Nickelodeon Takes On Cyberbullying

Nickelodeon and Cyberbullying….

You may start to notice a series of on air public service messages on Nickelodeon to raise awareness of cyberbullying, a threat facing so many kids today.

Some of the popular Nick stars will offer advice on what our kids should do when confronted with hostile texts, emails or Facebook posts.

In one ad featuring Ashley Argota of “True Jackson, VP” and Gage Golightly of “The Troop” “Sign off the computer; don’t reply to a hostile messenger; block bullies from access; make a copy of the message to show to an adult you trust.”

“It’s not tattle-telling,” Golightly says. “It’s standing up for yourself.”

Two of my kids have been victims of bullying. Not cyber, but personal in your face bullying. Both were strong enough to seek help from both me and the school. It took a lot of nerve in each case and made things not so pleasant at school. But both knew in each case that they had to report it. And I admire their courage and am so proud of them.

Not every kid has that support system or the courage to stand up. Kids can be cyberbullied right in their own homes where no one is around to witness, step in, or offer help. With kids online, texting, facebooking, tweeting all the time, the bullies have almost constant access to the victims. The internet never shuts down.

Nickelodeon is an important partner for its ability to reach kids as they’re just starting to use the Internet and cellphones, he said. Nick is also publicizing Common Sense’s “Rule of the Road” for online behavior, urging young users to guard their privacy and assume that everyone in the world can see whatever they are posting.

Nick will also host a discussion board and have information available on its web page devoted to parents who want to learn about the issue.

Thanks Nick for taking on this challenge.