Georgia Bill Aims to protect Kids online

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Georgia students may want to think twice about bullying someone online, especially if HB 310 passes. HB 310, better known as “The End to Cyberbullying Act,” will take the current law and expand it to include any form of cyber communication that would be considered bullying. Currently, the law in Georgia prohibits any form of bullying of another student only on school property, busses, bus stops and at school events. If the new provision were to become law, school officials could act even if the cyberbullying didn’t occur on school property. For example, if a student decides to send a threatening message through Facebook while at home to another student, the student who sent the harassing message can still be disciplined by school officials.

Survey Finds Physical Bullying Far More Common Than Online Bullying

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Kids are more likely to face a bully in person than online.   The 2009 OJJDP National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence surveyed almost 4,450 kids nationwide, between the ages of 10 and 17.  Here are some highlights:

21.6% said they had been physically bullied. 19.7% reported being teased or emotionally bullied. Kids between the 14 and 17 were more likely to be harassed online.  7.9% of this group admitted being bullied online. Boys were more likely to be bullied or threatened physically, where girls were more likely to be victims of internet harassment.

Teen Killer for Mexican Drug Cartel Symbolizes a Generation Lost to Gangs

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The 14-year old boy accused of working as a hit man for a Mexican drug cartel has become the poster child for a generation of kids recruited by gangs around the world.  Edgar Jimenez Lugo, also known as “El Ponchis,” has allegedly confessed to participating in four murders involving torture and decapitation.   He told investigators that he was drugged and his life was threatened while he worked for the South Pacific Cartel, a criminal organization linked to 200 murders.  Time Magazine examines the worldwide impact of this story which has made headlines from Atlanta to Australia. The teenager is actually an American citizen, born in San Diego, arrested in Cuernavaca.  In the U.S. he might be tried as an adult, but under Mexican law he’s a juvenile and will likely get just three years in prison if convicted. People who work with children are disgusted by the case but not surprised. Sister Margaret Slowick, a member of the Sisters of St.

New Worry for Parents: Teens Sniff Trendy Product for Huffing High

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One of the most popular body sprays for teenage boys may be used for more than body odor. In fact, some kids like the smell of AXE Body Spray so much they are inhaling it to get high. “Many parents don’t question a body spray inhalant if kids are huffing because many parents have the scent around them,” said Colleen Creighton from inhalant.org. Message boards on the Internet are buzzing with questions from parents and teens about this trend.  Some people on Facebook and other websites share instructions on how to use AXE to get high.  Users may soak a towel or a shirt sleeve and breathe it in, while others may spray it directly into their mouths. Body sprays like AXE are cheap and sold everywhere.  By contrast, Georgia regulates the sale of model glue to anyone under the age of 18.

Facebook Application Targets Cyberbullying

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A new “Find Help” application on Facebook may make it easier for teens to not only report cyberbullying but also to find support organizations. Mashable.com reports that a company called SafetyWeb.com,has introduced the new app to address growing concerns about teen safety on the social networking site. According to CBC news, the “Find Help” application is similar to an online list of emergency phone numbers. When a child clicks on the application, he or she is directed to phone numbers and links for reporting incidents. This also sends kids to organizations like the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline and Facebook’s abuse reporting process. Since 2003 there have been at least 12 teenagers who commited suicide because they had been bullied online.

Can You Sue a 4 year old? Yes, You Can.

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The New York Supreme court has redefined the legal age of accountability. This comes from an October 1, 2010 ruling from Justice Paul Wooten who determined that it is possible for a 4 year old to be negligent. As a result, there is a negligence suit against a 4 year old child. The details are laid out in the New York Times,

Two years ago Juliet Breitman and Jacob Kohn, both four at the time, were racing their bicycles on a sidewalk. The bicycles had training wheels. Juliet ran into an 87 year-old woman, resulting in a hip fracture that required surgery. Three weeks later, the woman died.

Missouri Model Helps Kids with Big Problems at a Smaller Cost

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The Missouri Model is helping change the juvenile justice system by providing students with the ability to transition into the community at a cheaper cost to the state. According to a recent study by the Annie B. Casey Foundation, the model shows 75% of the kids that go through the Missouri juvenile justice system advance through school as if they were never detained in the first place. At the time of discharge from the system, 85.3% are already engaged in school or have found a job. The Missouri system accomplishes this by using the following core strategies:

Placing kids into smaller facilities near their homes. Kids are supervised in small groups but get individualized attention.

Need Money? Who Doesn't! Learn How to Get Grants

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The Grantseeker Training Institute will hold a five day course to help grant seekers in Atlanta on November 15- 19, 2010. The session is designed to help you find funding for your non profit, develop a strategy to raise money, learn how to request a grant, and network with other non-profit organizations.  Over the course of the five days attendees will learn how to gain financial stability, recruit members who can help raise funds, search for funders, learn how to write a winning grant proposal, and budget to meet specific interests. The cost per person to attend all five days is $795. JJIE.org has a running list of grant opportunities, with deadlines, that is updated regularly.  click here. Keep up to date on conferences and events.  click here

Report: Teachers Happy With Reforms

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An overwhelming majority of juvenile justice teachers appear to be satisfied with reforms of the system that took place five years ago. According to researchers at Georgia State University and Auburn University, 96 percent of juvenile justice teachers “reported being satisfied with the results of the system-wide reforms.”

“The greatest areas of dissatisfaction were in the areas of behavior management and increased stress,” says an abstract to their study, “System Reform and Job Satisfaction of Juvenile Justice Teachers.”

The study was based on a survey administered to teachers who had been in the system since 1998, when reforms were implemented. “A comprehensive survey was administered to teachers who had been in the juvenile justice system since 1998 when reform measures were implemented.”

Helping Kids Achieve in Acworth

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The City of Acworth, GA.,  is supporting a program called the Acworth Achievers. Five years ago, Acworth identified a concern about at-risk kids within the city limits and began developing a program. The goal of this program is to help middle and high school children make better decisions through after-school and mentoring programs.

“This will offer more opportunities and give kids better decision making skills so they can become productive adults,” Frank White, the Director of Acworth Achievers and the Recreation Coordinator for Acworth Parks and Recreation said. “It’s about inspiring kids to be the very best that they can be,” Mayor Tommy Allegood said. Click below to hear more from Mayor Allegood about the Acworth Achievers.