World Suicide Prevention Day 2012

"Suicide is a multi-determined phenomenon that occurs against a background of complex interacting biological, social, psychological and environmental risk and protective factors. Despite the complexity of this phenomenon, suicide can be prevented"

-- International Association for Suicide Prevention

This week I will talk to you about suicide. Yup, I am going there. Suicide prevention is a cause that I am very passionate about, as many of you who know me personally may already know. This is my calling and my niche. Today I would like to share a little bit about it with you. I will try not to be preachy or get on a soapbox, I just want to share some facts.

I am part of two suicide related associations. The first I joined last year and it is called American Association of Suicidology (AAS). They are a researched based association that has the goal of understanding and preventing suicide. They do this through a variety of ways, including providing public awareness as well as various trainings to both the public and professionals. The second (whom I have been supporting but just 'officially' became a member of this year) is International Association for Suicide Prevention  (IASP). They are a non-governmental organization that has an "official relationship" with the World Health Organization (WHO) and exists in over 50 countries. They are a collection of the world's best research on suicide related subjects and host many awareness events across the globe. 

A third, related organization I am apart of that supports suicide prevention is To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA). TWLOHA is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide.  TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery. They do a TON of different events and are very much geared towards young adults and lay persons.

The reason I am talking briefly about these organizations is because next month is World Suicide Prevention Day/Week. This year on 09/10/12 marks the 10th anniversary of this day. The week is from 09/09/12 - 09/15/12. I support this cause every year in a variety of ways. The most common way to support this cause is by putting a lit candle in your window at 8pm on 09/09/12. Why, you ask? The lit candle is to support suicide prevention and awareness, survivors of suicide and for the memory of loved lost ones. There are many additional ways to support this cause -- some simple and quiet, some very complex and loud. You can find a list of suggested activities on the official IASP webpage devoted to the event. I am personally still trying to figure out all of the ways in which I am going to support the week and the cause. I guess it will have to remains TBA. 

Some general facts: (IASP, 2012)

• There is roughly 1 death via suicide every 40 seconds, which equals one million people worldwide per year. This exceeds the number of deaths per year contributed to homicide and war COMBINED.
• WHO estimates the number of suicide attempts may be up to 20 times the number of deaths.
• In some countries, suicide rates have increased by 60% over the last year
• Suicide attempts in women tend to be 2-3 times higher than men, but the average ratio of male to female suicides is 3:1. 
• The strongest predictor of suicide is previous attempts, raising the rate of suicide 30-40 times higher than for the general public. 

Chronic risk factors that increase over one's lifetime: (AAS, 2009) 

•  History of:
• Suicide attempts or ideation
• Self-injury
• Suicide in family members
• Parental history of violence, substance abuse, or hospitalization due to mental illness
• Impulsive/reckless behaviors

• Psychiatric disorders such as: Mood Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, Schizophrenia, Substance Use Disorder, Eating Disorder, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Personality Disorder (specifically Cluster B)
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Low self-esteem/high self-hate
• Exposure to another's death by suicide
• Lack of self or familial acceptance of sexual orientation
• Perfectionism (particularly in context of Depression)
• Access to firearms
• Acute or enduring unemployment

Acute risk factors:  (AAS, 2009)

• Suicidal ideation
• Recent suicide attempt
• Current self-harm behavior
• Excessive or Increased Use of Substances
• Psychological Pain (acute distress in response to loss, defeat, rejection, etc.) 
• Recent Discharge from Psychiatric Hospitalization 
• Anger, Rage, Seeking Revenge, Aggressive Behavior 
• Withdrawal from Usual Activities, Supports, Interests, School or Work; Isolation (e.g. lives alone)
• Suspiciousness, Paranoia (ideas of persecution or reference) 
• Severe Feelings of Confusion or Disorganization 
• Dramatic Mood Changes 
• Hopelessness, Poor Problem-solving, Cognitive Constriction (thinking in black and white terms, not able to see gray areas, alternatives…), Rumination, Few Reasons for Living, Inability to Imagine Possibly Positive Future Events 
• Perceived Burdensomeness 
• Recent Diagnosis of Terminal Condition 
• Feeling Trapped, Like There is No Way Out (other than death); Poor Problem-Solving 
• Recklessness or Excessive Risk-Taking Behavior, Especially if Out of Character or Seemingly Without Thinking of Consequences, Tendency Toward Impulsivity

Suicide tends to be triggered by a real or perceived threat that leaves the individual feeling emotions such as shame, guilt, despair, rejection, abandonment, or humiliation. 

