On Thursday, January 26, 2012, Dr. Elizabeth Englander of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center at Bridgewater State University will present a workshop for parents of all students of both communities in the Ware High School Auditorium at 6:30 pm.
The workshop will present research that explains how bullying happens and how parents can partner with schools to prepare and protect their own children. The presentation will focus on research about how kids use the internet and the types of cyber-bullying that occur. There will also be a discussion regarding how school problems and cyber-issues impact friendships, and the topics that should discussed between parents and children to reduce the risk that he or she will become involved in bullying.
“Dr. Englander is an expert on this topic. She will help raise awareness of the often unintended consequences of using text messaging and social media to communicate with peers and how parents can help their children understand the power of their words online. She will also explore how these tools are also often used to bully and intimidate others and how parents can recognize the signs of inappropriate use and partner with their schools to stop these behaviors,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Judith Houle. “Older students, particularly middle school and high school age students, may benefit from this information as well and I would encourage them to attend along with their parents.”
Experts say that bullying and cyber-bullying can impact growing teens emotionally, academically, and can result in long-standing problems and that education and awareness is the answer.
In November of last year, Belchertown-News.com reported that two students were pulled from school after a parent reported alleged threats made on Facebook. In December, Belchertown Police Chief Francis Fox said that charges would likely be filed against the students.
In the wake of the suicides of 15-year-old South Hadley student Phoebe Prince in 2010 and 11-year- old Springfield student Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover in 2009, which were both the result of bullying and garnered national media attention, the Belchertown School Committee adopted an anti-bullying policy in December 2010.
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