? What Homework?

When you ask your child if he or she has homework, they may look at you as if homework never existed. After you find out they do have homework, let’s make sure they do it right.  I want to discuss the importance of being involved in your child’s education as it pertains to homework and study habits that will help them in the future.

I can remember the days of being in class and doing classwork only to end up looking at the chalkboard (I know I’m revealing my age) and seeing the reading assignment or given a worksheet that was due the following day. Today some teachers don’t give homework due to having classes with longer class hours allowing more time to do work in the room. Other teachers don’t give out homework because it’s not a part of their philosophy of teaching. No matter what an educator chooses to do concerning homework, it has many advantages. According to the U.S. Department of Education, studies show that homework can help students develop study skills that will be of value even after they leave school. It can also foster positive character traits such as independence, responsibility, and time management.

I want to give you with some helpful homework tips for your teenager to ensure success in the classroom and later on in college if they choose to pursue college.

Provide a place to do homework.  Most teens probably want to go to their room. That’s fine as long as you check on them to make sure they’re on task. It would also be a good idea to make sure that the cell phone, computer, television, and other electronic devices are turned off during this time. However, some kids work better with music on. Whatever helps them learn the best is fine.

Provide a daily schedule.   You can ensure your children have enough time every day to get homework done by giving them a specific time. This will help your teen learns how to manage time.

Provide support and encouragement.   Always be ready and available for questions and help by going over the instructions with your teen. Notice I said go over instruction not actually do the work. For example, if your children ask you how to do a particular math problem and you don’t know how to do it, don’t try to solve the problem! It’s okay to tell them you don’t know and get help. A good idea would be to contact the teacher or get a tutor for them.

Study groups.  Your child may benefit from studying with one or two classmates; however, make sure the group is using the time to STUDY!

Talk to the teacher.   Make an appointment to speak with a teacher if they’re having difficulties in a subject. Their teacher and the school may be able to make arrangements for extra help in the form of a tutor—the earlier your child gets the help they needs, the better.

Keep the lines of communication open.   On a consistent basis you should be talking with your teen about her homework and school. Anytime you have questions or concerns, you should speak with your teen’s teachers and other school staff if necessary, such as guidance counselors, principals, etc. By doing these things you will stay involved in your teen’s life, education, and continue to make a connection between home and school.

Jesse Duckworth

AdditionalResources: http://www2.ed.gov/parents/academic/involve/homework/homeworktips.pdf