Juvenile Team Deputies Educate Students on Dangers of Social Media During "Cyber Bullying Awareness" Month
As part of October’s “Cyber Bullying Awareness” Campaign, the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Juvenile Team prepared an in-class presentation for the 6th graders at A. E. Wright Middle School in Calabasas. Kids of this age group are considered the most vulnerable to the negative side effects of social media, cyber bullying and identity fraud being the focal points of the presentation. Juvenile or “J-Team” Deputies Diestel, Torrontegui-Fimbres and Ojeda had the girls and boys attend separate but similar presentations so that each group felt most comfortable speaking to the team, and so that the students were better able to receive and retain the information being discussed.
During the open and interactive discussions, almost 1/3 of every classroom admitted to having already been bullied online by either a stranger or someone they knew. One of the important points that the J-Team tried to convey is that cyber bullying doesn’t stop when the school bell rings- children take this home with them, and are often unable to escape the online taunting. With the ability to connect to the internet while alone on their computers and cell phones, cyber bullying is becoming a growing problem that can affect kids 24/7. The emotional effects of being bullied often lead young kids to begin harming themselves in order to forget the emotional pain.
Part of the presentation included asking students if they had their own social media accounts, such as Facebook, Instagram and Snap Chat. Almost the entire 6th grade class admitted to having accounts. The students were advised of the dangers of these types of accounts, deputies explaining to them that having 500 followers actually meant that 500 people had access to them and their information. Students were asked to share their own stories of being bullied online, and many students even told stories of family members whose identities had been stolen online. The deputies explained the consequences that bullying someone online can have, and how employers and colleges are looking at social accounts to determine the character of the person trying to get accepted or hired. Many of the students seemed surprised to realize that part of the college application process may include someone judging their character based on their social media accounts.
The presentation concluded with an emotional slideshow showing the faces of many young kids who have ended their lives because they were unable to handle being bullied any longer. Many of the students in the classroom didn’t seem to realize what an effect cyber bullying can have on another person. The goal of this presentation, and the entire “Cyber Bullying Awareness” Campaign was to educate young kids on how dangerous it can be, and how we can all help to prevent it.
Prepared by : LET Heather Fuquay
Media Release Date: November 12, 2014
* Lost Hills Sheriff's Station polices the Cities of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Malibu and Westlake Village, and the unincorporated communities of Chatsworth Lake Manor, Malibu Lake, Topanga, and West Hills: For further information contact: Malibu / Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department 27050 Agoura Road Agoura, CA 91301 (818) 878-1808 Website: www.LostHills.lasd.org LASD HQ Text and Emails: http://www.Nixle.com http://nixle.com/lasd---malibulost-hills-station-los-angeles-county-sheriff/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LostHillsSheriffsStation Twitter https://twitter.com/LHSLASD
