Miller Middle School Counseling Department Presentation Deedra Grier-Jackson, Professional School Counselor Eundra Brown, Professional School Counselor Fabion Vicks-Professional School Counselor-Intern

Miller Middle School Counseling Department Responsibilities ▪ Advocate for you and your children academically, socially, and begin preparing them to be career aware ▪ Conduct small groups/individual counseling, as well as classroom guidance lessons when needed ▪ Provide vital information for parents in specific need areas of students

How can your child see the counselor? ▪ They can self refer ▪ Teacher referral ▪ Parent referral ▪ Schedule an appointment through the Counselor’s page at Miller Middle School

Counselor Weekly Schedule ▪ 7:30am-3:30Pm Monday- Friday ▪ Assigned meeting times with parents 7:30-8am or 2- 3:00pm daily

Cyberbullying

So what is cyberbullying? Cyberbullying is just what it sounds like - bullying through Internet applications and technologies such as instant messaging (IM), social networking sites, and cell phones. It can start easily— with a rumor, a photo, or a forwarded message—and just as easily spiral out of control.

Forms of Cyberbullying ▪ Flaming and Trolling – sending or posting hostile messages intended to “inflame” the emotions of others ▪ Happy-Slapping – recording someone being harassed or bullied in a way that usually involves physical abuse, then posting the video online for public viewing ▪ Identity Theft/Impersonation – stealing someone’s password and/or hijacking their online accounts to send or post incriminating or humiliating pictures, videos, or information ▪ Photo-shopping – doctoring digital images so that the main subject is placed in a compromising or embarrassing situation ▪ Physical Threats – sending messages that involve threats to a person’s physical safety ▪ Rumor Spreading – spreading gossip through , text messaging, or social networking sites

Signs your child may be a victim of cyberbullying ▪ Avoids the computer, cell phone, and other technological devices or appears stressed when receiving an , instant message, or text ▪ Withdraws from family and friends or acts reluctant to attend school and social events ▪ Avoids conversations about computer use ▪ Exhibits signs of low self-esteem including depression and/or fear ▪ Has declining grades ▪ Has poor eating or sleeping habits

Some numbers to take in.... ▪ 25 percent of teenagers report that they have experienced repeated bullying via their cell phone or on the internet. they have experienced repeated bullying via their cell phone or on the internet. ▪ Over half (52 percent) off young people report being cyber bullied. ▪ Embarassing or damaging photographs taken without the knowledge or consent of the subject has been reported by 11 percent of adolescents and teens. ▪ Of the young people who reported cyber bullying incidents against them, one-third (33 percent) of them reported that their bullies issued online threats. ▪ Often, both bullies and cyber bullies turn to hate speech to victimize their target. One-tenth of all middle school and high school students have been on the receiving end of ‘hate terms’ hurled against them. ▪ Over half (55 percent) of all teens who use social media have witnessed outright bullying via that medium. ▪ Courtesy of Nobullying.com research in 2014

Some numbers to take in…cont.. ▪ An astounding 95 percent of teens who witnessed bullying on social media report that others, like them, have ignored the behavior.. ▪ Unfortunately, victims of cyber bullying sometimes, in an attempt to fight back, can shift roles, becoming the aggressor. Often, this happens as a sort of back-and-forth between victim and aggressor which tends to continue the behavior. ▪ More than half of young people surveyed say that they never confide in their parents when cyber bullying happens to them.they never confide in their parents when cyber bullying happens to them. ▪ Only one out of every six parents of adolescents and teens are even aware of the scope and intensity involved with cyber bullying. ▪ More than 80 percent of teens regularly use cell phones, making them the most popular form of technology and therefore a common medium for cyber bullying

More numbers to take in….. ▪ About half of young people have experienced some form of cyber bullying; among them, between 10 and 20 percent experience cyber bullying regularly. ▪ The most common types of cyber bullying tactics reported are mean, hurtful comments as well as the spreading of rumors. ▪ Girls are at least as likely as boys to either be cyber bullies or to be targeted as cyber bullying victims. ▪ Boys are more likely to be threatened by cyber bullies than girls. ▪ Cyber bullying affects all races. ▪ Victims of cyber bullying are more likely to suffer from low self-esteem and to consider suicide as a result.

Apps to Look out for

Where does the counselor fit in? ▪ Provide individual/group counseling for those affected ▪ Collaborate with outside resources to aid in the issue ▪ Collaborate with Campus Police to investigate involved parties ▪ Meeting with parents to inform them of issue and to be proactive in making sure their children are not being bullied ▪ Counselors will be creating prepared guidance lessons for each grade cluster to teach students about cyberbully and internet etiquette.

What to do when you or someone else is Cyberbullying you? ▪ Tell an adult (Parent, guardian, teacher, School Counselor) ▪ Bibb County Bully Hotline ▪ ▪ DO NOT engage with the person who is bullying.

References ▪ Cyberbullying. (2015) retreived on February 20, 2016 form ▪ Hinduja, S., Patchin J. Bullying Beyond the Schoolyard: Preventing and Responding to Cyberbullying. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press, retrieved on February 20, 2016 from