If you know someone whom is suicidal and do not know how to respond, the best thing to do is stay with the suicidal individual and contact a mental health professional or other persons trained in crisis intervention. Stay calm and be supportive of the suicidal individual. NEVER DOUBT THE SEVERITY OF THE SITUATION (ie: saying things such as "you are not really going to hurt yourself, right?" would be one of the few detrimental things you could say). Keep him/her away from weapons, illicit substances, alcohol, or any potentially hazardous materials (ie: cleaning supplies, rope, and sharp objects). If you cannot find or do not have access to your local mental health crisis hotline, contact law enforcement who will respond to the scene with a trained mental health professional. 

If you or someone you know is suicidal, please contact a mental health professional or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

TUTORIAL: Anthropologie Inspired Mirror

Lately I have been playing around a lot on StumbleUpon and Pinterest (you can check out MY accounts by clicking on the corresponding "Sites I Frequent" links found to the right). I enjoy both of them for different reasons and have had lots of time to play on them lately. So anyways, there I was, searching for crafts on StumpleUpon and "Pinning" the ones I wanted to do later to Pinterest when I found this Anthropologie Inspired Mirror Tutorial and decided I wanted to give it a go. I do not need a decorated mirror since living at my parent's is a temporary deal, but I have been on the look out for a nice craft to make and donate to a fundraiser for a non-profit organization called Iowa Humane Alliance my friend is part of. Check out their facebook page to learn more about their mission to help control the pet population in Iowa! 

I really liked the idea of the above tutorial but decided to do things slightly differently to meet my needs. And so therefore I am now going to attempt my very first tutorial! Bare with me and make sure you add comments with any questions or suggestions to improve my tutorial writing skills! Warning: I am still getting used to taking photos of things for tutorial purposes, so some of them are a bit sketchy since it was hard NOT to get myself in the mirror :)

So here is a quick before and after photo of my mirror project:

Materials Needed:

• 1 mirror 
• I recommend finding one with a plastic or wooden frame that is wide enough so that you can see some of the pattern on the frame. I would recommend "roughing up" a plastic frame with sandpaper so that the fabric sticks better. 
• Enough fabric to cover the entire frame AND the back of the mirror
•  My mirror was a square 19" x 19" frame and I had TONS of fabric left over of from the 1.5 yard remnant I got on sale at the craft store for $1.79
• You can choose any kind of patterned fabric that you want. I think large floral is nice but anything will work.
• Any type of fabric will work, but a sheer fabric is not going to show up as well behind the mirror and a thick upholstery fabric will be more difficult to get stuck on the frame.

• Oven cleaner (the cheap, off-brand kind did me just fine!)
• Plastic dishwashing (or similar) gloves
• An old rag
• Modge Podge craft glue (I used the mat finish so it would not dry shiny)
• Wooden skewer or other small, pointy stick of sorts 
• Staple gun

I started off my searching town for a used thick wooden framed mirror. I could not for the life of me find one with a thick enough frame to showcase the fabric I bought so I eventually settled for this $10 frame from Wal-Mart. Also, I recommend one that is not overly ornate because that increases the difficulty of covering it with the fabric. If you are up for the challenge and are using a thinner fabric then you will probably be fine to pick an ornate frame. 

Take the frame apart and lay it on a surface you do not care about ruining. SAVE THE CARDBOARD BACKING! I chose the dead grass in my front yard. Put on your plastic gloves as the oven spray will burn your skin. Spray the oven cleaner on backside edges of the frame, allowing it to vary in thickness and design. Let it sit until the oven cleaner is almost dry, out of the reach of any child hands or animal paws. Wash your hands, this stuff can be harmful to your health! Mine sat in the sun for probably 6 or 8 minutes while I gathered the rest of my materials. 

Gently rub off the oven cleaner with a rag. I DID NOT scrub like the original tutorial said to because I wanted some of the uneven pattern to stay on the mirror, with spots that are completely see through and some that remain opaque.
**Edit: after additional tries at this part of the project I have decided that whether or not you need to scrub depends on the quality of mirror you buy. Newer mirrors tend to have cheaper silver backing and you therefore WILL NOT want to scrub if you want your mirror opaque. If it is an older or more expensive mirror then scrubbing will be needed regardless of opaqueness wanted**

Let the mirror dry completely before washing it off gently with soap and water. I made the mistake of trying one of those mirror wipes and it took off some of the silver from the back of the mirror that I intentionally had left on. Carefully set the mirror aside for later. Don't cut yourself on the edge of the mirror when handling it!

