Week of 11/29/10: Safe schools snippets

Teen cyberbully suspect can’t tweet about student

7News reports on social networking deprivation for a girl accused of cyber bullying a classmate.

ASPEN, Colo. – An Aspen teen accused of cyberbullying has been banned from talking about her alleged victim on Facebook and Twitter.

The Aspen Daily News reported Monday that District Judge Gail Nichols issued the conditions as part of a mandatory restraining order last week for the Aspen High School student. The girl isn’t allowed to use any electronic means to talk about the classmate she allegedly victimized. Nichols also told her to ignore the classmate whenever she passes her at school.

Girl, 13, to face charges in ‘choking game’ injury

Fox 31 reports on a game kids are playing that could kill them could also leave them with a criminal record.

The station reports that Wheat Ridge Police have charged an unidentified 13-year-old girl from Everitt Middle School with misdemeanor reckless endangerment for her role in the “choking game” with four other students. She’s accused of choking her friend in a girl’s bathroom at the school last Monday. The friend passed out and fell on her face, breaking several bones.

“Choking game” videos are easily found on the Internet, the station reports. Kids choke each other, depriving the brain of oxygen, and then pass out. They say it gives them a euphoric high that leaves them feeling tingly.

Students learn ‘signs of suicide’

9News reports on a Denver Public Schools initiative to prevent teen suicide.

The station reports that not too long ago, the issue of suicide was something kids didn’t usually talk about. Now, psychologists say talking is a big part of the solution.

“I think there was a stigma around depression and suicide that you were crazy, you should man up and take care of problems yourself,” Ellen Kelty, team leader for the department of social work and psychological services for Denver Public Schools, said.

Kelty is leading a program called Signs of Suicide to teach kids from sixth grade to ninth grade across the district to talk about death in order to save lives.

The I Love U Guys Foundation seeks Pepsi Refresh grant

The foundation formed by the family of Emily Keyes, a student held hostage and murdered at Platte Canyon High School, is seeking support for a Pepsi Refresh grant as it attempts to spread the word to schools about the importance of the Standard Response Protocol in the event of a school crisis. The SRP is being adopted by more schools and districts each week. Supporters can help this progress by voting soon. 
Go to the Pepsi site. Simple text 104036 to Pepsi (73774). Or you can vote on the Pepsi site with Facebook Connect. And you can create your own account with Pepsi.

According to the foundation, the critical ingredient in the safe school recipe is the uniform classroom response to an incident at school.

Latest report on school crime and safety

Check out the recently published Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2010, which covers topics such as victimization, teacher injury, bullying, school conditions, fights, weapons, availability and student use of drugs and alcohol, and student perceptions of personal safety at school. Indicators of crime and safety are compared across different population subgroups and over time in this government report. Data on crimes that occur away from school are offered as a point of comparison where available.

More consistent anti-bullying program urged for Colorado

The Denver Post reports on a push by several ed groups this week to enhance Colorado’s anti-bullying measures.

“The Columbine High School shootings in 1999 sparked scores of anti-bullying policies, programs and studies in schools across Colorado. But 11 years later, experts say, those good intentions have devolved into an uncoordinated approach that ignores best practices in some instances and leaves state authorities with no clear picture of how well the myriad policies work.”

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