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MCC Daily Tribune Archive

Video Produced at PSTF Used in Monroe County Cyberbullying Initiative


On Monday, December 15th, Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks helped launch a county initiative aimed at preventing cyberbullying among teen and children Monday. As part of the initiative, educational DVDs, brochures and posters will be sent to middle schools and posted on the Internet after the first of the year.

The training video portion of the initiative was produced by the Public Safety Training Facility's Video Production Department consisting of John Frontuto and Daren Hammond.

"This material is really targeted for middle schools -- those grades 7 to 9, where it's very difficult to supervise because of the mobile capabilities going on," said Steve Bowman, County Public Safety Director. "The materials provide strategies for responding to these indicators, early indicators, in actual events."

Nearly 42 percent of children in the country have reported being cyberbullied online and 53 percent admit to having said something hurtful to another person online.

County Executive Maggie Brooks said, "No child should ever be ridiculed or tormented by their peers. As a mother, hearing tragic stories of young lives being taken as a result of being cyberbullied is devastating and heartbreaking. We cannot, and will not, allow our community to have its own tragic story."

The materials include tips for parents and teachers on how to prevent and recognize cyberbullying, ways it can be prevented and warning signs of cyberbully victims.

A grant secured by Senator Joe Robach made funding for the cyberbullying prevention campaign possible.

John Frontuto
PSTF
12/18/2008