Texto base: Texto para à questão. Mean Messages Bullies in Cyberspace Bullies have entered cyberspace. What can kids do to stop them? By Nicole Lorio Jessica felt that she could not escape. "I was in tears every day when I went to the computer," says Jessica, 12. What was making her life so miserable? A girl who had been picking on her at school started attacking her online. Jessica is not alone. Many kids are feeling the sting of online teasing. Bullying has moved beyond the schoolyard. It is now in cyberspace, the world of computer networks, and the problem is growing. Parry Aftab heads an organization that teaches kids how to deal with cyberbullies. Three thousand U.S. children were interviewed by Aftab’s organization in the past six months. They have found that 55% of kids age 9 to 14 have experienced some form of online bullying. "Cyberbullying is any way of using interactive technology to humiliate, frighten or target another child," she says. Computers, cell phones, pagers and interactive games are the weapons that cyberbullies use. Bullies send hateful e-mails and instant messages. They create websites with mean words and embarrassing pictures. They steal passwords and spread rumors. Cyberbullying may not inflict physical pain, but it causes emotional hurt. Making Cyberspace Safe The issue is now being addressed by schools, communities, parents and kids themselves. The nation's first cyberbullying summit was held on February 8 in White Plains, New York. More than 500 people attended. Kieran Halloran, 12, came with a group from his middle school. Kieran learned that if no one tries to stop online bullying, "the problem can grow." One solution to cyberbullying is education - teaching kids and adults how to deal with online attacks. Aftab's group trains students to become TeenAngels, who pass on antibullying advice to others. Mary Lou Handy, a middle school teacher in Ridgewood, New Jersey, advises a local branch of TeenAngels. "It's influential when it comes from one child to another," Handy says. "Kids (learn to) think on their feet." Available at: TFK magazine. Accessed on: Mar. 14th, 2005. (Adapted). Vocabulary

sting: (here) the pain

teasing: provocation, irritation

heads: is the leader of

mean: malicious, sordid

rumors: talk or opinion widely disseminated and coming from an unknown origin, but generally, not true

summit: conference; meeting

branch: division; a separate but dependent part of an organization

think on their feet: say or do something frankly and spontaneously

Enunciado:

Read the following statements. Which ones are false, and which are true according to the text? Mark the correct alternative.

1. TeenAngels are kids and teens trained to help others with antibullying advice.

2. The first cyberbullying conference happened in New Jersey.

3. Both Parry Aftab and Mary Lou Handy are teachers and work in the same school advising kids about bullying and cyberbullying.

4. Cyberbullying causes more emotional than physical harm.