Iron all the creases out of your fabric. The glue we use later will not be enough to get them out, and then it will buckle when it dries, not looking as professional and nice. Cut 4 strips of fabric that are about 2 inches wider and longer on each end then you need in order to cover the front of the frame.

Cover the entire front of the frame (including all of the little nooks and crannies) in Modge Podge craft glue. Lay the fabric on top of the glue and cover in more glue. Use the skewer (or other fine pointed object) to poke the fabric down into the grooves of the frame.

Once secured, flip the frame over and secure the inside edge of the fabric. I cut a small slit in the fabric so it would fold over nicely. Secure the fabric edge with glue. This part does not have to look pretty because it will be covered later by the mirror backing. 

Secure the corners with glue. I used a thicker fabric so I also attached mine with a staple gun, just for added security. If you use a thinner fabric then lots of glue should suffice. Corners are the hardest part for me, so be sure to check as you go that the from the front it looks nice. The back won't be seen so just making it secure is imporant over looking pretty.

 

I intentionally overlapped the edge of the fabric past the crease point of the frame where to edges meet so that I ensured full frame coverage later. Notice that I did cut the straight edge off of the fabric once it was dry (making the edge diagonal and parallel with where the edges meet) to avoid fabric bulk when covering the adjacent side of frame.

Repeat this for the additional sides. I found that it worked best to complete opposite sides first (so the left and right edge of from before moving to the top and bottom edges). I DID NOT do the corners for the last two edges until the very end. I glued the inside and outside edges but then waited until it was dry to complete -- leaving the overhang on the last two edges until the rest of it was mostly dry. 

Here is a shot, from the front, of the the slit I was talking about making in order to secure the inside edge of the fabric.

Once dry, I then folded the overhang  back and very carefully cut a straight, diagonal edge down the seam (where the two edges of the frame meet). Discard this extra fabric, or go green and save it for a future crafting project :)

Apply lots of glue on both the underneath and on top of the seam you are creating. To secure it nice and tight, use more glue than you think you will need.

Set the frame aside to dry completely....and take a second to admire your nice work in progress!

Take the cardboard backing and cover it in the fabric, using the same technique as earlier - cover in Modge Podge, lay down fabric, cover fabric in a coat of Modge Podge and smooth out.

Fold the corners over to the reverse side and glue the heck out of them! 

I placed something heavy on the corners to get them to stay. This also worked for a duel purpose, because with the corners weighed down the cardboard would not curl. Leave for about 10-12 minutes, until semi dry.

Carefully flip the covered cardboard backing over and weigh it down. I decided to add this step in because I did not want the fabric side to get glued to my work surface and risk messing up the design. Let dry completely.

Once dry, reassemble the mirror by gently putting it into the frame and stapling the covered cardboard backing into place.  For an extra store bought look, you can cover the entire back in a sheet of packing paper and secure it with glue along the edge and a staple gun. For this specific mirror I also added some large, loose glitter to the covered cardboard with spray adhesive for a little extra flare.

Ta-Da! You now have your own, personalized, Anthropologie inspired mirror! These suckers go for almost $500! I made mine for (drum roll please) $11.79 AND got to customize it how I wanted! Can't get better than that! 

Enjoy crafting and feel free to let me know of any changes/improvements you make!

Back to Blogging, Back in Iowa

So it has absolutely been ages since I have posted anything. It is typical of me - I do not like to blog when I am really upset for a long period of time because (A) I tend to be repetitive (B) it cannot be interesting for people to read, and (C) I usually just don't feel up to putting forth the effort.

Recap and catch up:

• I am back in Iowa, living with my parents.
• Alex was here in the states for 1 month in order to look for a job and just be with me a bit longer. He had to return due to having no more time he could take off for work.
• I did not find a job in England.
• I do not have a job in the states. 
• I have been devastated for the past 13 days since he has left.

Well I have done a lot of thinking over these past (almost) two weeks. I have decided that if I have to do long-distance with him than I will. I have been trying to keep myself very busy with things. Mostly job hunting and crafting. I applied for 45 jobs last week. Have had 2 interviews since I have gotten back. I did not get one of the jobs, the other is still interviewing people. I also read a lot.

