Keeping our kids safe online: School targets cyberbullying

Black-and-white ribbons hang in the hallways of H.E. McCracken Middle School to remind students of the harm caused by spreading rumors and taunting other students on the Internet.

Cyberbullying poses a greater threat to children's safety online than child molesters or online pornography, said John Woodring, the instructional technology coach at McCracken and a cybersafety consultant.

"Bullying and harassment by peers is the biggest threat by far," he said.

Students at McCracken are participating in the school's second annual Cybersafety Week.

They're learning ways to stay safe online and promised not to engage in cyberbullying by signing "The Megan Pledge."

The pledge is named for Megan Meier, a Missouri teen who committed suicide in 2006 after a cyberbullying attack. Students who sign the pledge wear ribbons with black and white polka dots to represent their promise.

The Cyberbullying Research Center defines cyberbullying as willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices. Often, bullies remain anonymous through temporary e-mail accounts and pseudonyms.

The research center estimates about one-third of Internet-using adolescents have experienced some form of cyberbullying within the past year. It affects students across the nation, including those in Beaufort County, Woodring said.

"The more we can get out there and get involved as educators, the less of this problem there will be," he said. "Parents have got to learn how this stuff works."