Fighting against cyber menaces

Sep 14 2007 By Diane Parkes, Birmingham Mail

TEENAGERS at two schools are hoping to help combat cyber bullying across their borough by putting together their own information pack.

Youngsters at St Michael's School, Rowley Regis, and Manor High School, Wednesbury, are compiling information to raise awareness of the problem in order to prevent it.

St Michael's deputy head Mike Wilkes said cyber bullying, in which youngsters are intimidated by text, e-mail or on websites, had been identified as a new area of concern.

"Some of our students went to a meeting with Sandwell anti-bullying strategy manager Kate McConlough," he said. "She spoke about cyber bullying and explained its effects.

"Our pupils then wanted to look at putting together a pack highlighting the problems surrounding cyber bullying and offering contact details for groups that can help.

St Michael's School helped the Birmingham Mail launch its Speak Out Stop Bullying campaign last year. The school has worked hard to raise awareness of bullying, liaising with ChildLine to train one third of its 1,000 students as peer mentors.

But Mr Wilkes said: "The technology that children have access to is something we could not have imagined when we were in school. Bullies will always prey on weakness, and technology like texting, MSN messaging and mobile phones lend themselves to abuse.

"Bullies themselves are often weak and it is a lot easier to be brazen by e-mail than face-to-face.

"The students are aiming to produce a passport sized information pack which other pupils can carry with them. It includes information about eliminating the opportunities for cyber bullying and advises people with problems of where they can go to get help."

The students are also honing valuable education skills.

"They are using research skills to find out the information and then communication skills in compiling the leaflets," Mike said.