Archive for November, 2011
Should You Post Photos of Other People’s Children Online?
We don’t have social events without cameras anymore. I can think of several social situations where my children’s pictures were posted on people’s Facebook pages without asking my permission. End-of-year soccer pizza dinners, Halloween parties, and playing in someone’s backyard immediately come to mind. Regardless of how we feel about it, the reasonable expectation should be that our participation in social events will be posted on-line rather than not.
Rosalind Moderates Digital Drama and Kids Behaving Badly
Rosalind moderates the panel “Digital Drama and Kids Behaving Badly” at the Family Online Safety Institute’s 2011 conference. This excellent panel includes MTV’s Jason Rzepka, Joe Laramie of the Missouri Police, Jenny Pokempner from the Juvenile Law Center, & Paula Goldberg from PACER Center.
New Research on Sexual Harassment: A School Counselor’s Perspective
As a culture, we are quick to report the problems that exist within our younger generation of youth. What I rarely hear or read about is a feasible solution. Sexual harassment falls under an umbrella of similar issues. Many teenagers are desensitized to the pervasive enormity of sexual content and violence that exists in mainstream media. Many don’t even realize what they are doing is considered harassment; it’s just normal lunchtime chatter.
Penn State: AC 360 Reveals How It Gets Worse
After watching AC360′s extraordinary report on the inhumane treatment of Sandusky’s alleged victims and the cover up that is now occurring, I have a suggestion for the chief of police who hid in his office rather than talk to the reporter. Instead of cowering, he should get himself in front of that camera and say,
Talking to Teens About Paterno, Penn State, and the High Price of Bystanding
Over the last 15 years that I have worked with schools, I have witnessed many tragedies in which students, teachers, or coaches have abused the most vulnerable members of their communities. From freshmen boys being sexually assaulted in hazing rituals, girls being severely sexually harassed, to teachers having sexual relationships with students. It happens. And while I have worked with many administrators who take action immediately, I have too often also seen people in leadership positions look the other way, isolate and discredit the victim, do the minimum, and justify keeping it “in-house.” Make no mistake, all of those reactions condone the abuse in the eyes of the victim, the bystanders, and the abusers and empower the perpetrator to continue the abuse.