Having all of that time to do nothing of major importance has helped me to put a different and more positive spin on things. Although I still feel like I cannot catch a break right now and that I am doing nothing of notable importance or to make myself feel useful, I think my new out look is helping. I still get grumpy and sad....a lot...about my current circumstances. But I am trying and that is what matters.

I have decided that there just must be something left for us to do in our own countries before everything is out of the way and we can be happy together. Perhaps we both need to get some  job experience in our own countries before opportunities will open for one of us in the other's country. Maybe we still have personal growth to achieve before we will be able to handle taking the other from everything they know (yes, it is an emo and dramatic outlook on thing, but essentially that is what we will have to do some day, right?). There could be a million reasons and I could drive myself crazy with listing them all. So I will stop at those two because I am sure people get the point.

I have also decided that I am going to make the best out of the time we have to be apart. I am never as happy as I could be when he is not around. That is just my reality. I do need my time to be sad and mourn and be am eme mess before I can just get over it and move on. That is just how I function. I have had that time now. I still am very sad but have realized that stressing out over the situation and being sad is not helping me any. I can still miss him and do something with purpose while I wait for the next chapter in my life to open up. The sadness and stress is not going to change the situation at all, so keeping it to what is absolutely necessary is the best I can hope for. 

I am still holding out for a few plans that are in progress. I have 100% avoided planning them out. They are just options we are exploring to see if they might work out. I am carrying on with things and focused on finding a job here and opening that next door for myself. 

Most of the jobs I have been applying for have been in the crisis realm. I have applied for jobs all over the US (and a few in England as well) doing different types of crisis related jobs. From telephone work that I have done before to helping respond to victims of homicide to working in DC with legislature to creating suicide programming for military individuals and their families. I have also applied for more traditional residential and out patient therapist positions. I am hoping something comes my way soon....my jobs applied for since I have been back sits somewhere in the 50's. My next job is out there somewhere. I just hope it comes to me soon!

As always, I struggle with being patient with the big things I cannot control. I am still working on that and probably will never be able to fully have control over it....but one can hope that with lots of work I will keep improving!

All in all I am hanging in there and trying to get back to a regular type schedule so keep my sanity. I am going to try and keep a regular blogging schedule as well. There is no reason I cannot be using this transition time to work on all of my goals for the year, right? 

I am not sure how much longer Alex and i will have to endure long-distance, but for all of you haters and doubters out there --YES! I KNOW THAT THIS IS WORTH IT. I have no doubt at all. I do not want to be with anyone else and certainly not without him. So I will wait. For however long it takes. I just figure that I am paying for things up front. Which is better than having something nice and getting it taken away. and now that I have a fancy phone for the first time in my life it is not quite as hard. He does not always get to skype me with video all the time dur to his camera not working....but we can text one another for free (including photos and videos and voice messages) on our phones thanks to this free app called What's App. It is really nice because I can tell that the message at least gets to his phone. Not that he has read it, but at least that it got there. This is so very nice because when we would text most of the time it would never get to the other person or would be delayed by hours or days. This way I know he gets it right away....and we can have much more conversation throughout the day this way! Its a blessing for sure. 

So that's all for now. I promise I will keep this thingy updated again!

Time is Up

Yeah, so I haven't written in 2 weeks. I know it is a disappointment to some of you because I see that people have been trying to view new postings that I have not written. I suppose the reason is a sad and emo one - I am totally trying to deny the fact that I have to leave in less than a week. My experience has been a good one, but I ultimately have failed at my venture and really have nothing to show for it. I have some good memories, mind you, and it has been a nice break. That's definitely something and doe make the trip worth it.

Sorry for the pessimism. I just don't know what to write about. I haven't done anything new or interesting as of late. I few meals out with friends, games nights, and a bowling trip with Alex. Otherwise it has been business as usual - job hunting, cleaning, and trying to enjoy my last few weeks. 

I have packing on my agenda for tomorrow. That should be an interestingly depressing task. I haven't a clue as to what is happening after Alex visits America for a month and therefore have no idea if I should bring everything or nothing back to America with me. I guess I will settle for a happy medium, depending on my weight and luggage limits. 

Before we leave, we have a day at the SeaLife Center on Friday and a BBQ type last get together with everyone on Saturday. That's really all. Nothing more to do but pack and make sure we get on that plane. 

