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Back to school…
I know those of you up North still have a bit of time, but down here in Florida, it’s almost time to go back to school…only another couple of weeks. That of course has the kids thinking about shopping…and parents thinking about how to keep their kids safe in school.
When I was in school, things were different. We went to school, and our parents knew that we were safe there…it was probably one of the safest places around. There were no metal detectors, no rules on what kind of backpack you could carry (or what you were allowed to carry IN said backpack), if there was a bomb threat, it was considered cool, you could hang out outside knowing that there was no bomb in the school. NOW….it’s a different story.
Education security….it’s a hot topic. At least a couple of times a year, you read of a school shooting. There are numerous books on the topic, both fact and fiction. One of my favorite fiction books on the subject is Jodi Picoult’s “Nineteen Minutes”…if you haven’t read it, I strongly recommend it. It really makes you think of how easy it can be these days to set a kid off. As this book shows, bullying has changed…it’s not just in the schoolyard anymore, it carries over onto the internet. Scary stuff.
How about you? What are your thoughts on the subject? And what are you doing to keep your kids safe?
Well, until today, I was glad that my son chose to stay close to home to go to college, and finish up at Edison where he started in high school. He got accepted to every school he applied to, except for his first choice, which was Florida, so we have been doing school visits. The week we were scheduled to go to USF, several students reported seeing someone running around the campus with a gun. Scarry stuff. Finally, this week he decided to stay at Edison, I breathed a sigh of relief, then we heard today that a girl was attacked in one of the rest rooms there and the campus was shut down. It’s everywhere, and it’s scarry. I am dreading my beautiful niece leaving for Tallahassee in a few weeks, and worried sick.
We don’t have the safety issues over here (well not yet anyway) We have gates around our school and all visitors must report to the office (the only entrance to the school). In regards to cyber bullying, we have just had a run of suicides (soemthing like 4 in 6 months at the same school-not mine thank God) which have been linked to cyber bullying.
At my school, the students are not allowed to access Facebook, Myspace, MSN etc unless it is directly related to their work. They must also ask for permission to use it. However, we don’t police their use of accessing the net via their cell phones. As a teacher, it is relatively easy to police their computer use, however, as a parent it must be a nightmare (not there yet with a 5 yr old). Other than watching their every move, it is impossible. What is important is having a good relationship with your child so that they tell you if they are being bullied. I try to build these relationships with my students so if they can’t/won’t talk to their parent/s, I can at least help them. I had a student tell me she was being cyber bullied and i was able to intervene. Interestingly enough, the bully ran with his tail between his legs. I know this isn’t always the case but it was great to see a bully back down.
I think the biggest problem with cyber bullying is you can remain anonymous. People feel protected and say more than they would in face to face.