Cyber bullying raised its ugly head again this week, with yet another story emerging about internet harassment between school students. A private school in Sydney has expelled two girls for posting gossip about their classmates on MySpace. The gossip included personal information about students’ drinking, drug use and supposed sexual leanings.
In response, the school has urged parents to confiscate their childrens mobile phones at night - and to keep computers out of their bedrooms.  But Wendy Protheroe, general manager of the children’s phone counselling service Kids Helpline, doesn’t think that’s necessarily the answer. Wendy’s been involved in research into cyber-bullying, and we asked her to share some advice on how parents can protect their children from it.

She said banning the phone and computer can isolate a bullying victim even more.

I’d like to hear your thoughts.

DISCUSSION POINTS

• If you’re a parent, have you taken any steps to help protect your kids from this kind of bullying, or to make them more aware and resilient?
 

• Have your children or young people you know, been victims of cyber bullying? If so, how did you respond?

• And has anyone you know got caught up in it as a bully or a perpetrator themselves? If so, what was driving that behaviour?
 
• Do you think bullying is becoming more damaging now that young people have the technology to spread nasty messages and images much more far and wide than ever before?
 
• How can we protect our young people from becoming victims, or perpetrators, of cyber bullying?