U.S. 'expert' claims Yk trust of parents high
Not afraid to talk to them about cyberbullying
Candace Thomson
Northern News Services
Published Friday, February 21, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
High school students in Yellowknife trust their parents more to protect them from cyberbullying than any other students in the world, according to Perry Aftab.
St. Patrick High School students Taylor McCarson, 16, left, and Colton Rieger-Steed, 15, were two of many students touched by American lawyer Perry Aftab's presentation to the school on cyberbullying, and how to stay safe online. The students are planning projects to reach out and educate their peers on safe online practices, and the harm of bullying. - Candace Thomson/NNSL photo |
Aftab, an American lawyer who claims to be an expert on cyberbullying, gave presentations to students and parents at St. Patrick High School last week to find out what students know about bullying, what makes them afraid, and how they think they can help.
"These are 10th or 12th graders and I asked how many would trust their parents in the event of cyberbullying and the answer usually is 'none' in those ages," Aftab said.
"It's crucial that parents are there. The suicides we're seeing are the ones where kids feel alone and don't feel there's someone there to talk to. Here the kids trust their parents and don't have
to keep it inside without the ability to share, and it's wonderful, because parent support is probably the single most important thing you can do."
She gave a presentation specifically for parents on the evening of Feb. 11, which assistant principal Todd Stewart said was very helpful.
"Most parents left feeling reassured or more informed for what the issues were out there and how to help our kids be safer on the Internet," Stewart said.
As for the students, instead of lecturing them, Aftab said she engaged them and wanted to get their input.
"We talked about how important technology was and why it was worth it going through this because it's a way to stay in touch with each other," she said.
"But they also raised the issue that cyberbullying kills."
That, Aftab said, is a problem that needs to be fixed.
"Less than 40 kids have committed suicide because of cyberbullying since the start of time, and if we focus only on the suicides ... what happens to the kids who don't commit suicide?" Aftab asked.
"They are forgotten in this. So the kids said, 'OK, then, cyberbullying hurts.'"
From there, the students and Aftab worked out strategies on how to help one another.
"We're going to be working with (Aftab's) charities, both Teen Angels and Wired Safety," said Grade 10 student Colton Rieger-Steed, 15.
Teen Angels is a group of students Aftab has worked with who sit on boards of organizations such as the United Nations, and media companies like MTV, Facebook, Instagram and Google - all of which Aftab works with closely.
Wired Safety is an online help service where students help other students who are victims of cyberbullying.
Rieger-Steed and Grade 11 student Taylor McCarson, 16, both said they planned to help fellow students by teaching them early on how cyberbullying hurts, and what they can do to stop it.
"Our main goal is to stop cyberbullying and educate people," McCarson said.
