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A survey of more than 200 Kansas State University students — mostly freshmen — indicates 54 percent of them believe cyberbullying is a "minor problem" or a "common problem" among students at the university.

The survey used the cyberbullying definition provided in Kansas' anti-bullying law, which took effect in January 2008 and was revised in July to include cyberbullying. The law requires schools to develop anti-bullying policies, plans and preventative measures. Cyberbullying is the use of any electronic communication device, such as e-mail, instant messaging, text messages, blogs, mobile phones, pages, online games or Web sites, to create an intimidating, threatening or abusive environment.

Slightly less than half of Latinos surveyed have home computers, compared to rates of 79 percent and above among black, Asian and white Californians, the survey found. While computer usage by blacks and whites in California has increased, there's been a decline in computer usage by Latinos and Asians, though Asian use remains much higher than that of Latinos. The drop appears to be correlated with income, with a sharp divide in computer usage between those making less than $40,000 and those making more.

Only 48 percent of Latinos have home computers compared with 86 percent of whites, 84 percent of Asians and 79 percent of blacks Californians, the institute reported.

But Asians and Latinos have seen declines in use of computers. Latinos' computer use has declined from 64 percent to 58 percent since 2000, while Internet use remained unchanged. Asians' use of computers was much higher, but also declined from 91 percent to 81 percent; Internet use went from 84 percent to 80 percent. Only 48 percent of Latinos have home computers compared with 86 percent of whites, 84 percent of Asians and 79 percent of blacks Californians, the institute reported.

The worrying extent of the use of technology to bully school and college staff was revealed today with the release of survey results by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) and Teacher Support Network.One in seven respondents said they had experienced cyberbullying and almost one in five said they knew of colleagues who had become victims.

The research indicates that the movement toward Web 2.0 use to engage students and address individual learning needs is largely being driven in districts from the bottom up – starting with teachers and students

Overall, the research confirms school districts are using or planning to use several types of Web 2.0 technologies, but reveals there is still resistance to using online social networking for instructional purposes.

ther key results of the survey include: The three most frequently cited reasons for adopting Web 2.0 technologies are: addressing students’ individual learning needs, engaging student interest, and increasing students’ options for access to teaching and learning. Online communications with parents and students (e.g., teacher blogs) and digital multimedia resources are the Internet technologies most widely used by teachers, and a majority of districts have plans for adopting these technologies or promoting their use. Teacher-generated online content (e.g., multimedia lessons, wiki-based resources) is likely to be the next area of growth in the use of Web 2.0 technologies. Almost half of districts have plans for adopting or promoting the creation and sharing of this content through Web 2.0 tools.

63 per cent of those who had suffered cyberbullying personally said they had received unwelcome emails. Over a quarter had had offensive messages posted about them on social networking sites such as Facebook and 28 per cent described being sent unwelcome text messages.

Although a significant proportion – 44 per cent – had been bullied by pupils, a startling 28 per cent said that a manager or colleague was behind the abuse.

Most agencies manage sensitive citizen data: addresses, Social Security numbers, financial records and medical information. You name it, some state or local office has it, and probably electronically. The problem? Many theorize that the Millennials' penchant for online openness could unintentionally expose private information, leaving it ripe for the picking. Millennials bring innovative ideas about technology's use, but for that same reason, do they also pose new security risks?

Anti-virus vendor Symantec released a study in March 2008 assessing this issue. Symantec commissioned Applied Research-West to execute the study, and 600 participants were surveyed from different verticals, including government. Survey participants included 200 IT decision-makers, 200 Millennial workers and 200 non-Millennial workers born before 1980. The data revealed that Millennials are more likely than workers of other ages to use Web 2.0 applications on company time and equipment. Some interesting figures include: 69 percent of surveyed Millennials will use whatever application, device or technology they want at work, regardless of office IT policies; and only 45 percent of Millennials stick to company-issued devices or software, compared to 70 percent of non-Millennials.

How might young people be workplace assets? Could all that time typing or texting make them speedy typists, able to whip up memos at the drop of a hat? Does familiarity with new and emerging technologies have its benefit? You bet, according to Dustin Lanier, director of the Texas Council on Competitive Government. The council brings state leaders together to shape policy for government departments, including IT. "I think they've built an approach to work that involves a lot of multitasking," Lanier said of the Millennials. "Something will be loading on one screen, you alt-tab to another application and pull up an e-mail, the first process loads, you flip back, start a new process, flip to a forum and pull up a topic. It's frenetic but normal to that group." Lanier doesn't think Millennials present more of an IT threat than their older co-workers. After all, young people don't have a monopoly on being distracted in the office. "I can't tell you how many times I've walked by people's desks of all ages and seen Minesweeper up," he said. He thinks employers should embrace some Web 2.0 applications. Otherwise, Millennials might be discouraged from sticking around. According to Lanier, this younger work force comprises many people who think of themselves as free agents. Government should accommodate some of their habits in order to prevent them from quitting.

One in 10 of these preteenagers has responded to and chatted online with strangers, according to the Tween Internet Safety Survey, sponsored by Cox Communications and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

90 percent of American kids have used the Internet by age 9 and more than a third of 11- and 12-year-olds have a profile on social-network sites such as MySpace and Facebook.

Of the tweens with social-network profiles, 61 percent post personal photos online, 48 percent admit to posting a fake age online and 51 percent have received messages from people they didn't know.

"Parents are the key to this whole issue," explains Leasure. "They need to be involved and monitoring the computer and Internet activity of their kids. If they see something that isn't right, they need to act as parents and correct the issue."

parental awareness is truly the key to fixing this problem. If your child is the victim - or worse, the bully - it's time to step in. it's not being over-protective; it's trying to stop the current generation from 'virtually' destroying themselves emotionally

Cyberbullying Statistics: A recent survey of 395 students, ages 11 to 19, was conducted by the Kids/Teen Division of the Maine-based online safety organization Working To Halt Online Abuse. The study found that: � 28% of students have been cyberbullied, but... � Just over half tell their parents or another adult about it; of the students who did not report the cyberbullying, 25% felt it wasn't a big problem or didn't want to make a big deal out of it � 65% reported the cyberbullying was via IM, followed by email, MySpace, chat rooms and online games � 43% were cyberbullied by someone their age or in the same grade � 30% blocked or deleted the cyberbully, while 16% ignored them � 54 students admitted they had bullied somebody online themselves