We have a long list of things we want to do together once we get to the states....aside from the job hunting and Sara's wedding, of course. Not sure if we will get it all in in the time we have......but we are going to try despite the lack of public transport or me having a car. I rekon it will be a good time. Of course seeing everyone from home will be great as well. And being with my baby Morris. I am very excited to see him and hope he loves me still.

Well, this has officially been a half-ass update. Sorry. It is not that I am in a bad mood or anything, I am just impartial and don't know what to write about. People get bored, I imagine, with my inner struggles and complaints. Therefore I tried to keep it brief. So yeah. Perhaps a better entry tomorrow or later when I can think of something half-way interesting to write about.

Cyberbullying

I know this is an odd topic for me to be blogging on, as I usually write about something related to myself. Thankfully, cyberbullying was not as popular when I was a pre-teen and teen so I did not have experience with such events. It is sad to me that so many young people today have to deal with such abuse from same-aged peers. I think every generation has its own form of bullying that gets increasingly more difficult to escape from. When it will stop, I am unsure. How it will progress from here, I know not. What I do know is that cyberbullying is a real problem with today's youth that appears to be only getting worse. Therefore, I have decided to inform people of it a bit.

What is cyberbullying?

""Cyberbullying" is when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones. It has to have a minor on both sides, or at least have been instigated by a minor against another minor. Once adults become involved, it is plain and simple cyber-harassment or cyberstalking. Adult cyber-harassment or cyberstalking is NEVER called cyberbullying." (STOP cyberbullying, 2012)

There are many types of cyberbullying, which include:

• Gossip: Posting or sending gossip with intent to damage a person’s reputation and/or relationships.
• Exclusion: Deliberately excluding someone from an online group or forum.
• Impersonation: Posing as another person via breaking into his/her e-mail or internet based  account and sending embarrassing messages in hopes of damaging that individual's reputation and/or relationships.
• Harassment: Posting or sending offensive or insulting messages repeatedly.
• Cyberstalking: Posting or sending intimidating messages, which may include threats and are unwanted by the recipient.
• Flaming: Online fights where scornful and offensive messages are posted on websites, forums, or blogs.
• Outing and Trickery: Tricking someone into revealing secrets or embarrassing information and sharing it online.
• Cyberthreats: Comments left on internet cites which are threatening or implying violence and may display suicidal tendencies or suggestion.  (Covenant Eyes, 2012)

Something I find particularly disturbing about cyberbullying is that it is virtually inescapable for the victim and constantly available to the  aggressors. With technology constantly advancing, many young people have content access to the cyber world through text messages, phone calls, social media sites, and online forums. It is even increasingly popular for cyberbullies to create whole websites devoted to bashing their victims publicly. The sad thing is that individual who engage in cyberbullying activity can do this with a sense of anonymity. Messages, videos, and other online activity can be posted instantly to the internet world and spread to a huge audience in a matter of seconds. Sadly, in many cases, cyberbullies do not have to take ownership of these extremely hurtful actions that their victim cannot escape.

Potential effects on victim:

•  Emotional issues such as anxiety, depression, and stress-related disorders
• Difficulty concentrating
• Trouble getting along with peers
• Physical symptoms such as headaches, reoccurring stomach pain, and difficulty sleeping.
• Sense of unsafety at school
• Can lead to suicide in extreme cases (WebMD, 2012)

Reported symptoms in cyberbullies:

• Same emotional  and physical symptoms of victim minus difficulty sleeping, as listed in above section
• Sense of unsafety at school
• Likely to have issues with hyperactivity, conduct problems, and engage in alcohol and tobacco use (WedMD, 2012)

Some cyberbullies have also been victims of cyberbullying or other types of abuse by peers. This is thought by some professionals to be a reason young people begin cyberbullying. Some ideas I have read that suggest deeper reasoning for cyberbullying include: anger and revenge motivation, attitude problems, behavioral issues, mental health issues, low self-esteem, lack of attention from parents, boredom, need for power and control, and to express social status. Much research is being done into this area but outcomes are not yet clear enough to confirm specific reasons for cyberbullying activity. I would venture to guess that it stems from a combination of the above, but data is still inconclusive at this point in time so do not quote me on that.

