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"Cyberbullying is back in the spotlight with the recent suicide of a Rutgers University freshman following his roommate's posting online of a video of him engaged in sex with another man. And many pundits and legislators are now calling for more stringent laws around cyberbullying and online harassment. Bullying is, of course, nothing new although undoubtedly, the Internet has changed the speed and the breadth with which cruel behaviors, comments, photos, and videos can be spread. And it has extended the persistence of this information as well."

"Nine out of 10 parents believe their kids should be taught about mobile phone and internet safety in school, a new study says. More than a thousand parents were asked about their child's mobile phone use and issues relating to cyber-safety and cyber-bullying by Sweeney Research."

At a time when many teachers are made wary by reports of predators and bullies online, social media in the classroom is not the most popular proposition. Teachers like Delmatoff, however, are embracing it rather than banning it. They argue that the educat

"Developed for Australian schools, eSmart is an easy-to-use, evidence-based and tested system to help you manage cybersafety and deal with cyberbullying and bullying."

Definetheline.ca: Clarifying the Blurred Lines between Cyber-bullying and Socially Responsible Digital Citizenship. Welcome to Definetheline.ca. The objective of our research team at McGill University is to share our expertise with policy-makers, teachers, parents, educators and youth (11 - 17) in user-friendly ways that help all stakeholders engage, learn from, and share resources on our website. We also have a fun section for children (ages 5 - 11) that will promote responsible, thoughtful and considerate digital citizens from an early age. Defining Digital Citizenship and Socially Responsible Online Communication: Social media and a range of digital technologies provide enormous opportunities for peaceful and supportive global interaction, international learning collaboration and fruitful educational partnerships. Every digital user has the potential to reach communities in all corners of the world through transformational online leadership and responsible digital citizenship by embracing the fundamental principles that underlie constitutional rights to free expression, privacy, safety, fair and equality.

"More than 5 million online U.S. households experienced some type of abuse on Facebook in the past year, including virus infections, identity theft, and for a million children, bullying, a Consumer Reports survey shows. And consumers are at risk in myriad other ways, according to our national State of the Net survey of 2,089 online households conducted earlier this year by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. Here are the details: "

"By being proactive about internet safety, the Svanascinis are in the forefront of modern families. Too many, experts say, worry about what their kids are up to and what might happen to them but feel they lack the expertise to do much about it. With recent headlines about the potentially destructive effects of cyberbullying - and before that about online predators - those fears can take on an almost desperate edge. Forty-two per cent of kids have been bullied online, and 30 per cent have been threatened, according to i-SAFE, an internet safety non-profit organisation. "

"Cyberbullying is a new version of an old problem that presents a thorny paradox: We can't equip our kids with the skills they need to function in a digital world without inadvertently equipping them to be cyberbullies. Many of the "best" cyberbullies tend to be among our most digitally literate young people. Anyone can send a hate text, but it takes some serious cyberchops to hack a website or a profile page and plaster it with shameful pictures, hurtful messages and false accusations. Advanced technology skills in the hands of a bully are analogous to advanced weaponry in the hands of a terrorist. The more skillfully they are deployed, the more damage they cause."

"Why do we keep telling children that the law cannot protect them against severe cyberbullying? Time and time again politicians and the press claim that there is nothing police or parents can do if a child is being bullied on the internet, and that government needs to step in."

This news article caught my eye as it is my old high school in Victoria! This type of media reporting is problematic - a typical negative report based on the need to have ultimate control. A more positive approach is for teachers to be modeling best online behaviour and being online in the same spaces as the students. The conversation needs to be about how to best represent yourself and your ideas online while being respectful to others.

More suitable for high school students although mature stage 3 students could benefit too.

The information and digital self-help on this site was developed in consultation with expert partners ReachOut Australia and Kids Helpline.

"When it comes to understanding how teens use social media, there's perhaps no one more clued in than Danah Boyd, except maybe teens themselves. An ethnographer with a Ph.D. in information from the University of California at Berkeley, she has spent the last eight years speaking with and observing teens from all walks of life."

"Researcher danah boyd is obsessed with how teenagers use the Internet. For the legions of adults who are worried about them, that's a good thing."

Susan McLean - the Australian cybersafety advisor

I have heard Susan McLean speak to year 6s from our local Primary Schools. She is a really engaging speaker and had the students admitting to putting in false ages to get a facebook account.

"In this digital world, opportunities for education are available like never before. Though teachers using online tools are empowering students take part in their education, they may also expose them to inappropriate material, sexual predators, and bullying and harassment by peers. Teachers who are not careful with their use of the sites can fall into inappropriate relationships with students or publicize photos and information they believed were kept private. For these reasons, critics are calling for regulation and for removing social networking from classrooms -- despite the positive affects they have on students and the essential tools they provide for education in today's digital climate. "

Hence more reasons why teachers must be well read and prepared and willing to work with a team/committee to help solve the issues of safety, legality and ethical behaviours before working on their school DLE.