Media Coverage

Suburban Trends
By Donna Rolando
June 4, 2008

Cyberbullying on the rise among area youth

With more technology at their fingertips, young people are finding more ways to hurt and embarrass their peers. Today, nearly 43 percent of teens report that they have been victims of a cyberbully.

"This is a serious issue that parents, teachers and adults need to be aware of. It's taken bullying to another level," said Nicole Nasiatka of the National Crime Prevention Cuoncil, which has launched a campaign against cyberbullying.

The council authorized a study about a year ago that showed cyberbullying's impact on nearly 43 percent of teenagers. Just as alarming, said Nasiatka, is that only one in 10 of these victims tells parents about it, according to the same study.

Nearly a month ago in West Milford, school officials saw evidence that some kids were following the trend of fighting and filming it for internet circulation, another form of cyberbullying. That video was then posted on YouTube.com, a website where users can air their own videos, joining thousands of similar videos worldwide.

West Milford Police Chief Paul Costello said that the case did not lead to police charges against the juveniles who fought, filmed or circulated the event. School actions against those involved have not been divulged, although Superintendent Glenn Kamp called it a "horrific event."

Both Costello and Kamp aired concerns that technology may be adding another dimension to the schoolyard fight, maybe even fueling the tendency toward violence.

"It's a sensatio0nalizing of different incidents and different actions, obviously," the chief said. "If we didn't have cell phones (for teens) we wouldn't have that problem, but that's a parental right."

Once a month, the Passaic County Sheriff's Department is called into a cyberbullying investigation that requires its Internet expertise.

"We handle it like any other case and gather data," said Bill Maer, department spokesperson. "If someone's involved in a crime or there is a criminal act, the Sheriff's Department can access this information." In those cases, computers, cell phones and other items go from "personal" to the investigator's domain.

According to the National Crime Prevention Council, cyberbullying can take many forms, from taunting emails to degrading photos printed without the victim's consent.

When people are assaulted and it becomes food for the internet, that too is cyberbullying. It's a way to further humiliate the victim because "things on the internet live forever," Nasiatka said.

Mary Vineis coordinates school programs that deal with cyberbullying. She sees some disturbing trends in how assaults are becoming "almost entertainment for the people out there (but it's) not like that fight in the schoolyard in days gone by."

While counseling both bullies and victims at NewBridge Services, a mental health provider in Morris and Passaic counties, she said, "Kids have said to me, it's so easy. You can just press send and forward it to a ton of people in a heartbeat. And it doesn't affect me (as the bully) because I don't have to see your reaction."

When your attacker is unknown

Because victims might never know their cyberbully, Vineis said the victims often become overwhelmed with self-doubt and suspicion.

"You shut down. Basically you don't know where it's coming from so you don't know how to protect yourself. It could easily be your best friend," she said.

Victims turn into themselves, their grades drop and they may experience "total shutdown," Vineis said. She noted that both the victim and the bully need help or both may continue playing their roles as adults.

"A lot of kids keep it all in. That's when the consequences develop," said Nasiatka, listing the most extreme as depression, suicide, school shootings and physical bullying.

Even college and job prospects can be hurt by internet activity noted Priscilla Adams, student assistance counselor at Kinnelon High School, who teaches kids how to avoid technology dangers.

How schools are fighting back

Schools in the Suburban Trends area are not in the dark about the consequences of bullying in all its forms, and most have dealt with the problem with what they do best-education.

All come under the state Department of Education's mandate to address cyberbullying as part of school policies on bullying and harassment. Consequences tend to vary because cyberbullying itself varies.

"We're starting to see more harassment in terms of text messages and emails," said Joseph LoCascio, principal of Lakeland Regional High School in Wanaque. The key is for the victim to tell the bully to stop and tell a school official about the problem. Bullies who persist can be suspended or even expelled, LoCascio said.

"We don't have a lot of fights," he said, because students know police charges will be filed and a 10-day suspension levied. "That's the biggest deterrent."

As for other consequences, Adams of Kinnelon High School said, "When you're harassing people and making threats online, it can be traced back and there are consequences. If that happens at school, we revoke their computer privileges, which is a pretty significant consequence to not use a computer in school."

In the KHS freshman health class, technology expert Jay Jannicelli helps empower teens to avoid becoming either a bully or a victim. Students are warned to be careful of what they film and what they store on a cell phone or computer.

"It could become evidence of a crime if someone chooses to press charges," she said. "We encourage kids not to say anything that they wouldn't say in person."

Kinnelon Superintendent Jim Opiekun said that even if cyberbullying happens out of school, the district may act on it if it "spills over and disrupts the educational process." Discipline is "progressive," depending on the offense.

Ringwood Superintendent Dr. Patrick Martin said that the Ringwood Police Department, especially Sgt. Henry Hill, has been "proactive" in providing workshops for children and families on internet dangers.

"I credit these workshops for sensitizing students to the dangers," he said.

Ringwood elementary schools have had just a few minor incidents that touch on cyberbullying, Martin said.

"Our students know that if they get into that arena we will act very quickly and in close contact with the police department," he said.

The soon-to-be superintendent in West Milford, Bernice Colefield, sees the importance of community programs on issues like cyberbullying, in addition to the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program that teaches sixth graders about this and other dangers and an internet workshop attended by 80 parents this past year.

"When I became superintendent, I said to the board we need to offer more programs that deal with issues of today," she said. "We have tried to protect our kids," but a continued effort is needed.

While there have been no instances of cyberbullying that he's aware of, Pequannock Superintendent Dr. Larrie Reynolds said that the district's Character Education program works to build positive traits so kids don't bully in any context.