ADL Experts Train Bay Area Educators to Identify & Respond to Cyberbullying

NEW YORK, March 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --

WHO: Anti-Defamation League (ADL), with the generous support of Microsoft Corporation and Symantec Corporation

WHAT: Understanding and Addressing Cyberbullying: A Summit for Educators

For administrators and educators to explore issues of cyber-safety and address student use of online technologies to bully others. Read more about it:

http://www.adl.org/education/cyberbullying/

WHERE: Microsoft Corporation, 1065 La Avenida Avenue, Mountain View, CA 94043

WHEN: Friday, April 3, 2009 from 8:00 AM-3:00 PM

Best coverage times are from 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM for panel presentation

WHY: Today's young people consider e-mailing, instant messaging, text messaging, chatting and blogging a vital part of their social lives. Yet studies and real-world experience show that these high-tech communication tools are increasingly being abused by some young people to harass, bully and stereotype their peers. "ADL has taken a proactive approach to the growing problem of cyberbullying. We think that it is crucial that educators learn more about social networking, IM, and other platforms where some students are being harassed and bullied. Cyberbullying can cause as much, if not more, distress as traditional bullying due to the pervasiveness of modern technology, and can negatively impact student's academic achievement," says ADL Regional Director, Jonathan Bernstein.

Middle and high school educators from all over Northern California will gather for ADL's program, Understanding and Addressing Cyberbullying at Microsoft Corporation in Mountain View. They will hear from a panel of experts on issues of safety, privacy and ethics related to social networking, and technology. Participants will then receive hands-on training about recognizing and responding to cyberbullying.

Workshop meets the mandates of AB 86 and implementing the recently released California Health Education Content Standards on cyberbullying. Assembly Bill 86, effective January 2009, gave schools the means to punish students for bullying other students via electronic communications.

Workshop will cover:

• Increased understanding and awareness of cyberbullying, how and when it occurs, and its destructive impact in the school setting
• Examination of the connections between cyberbullying, bias-motivated behavior and on-line hate activities
• Strategies for empowering students to respond in positive and healthy ways to cyberbullying
• Understanding school and classroom responsibilities as they relate to recently passed legislation about cyberbullying (AB 86)

Speakers include:

Justin Patchin, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice in the Department of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He has presented on various topics relating to juvenile justice, school violence, policy and program evaluation, and adolescent Internet use and misuse at academic conferences and training seminars across the United States. His first book The Family Context of Childhood Delinquency explores the role of parenting in the prevention and intervention of serious delinquent behaviors of children.

Gary Leveque Roosevelt. Gary is currently teaching Fine Art at Charlotte Wood Middle School in Danville. While teaching Drama in 2001, Gary was the victim of a serious cyberbullying incident that was publicized throughout the State. This intense act of homophobia spurned Gary to work with his students on a groundbreaking video project "Think Before You Speak." This collaborative effort was designed to empower the student voice and served as inspiration for the San Ramon School Districts video series "Prevent and Protect." Gary continues to serve on both site and district climate committee's, the SRVEA LGBT Caucus and BTSA program to ensure the work towards safer school climates continues.

Colette Vogele practices intellectual property law specializing in technology and new media. She represents a range of business, non-profits and individual clients addressing copyright, trademark, privacy, reputation, and security issues. Vogele speaks and writes regularly on issues related to intellectual property, on-line reputation, and the Internet. She holds a non-residential fellowship at Stanford's Center for Internet & Society and has been featured on numerous on-line programs including the New York Times Tech Talk, CNET Live, and This Week In Law. She is also a contributing author to the forthcoming 2009 Broadcasting Legal Guide published by the National Association of Broadcasters.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry. Visit our website at www.adl.org.

SOURCE Anti-Defamation League