HomeMy WebLinkAboutEPD_CyberBulling
City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424
Contact: Kaylin Martin, Communications Assistant
Phone 952-833-9537 • Fax 952-826-0389 • www.EdinaMN.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Pull the Plug on Cyber Bullying
Edina, Minn., Sept. 13, 2012 – More than 43 percent of teenagers have been victims of cyber bullying in
the past year, according to the National Crime Prevention Council. With the start of school, so comes an
increase in these types of cases.
Cyber bullying is the use of the Internet, cell phones, video game systems or other technology to send or post
text or images intended to hurt or embarrass another person.
Crime Prevention Specialist Molly Anderson says there are steps parents can take to protect their children
from cyber bullying.
Block the bully. Most devices have settings that allow specific contacts to be blocked; inform your
Internet Service Provider or cellphone service provider of the abuse.
Limit your child’s access to technology. Keep the computer in a family room or kitchen and set time
limits.
Know what your child is doing online. Check websites they have visited and what they are posting.
Look for warning signs. Attitude and behavior changes may include unusually long hours on the
computer, closing windows when you enter the room or being secretive about internet activity,
getting behind in school work, lack of appetite or stomachache, loss of interest in outside activities or
friends, and fearful or anxious attitude or behavior.
Educate your child. Develop rules against cyber bullying and internet usage. Teach your child safe
technology behavior such as never pass along cyber bullying messages; do not reply to a cyber bully;
block all communication with a cyber bully; report a cyber bully to a trusted adult, teacher, parent or
school resource officer; only add people you know to your social media accounts; give your phone
number only to people you trust; don’t use obvious passwords and change them often; and don’t
delete the message from a cyber bully -- because it it’s deleted it can’t be tracked easily.
“Parents, please talk to your children about this growing problem,” said Anderson. “If your child is being
bullied online, our School Resource Officers, Aaron White in the middle schools and Brian Hubbard at Edina
High School, are available to help.”
For more information about cyber bullying, visit the National Crime Prevention Council website at
www.NCPC.org or call the Edina Police Department at 952-826-1610.
-30-
City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424