I was very humbled while watching the videos about the two teens who were victims of cyber bullying. It was tragic seeing the parents of Megan feel a sense of responsibility for their daughter's death. This leads me to question the role of parents and teachers in cyber bullying.
I was talking to a fellow teacher about inappropriate Instagram pictures. She was contacted by a parent to handle the situation about harmful comments made through the app. This led into a discussion about the role of teachers vs parents. I was unaware that I was supposed to be involved in cyber bullying that was done outside of school. My thought was that parents are the role models for their children, and that the cyber world fell into their realm of responsibility.
In the article, the author made a comment that by being a bystander, you are making a choice to ignore the situation. I haven't been approached by any cyberbullying issues from my students or parents, but I do feel a sense of responsibility to contact parents, the principal, and the police, if a call to action is deemed necessary.
To prevent both tragedies, I think that both parents and teachers need to take an active role in the online lives of children. This means that they must develop a trusting relationship that is not seen as making adult figures the "bad guys." I would want my own future children to feel comfortable knowing that I am on their side if they were in a harmful online situation. I don't blame Megan's parents for their child's death, but I do think these matters can be prevented. It was very evident that their daughter was having lots of harmful thoughts -- perhaps more communication at home would have been useful.
Educational programs for both students and parents would be beneficial. I think teachers can play an active role in addressing cyberbullying and giving students steps to take if they feel like a victim. The world can be a mean place, and kids need to know that they aren't alone. There are many resources available, and suicide should never be a solution to a temporary problem.