Signs a child or teen is a victim:

• Reluctantly to use computers, cellphones, or other electronics 
• Unexpectedly quits using electronics
• Avoiding discussions or hiding their activity on computers, cellphones, or other electronics
• Appearing nervous or anxious upon receiving messages on electronics
• Display atypical negative emotions (such as anger, sadness, or depression) after using electronics
• Discussing revenge
• Trouble sleeping
• Decline in school grades
• Sudden interest in self-harm or in suicide
• Unusual mood swings
• Become reclusive, anti-social and/or is losing friends
• Unusually withdrawn or depressed
• Disinterest in family or school activities
• Displaying potential effects, as listed above (Shoemaker-Galloway, 2007)

Here is a link to the STOP Cyberbullying webpage on how you can help a child or teen report cyberbullying related abuse on sites such as facebook, youtube, and twitter.

Sadly, there is no one way to help a child or teen whom is being targeting with cyberbullying. Oftentimes some of this activity is happening while the child is in a school setting but schools have a limited ability to get involved. In some cases a school would be exceeding its authority or violating a child's right to free speech if they try to build a case that includes cyberbullyingcyberbully be held responsible for his/her actions whilst on school property. This, in many cases, would mean that schools need to step in up in their rules, regulations, and consequences for cyberbullying as well as phone and internet usage during school hours and on school property.

Parents do seems to have a bit more part in helping a child or teen that is dealing with cyberbullying issues. Some advice I would give to help a parent aid a child or teen they feel is being cyberbullied would include the following:

• Do not overreact - oftentimes this is what any child or teen is scared of when telling their parent sensitive information. Yelling, shouting, placing blame, jumping to taking action before collecting additional information - all of these things I would not advise.
• Do not under react -I think one of the worst things you could do is ignore the problem completely. Telling a child to deal with it on their own  or ignore the hurtful comments is not always the best solution. It was most likely difficult for the child or teen to bring the subject up and under reacting shows your disinterest in what is happening to the child and may instill additional embarrassment or shame about the topic.
• Remember that the child or teen being cyberbullied might also be engaging in such activities. Every story has two sides and I would advise investigating into the issue, not just assuming your child is 100% innocent in the matter. Remember that there is such a thing as inadvertent cyberbullying.
• If personal information has been posted online or violent threats have been made towards a child then take that information to the police. Conversations or postings on sites can and should be printed and taken into law enforcement officials. Additional proof may be needed, such as text messages, videos, or conversations that have taken place on electronic devices. It is wise to take in any handheld device that holds hard evidence of the cyberbullying activity. 

Some current stats about cyberbullying straight from Covenant Eyes:

•  32% of online teens say they have been targets of a range of annoying or potentially menacing online activities. 15% of teens overall say someone has forwarded or posted a private message they’ve written, 13% say someone has spread a rumor about them online, 13% say someone has sent them a threatening or aggressive message, and 6% say someone has posted embarrassing pictures of them online.
•  88% of social media-using teens say they have seen someone be mean or cruel to another person on a social network site. 12% of these say they witness this kind of behavior “frequently.”
•  When teens see others being mean or cruel on social networks, frequently 55%  see other people just ignoring what is going on, 27% see others defending the victim, 20% see others telling the offender to stop, and 19% see others join in on the harassment.
• 36% of teens who have witnessed others being cruel on social networks have looked to someone for advice about what to do.
• 1 in 6 parents know their child has been bullied over social media. In over half of these cases, their child was a repeat victim. Over half of parents whose children have social media accounts are concerned about cyberbullying and more than three-quarters of parents have discussed the issue of online bullying with their children.
•  “Hyper-networking” teens (those who spend more than three hours per school day on online social networks) are 110% more likely to be a victim of cyberbullying, compared to those who don’t spend as much time on social networks.

For more information on this topic, here are some sites I have found that may be of service to you:

• www.ncpc.org provides information about stopping cyberbullying before it starts.
• Stop Cyberbullying Before It Starts (PDF) provides useful information for parents.
• Cyberbullying.us provides cyberbullying research, stories, cases, downloads, fact sheets, tips and strategies, news headlines, a blog, and a number of other helpful resources on their comprehensive public service website.
• www.stopcyberbullying.org has a fun quiz to rate your online behavior, information about why some people cyberbully, and how to stop yourself from cyberbullying.
• www.wiredsafety.com provides information about what to do if you are cyberbullied.
• www.stopbullyingnow.com has information about what you can do to stop bullying.