November 2011 Blog Children are often faced with media influences that are in direct conflict to what our faith teaches. Social media is a natural part of their day. While the Internet can be instant information it can also be a source of concern for what your child is viewing when it is unfiltered. How do we teach our children to use technology for good, to know when to turn away from and report what is inappropriate? The concerns often start as a personal exchange that can quickly grow when electronics are brought into the situation. An article on the front page of the “Denver Post” on November 7th, “Nearly half of teens sexually harassed in school” quoted a study released by the American Association of University Women, that 48% of students in grades seven through 12th experienced some form of sexual harassment in person or electronically last school year. Even more alarming was the statistic that only nine percent report the harassment to an adult at school. The students surveyed were asked for recommendations on how to reduce sexual harassment in school and online. The first recommendation was that the harassers be punished, next that the school have a clear policy that is published and enforced. Next, all students should know their rights and finally, students should have a means of reporting anonymously. Notre Dame Catholic School has these recommendations in place, and did just this week install a lock box for anonymous reporting. The locked box is mounted outside of the art room on the second floor. It is in an area where all children in the school have access. The name of the box is S.N.A.P. the acronym means, “Students Need Assistance and Praise”; the idea for the name came from the October 7, 2011 issue of “Time For Kids”. The teachers and I will make the children aware of the box and encourage them to use the box as a means of reporting concerns. This is a way of providing anonymity while giving our students another means of reporting. Of course, we will continue to encourage children to tell an adult if there are concerns.