The "J-Team" Takes on Cyberbullying

The “Kick a Ginger” incident appears to be localized to the A.E. Wright Middle School, according to Deputy Ginni Alvarez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lost Hills Station.

She also says, however, “We’ve had a lot of calls with reports of teasing and harassment throughout schools in the area that are related to the South Park episode. It seems that awareness has brought forward some instances that might have otherwise gone unreported.”

Deputy Alvarez is part of the station’s “J-Team,” which is a specialized unit concentrating on juvenile issues.

“One of the programs we provide to 8th graders in the Los Virgenes School District is an awareness session that covers Cyberbullying, Sexting and online predators. We cover issues such as texting, email and Facebook pages that can be considered criminal threats.” The Educational code allows for schools to expel or suspend students who are caught.

The J-team defines Cyberbullying as “using technology to threaten, insult or harass. Technologies like cell phones and the internet allow for aggressive expression toward others that doesn’t rely on physical strength or even physical contact.

A person who cyber-bullies can quickly and aggressively spread rumors, threats, hate mail or embarrassing photos through text messages, emails or instant messages.” They also report that 43% of U.S. teens have experienced some form of cyber-bullying in the past year.

If a youth is feeling bullied, he or she can call the “Youth Nine Line” – easy to remember at 800-999-9999. These other online sources on Cyberbullying may be helpful as well:

     www.ncpc.org/cyberbullying
     www.netsmartz.org/resources/reallife.com
     www.cyberbullying.us