Koon's Watch

Our school resource officers are on the front lines of keeping our kids safe.

A large part of an SRO’s responsibility is to make sure students feel safe when they set foot on school property.

Cyberbullying is an issue in more than a few school squabbles.

Cyberbullying is making hurtful comments or threats online or over text message. But quite a bit of cyberbullying takes place at home.

That’s why it’s important for parents to know about the issue and get involved in preventing it.

You can start by talking to children about the issue and teaching them the rules below to help stop cyberbullying from happening to them or someone they know.

• Never give out personal information online.

• Never tell anyone but your parents your password.

• If someone sends a mean or threatening message, don’t respond. Take a screen shot and show it to an adult.

• Never open emails or private messages from someone you don’t know or from someone you know is a bully.

• Don’t put anything online you wouldn’t want your classmates to see.

• Don’t send or text anything when you’re angry. Before clicking “send” ask yourself how you would feel if you received the message.

• Help others who are bullied online by not joining in. Show those bullying messages to an adult.

• Be as polite online as you are in person.

In next week’s Koon’s Watch, I’ll cover some actions parents can take to protect their children from cyberbullying.