Cyberbullying

TeensHealth Safe Surfing Tips for Teens lauds the Internet as a great source of information, but warns teens to “protect yourself while you surf.”

It offers the following advice on cyberbullying:

“It's not just strangers who can make you feel uncomfortable online. Cyberbullying is a word that refers to cruel or bullying messages sent to you online. These might be from former friends or other people you know. They can be irritating and, in some cases, even frightening.

If you get these bullying messages online, it's often better to ignore them rather than answer them. Cyberbullies, just like other bullies, may be angry or disturbed people - and may be looking for attention or a reaction.
Fortunately, most people never experience cyberbullying. But if you're getting cyberbullied and ignoring it doesn't make it go away, getting help from a parent, school counselor, or another trusted adult may be a good idea. That's especially true if the cyberbullying contains threats.”

School bus routing software tracks sex offenders

In response to the desire of several states to ferret out sexual predators from school bus stop areas, a school bus software company has added a feature to its routing and scheduling program that allows users to determine where sex offenders are located and plan bus stops accordingly.

The software displays a map noting the locations of sex offenders relative to where the district’s bus stops are. If predators live near the stops, a notification is posted and schools can change the stops or take further action.

School systems must bring in a list of sexual predators and where they reside through an import file, which they can obtain from local authorities or Web sites such as www.familywatchdog.us.

The distance an offender may be to a school bus stop is established by local districts. Saratoga County, New York recently passed a law requiring offenders to be at least 1,000 feet from where students congregate.

Approximately 900 school districts use the company’s programs for mapping bus routes. The sex offender-tracking software will automatically be available to these districts.