Poland students learn about cyberbullying, digital etiquette

By Bruce Walton

bwalton@vindy.com

POLAND

Seventh- and eighth- graders at Poland Middle School attended a presentation on internet use that gave them safety advice and help to make wise choices in the digital world.

Anissa Modarelli, an assistant Mahoning County prosecutor; James DeLucia, county juvenile court program coordinator; and Sharon Fischer, a juvenile probation officer, led a discussion Thursday on cybersafety and digital etiquette.

Heather Kollar, a mother of a student at the school, said it’s her No. 1 priority to know her children are safe, especially while online.

“I’ve had talks with my children about it, but they get the point when they hear it from someone else,” she said. “Especially [from] someone who works with the juvenile justice system.”

The presentation covered a variety of topics, including sexting, cyberbullying, avoiding online predators and online harassment.

The speakers told students how to avoid becoming a victim of cyberbullying or sexual predators. They also discouraged them from taking part in online harassment or sharing private pictures of other people without consent.

DeLucia said they have been giving presentations to Mahoning Valley schools for about five years after they began to see a rise in the juvenile court’s sex-offender program involving people caught sending sexually explicit pictures without consent, which can lead to felony charges.

Many of the offenders were young and knew little about digital etiquette on sexting or harassment. So, instead of just convicting young adults, they wanted to educate them at a younger age before they made a mistake they couldn’t take back.

“Locking kids up isn’t how it works,” DeLucia said. “Educating, helping, treating, promoting positivity and health is what works.”

Mary Jo Lukach, the school’s guidance counselor, said she has had students complaining about problems stemming from conflicts online. She’s happy to have the speakers share ways to make sure children are safe online at home and at school.

“It’s very important that they are educated and that they think before they post something. And that’s why we brought these people in because we wanted them to see that their digital footprint does matter,” Lukach said.