Vancouver students take reins on dealing with cyberbullying
Posted February 25, 2014 11:07 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – John Oliver Secondary School in East Vancouver is leaving it to students to come up with the best way to deal with social media. Teens attending the school have drafted an online code of conduct to help prevent bullying and abuse.
Principal Tim McGeer says like many high schools, John Oliver has dealt with dangerous cyber behavior such as inappropriate comments or students putting themselves at risk online. He says instead of just cracking down, teachers appointed student leaders to get input from the rest of the student body and create a document written by teens.
“Some of the statements: I will work to have a balanced, healthy lifestyle relationship with technology. I will protect myself and others by reporting digital abuse,” says McGeer, adding the charter helps to create an online community of good, aware citizens.
McGeer says it’s frustrating for schools to keep up with security and safety in an ever-changing technology environment, and putting some responsibility in student hands has helped. “That makes it something that they believe in that came from them, that comes from their values shared with us, as opposed to imposed simply from teachers or administration in terms of a ‘thou shalt.'”
He’s hoping schools across Canada and the US scrambling to establish their own online policies will look to students as well.
