The Blog of P.U.R.E. and Sue Scheff

Is your teen a victim of cyberbullying? Warning signs your teen might be struggling with online harassment: Appears to be sad, angry or even frustrated after texting or online. Avoids wanting to talk about their digital activity. (At which point you should encourage them to get online with you, have them teach you something about social media - a new app, anything to get them talking. Open the lines of communication as much as possible). Suddenly stops using their digital devices. Becomes abnormally withdrawn from activities they typically like. Finds excuses to not be at school or with friends. Drop in grades, underachieving. Have you exhausted your local resources? Local therapy is not working or your teen is refusing to attend or engage? Keep in mind, cyberbullying is a serious emotional concern. Teen's will go back and re-visit the mean post/comment over and over again and obsess on it. They will eventually become extremely distraught and depressed. Some teens have...

It's no longer about a simple mean tweet or harsh comment, we are now dealing with verbal violence and cyber-harassment.    Shame Nation: The Global Epidemic of Online Hate (Sourcebooks) is finally here, make no mistake about it, we're all a click away from digital disaster. With 92% of Americans armed with smartphones -- ready to record your most embarrassing moments. The rise of social media and "always-on connectivity" has broadened the scope of online harassment.  Harassers can be anonymous and reach you 24/7, posting messages and photos that are difficult to erase. Whether in the form of cyberbullying among teens and children, or cyber harassment among adults, online harassment comes in many different forms and can lead to detrimental effects, both emotionally and physically. Fortunately, there are ways that we can protect ourselves, our children, and others from cyberbullying and cyber harassment. There are best practices for online safety, common...

Most Teens Spend at Least 3 Hours a Day Socializing Online AT&T and  Tyler Clementi Foundation  Survey 1,000 Area Teens and Parents: Find Pervasive Cyberbullying and Significant Awareness Gap Between Parents and Teens As middle and high school students spend more time online than ever before, a survey of New York City-area teenagers and parents finds cyberbullying is a prevalent issue that touches a vast majority of area children. The poll of 1,000 parents and teens in New York City, Long Island, Westchester and northern New Jersey was conducted by  AT&T  and the Tyler Clementi Foundation. 48%  of teens have experienced cyberbullying. 8 in 10  know someone who has been the victim of cyberbullying. Unlike in-person bullying at school or outside the home, cyberbullying is happening right under parents’ noses. A majority of teens  (53% ) spend at least 3 hours a day online, with most of this socializing ( 86% ) taking place at home. ...

As I wrote in my previous Blog post, Syfy's latest new series, The Internet Ruined My Life representatives contacted me. I enlisted the help of Cyberwise to create The Aftershow to help educate viewers after watching the cyber-disasters that ruined lives. Sometimes people weren't even online! The series is an eye-opener for everyone! Twitterverse had this to say: Watch our final show with the Founder of STOMPOutBullying, Ross Ellis and from McAfee/Intel Security, Toni Birdsong.  My latest Huffington Post, Digital Shaming, You're Only A Click Away .

We have constantly said that although October is Bullying Prevention Month , we also consider it Cyberbullying Prevention Month , we have to continuously discuss awareness and educate our communities on curbing this type of cruelty - both offline and online 365 days a year. The fact is bullying is no longer limited to our playgrounds, school hallways, bathrooms or even the cafeterias - these bullies follow your kids home electronically through their devices. This is why it is imperative to continue to learn as much as you can about online abuse as well as offline. This past October we had some great experts, advocates and educators that contributed to helping parents, students and others learn more. I want to share some of my favorites here, as well as some that I have written for this month... there are many others, be sure to continue to share them on Twitter with me at @SueScheff or on Facebook. How Empathy, Kindness and Compassion Can Build Belongingness and Reduce Bully...

The Bully. No one is immune to online harassment.  No matter what your age, race or religion – you can quickly fall victim to vicious keystrokes within seconds. According to a Cox Communications Survey, 81 percent of young people think bullying online is easier to get away with than bullying in person.  This makes sense since cowards use the easy way of not facing their victims through a screen – whether it is a cellphone or computer. About   58 percent   of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online. More than 4 out 10 say it has happened more than once. 90 percent   of teens who have seen social media bullying say they have ignored it. 84 percent have seen others tell cyberbullies to stop. Only   1 in 10 victims   will inform a parent or trusted adult of their abuse, this needs to turn around.  When a child holds this emotional pain inside of them, it can come out in many different negative ways such as sadne...