Council launches resources page, as well as a Facebook page and Youtube channel to discuss the growing online trend –and ways to combat it.City Hall – As part of ongoing efforts to help parents, teachers and children combat bullying in the digital sphere, Speaker Christine C. Quinn hosted the City Council’s first ever Cyberbullying Summit on July 18 with officials and leaders in new media, technology and internet safety.Facebook, Microsoft, MTV, Time Warner Cable, AT&T and dozens of participants joined Speaker Quinn for the educational forum at The Times Center to discuss ways to encourage responsible online behavior. A video of the summit was streamed live online and will available on-demand through Time Warner Cable.“While technology has opened up new opportunities for today’s youth, it has also made them more vulnerable,” said Speaker Christine C. Quinn. “And with nearly half of all parents reporting that their children have been victims of cyberbullying, we need to make sure both children and their parents know what steps they can take to fight back. This summit is a great opportunity for experts from the tech industry, government, and advocacy groups to provide parents and educators with the tools they need to protect their children, and for all of us to send a message that cyberbullying won’t be tolerated in our schools or our neighborhoods.”Cyberbullying, unlike conventional bullying, doesn’t stop when a student leaves the classroom. Targets of cyberbulling may continue to be victimized through social media long after they go home for the day. Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi’s suicide last fall and a recent spate of teen suicides, are harsh reminders that bullying that goes unchecked can have tragic consequences. As a result, it has become imperative to find new ways to combat harassment and use social media to promote respect amongst the generation.Council Members, representatives from the Mayor’s Office and the Department of Education, along with counselors and children advocates, also participated in the event. Unlike similar discussions in the past, the Summit featured a special panel of youth who have confronted cyberbullying first hand, giving victims a much-needed voice. The panels were moderated by cyber safety expert, Parry Aftab, founder of WiredSafety.org and creator of stopcyberBullying.org, and Linda Burch, Chief Education Officer of Common Sense Media.“Facebook is proud to join the New York City Council and its Speaker, Christine Quinn, for the New York City Cyberbullying Summit,” said Brooke Oberwetter, Associate Manager, Policy Communications. “Bullying online and off is an issue that we take very seriously at Facebook, and we’re happy to have an opportunity to discuss these important issues with our industry colleagues, the New York City government, and the parents and teens in attendance.”“The report findings emphasize the need for ongoing education and outreach, such as today’s summit, to help parents, educators and children proactively address the problem of cyberbullying to prevent and mitigate incidents and more effectively cope with cyberbullying when it arises,” said Julie Inman-Grant, global director, Privacy and Internet Safety at Microsoft Corporaton. “Everyone has a role to play to help end cyberbulling and at Microsoft, we believe that the technology industry, parents, educators and government all have important and varying roles to play to help prevent cyberbullying and support victims with the ultimate goal of creating a safer computing environment for children.”“Time Warner Cable is proud to partner with Speaker Quinn for today’s important summit on cyberbullying and bring this important conversation to a broader audience by showcasing it to our customers through our free On Demand platform Channel 1111. As the leading provider of high speed Internet service in New York City, Time Warner Cable partners with renown organizations to educate its customers about Internet safety and media controls that provide the tools necessary for kids and families to have a safe online experience. This partnership exemplifies our ongoing commitment to digital citizenship and enables us to highlight a topic included in the resources and comprehensive tools available on our company’s website,” stated Rory P. Whelan, Regional Vice President, Government Relations for the Northeast, Time Warner Cable.“AT&T has long been committed to helping its customers manage the complex and critically important security of their telecommunications devices,” Kathy Heinz, AT&T Director Policy, Child Protection and Privacy. “We are proud to regularly provide our customers with some of the most powerful tools available today to combat cyber security attacks and we are also proud to participate in this event to help protect our children by providing important tips to educators, parents and our kids about how to recognize early signs of cyberbullying and the ways in which to prevent such attacks from occurring.”According to a report put out by Microsoft’s Trustworthy Computing division, over 75 percent of educators believe that cyberbulling among youth is an issue as severe as smoking and illegal drug use. Incidents of cyberbullying may begin as early as elementary school and can lead to poor attendance and lower grades in victims. However, only about 50 percent of educators receive training on what cyberbullying is and how it can be prevented.“Technology in the age of the Internet has brought our children many opportunities, but also subjected them to many avenues for abuse,” said Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. “As we have seen, the results of cyber bullying can be deadly. Last year, we formed the Cybercrime and Identity Theft Bureau in the Manhattan DA’s Office to combat the real and growing threat of crimes committed online, including those against children. This summit will help parents take an active role in monitoring how their children are using the Internet, as we teach kids that what they type can be just as hurtful as what they say.”“I’m honored to be part of New York City’s initiative to address cyberbullying.Cyberbullying is a social welfare issue, said Liz Lasky, Couselor at the NYC Relationship Abuse Program. “We are at the cusp of understanding online culture and the social, relational, and developmental impacts it has on society. Through a community effort, we should increase counseling services, cultivate peer leadership, and commit to a systemic approach promoting digital citizenship and online safety.“As more of our kids’ lives are taking place online and on their phones, it’s crucial they understand the implications of their actions in the digital world,” said Linda Burch of Common Sense Media. “Common Sense Media works closely with families and schools to teach children how to be safe, responsible and respectful digital citizens. We are honored to partner with Speaker Quinn and the New York City Council to raise awareness of cyberbullying and the steps people can take to stop it.”The City Council Cyberbullying Summit is a part of a series of initiatives the Council will be implementing to raise awareness on the issue. The Council will soon launch a resource page off the City Council website to provide parents, educators and students with information on how to cope with cyberbullying and what action victims can take for example:• Make sure you check the history on your child’s computer often, so you can see what sites your child is visiting.• Set up Google alerts for your child’s name to stay informed about what others are saying about him or her.• Make sure you child’s computer is in a public place, so you can see what your child is doing online.• Check your child’s status updates regularly. A separate Facebook page and YouTube channel will allow youth and adults to directly talk about their experiences with the issue and provide a forum for others to get involved. For more information visit: http://council.nyc.gov/stopcyberbullying.
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