App for teens turns smartphones into safe driving tools
We know that cellphones and driving don't mix. Despite the accidents and known risks, 89% of teens say they reply to a text message or email within five…
Safety & Security
Student critically wounded on first day of school, teacher subdues gunman
A 17-year-old student is in critical condition after he was shot on the first day of school today in a Baltimore suburb and a quick thinking teacher subdued…
As school year starts, states tackle cyber bullying
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Corporal punishment reigns in many Southern schools
Corporal punishment is still surprisingly legal in many Southern public schools, Takepart.com reports.
Police propose storing assault rifles in high schools to protect students
An Illinois community southwest of Chicago is astir after the local police chief proposed a new method to protect students: bring more guns to school, the Huffington Post…
Karen Klein puts $75,000 toward anti-bullying foundation
After a viral video of her being antagonized by a group of middle schoolers sparked an outpouring of support from more than 32,000 online strangers, Karen Klein is…
Almost 1 in 5 teens smokes or uses drugs at school, U.S. students report
Eighty-six percent of American high school students report that some of their classmates use alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs during the school day, the Christian Science Monitor reports.
Online ‘burn books’ sparking controversy
You have a big nose. Your butt is huge. You're ugly. You smell. These insults—and much worse—are popping up on the internet in “burn book” accounts that are…
AT&T working on way for parents to disable texting and calling for driving teens
By now you're probably — and hopefully — very clear on the dangers of texting while driving, not to mention the hefty ticket you can get if caught…
How to protect your social network accounts from hackers
If you haven’t read about Wired reporter Mat Honan’s ordeal at the hands of malicious hackers, take some time and read it now, PC World reports. (I’ll wait.)…
Google to include people’s Gmail in search results
Google is creating an information bridge between its influential internet search engine and its widely used Gmail service in its latest attempt to deliver more personal responses more…
Delaware bans colleges from requiring students’ social media passwords
Should a university be able to edit a student’s Facebook profile or check his private tweets? Absolutely not, said the Delaware state legislature, as it recently passed the…
HIV-positive boy eyes offer after Hershey School reverses rejection
A 9th-grader from the Philadelphia area was considering an admissions offer by a private boarding school after it announced a new policy to treat HIV-positive applicants the same…
Missouri school district to begin drug testing students
About 80 percent of Maryville School District’s 700 middle and high school students will be subject to random drug testing this coming school year, the St. Joseph News-Press…
Feds’ new anti-bullying campaign targets parents
Parents are urged to teach their kids to speak up if they witness school bullying in new ads that target an issue that top Obama administration officials vow…
Unintended consequences of FTC’s new COPPA children’s online privacy rules
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a revised set of proposed rules (PDF) regarding the implementation of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the Huffington Post…
Charity pays for teen’s plastic surgery to avoid bullying
Nadia Ilse is looking forward to the new school year, when she will no longer be called "Dumbo" by her peers for her "elephant ears," the Huffington Post…
Guns at school
“Guns have no place in schools,” Arizona State University President Michael Crow was quoted as saying by the Arizona Republic when Gov. Jan Brewer issued a surprise veto…
New online safety curriculum helps schools document CIPA compliance
Starting this month, schools receiving federal e-Rate funding must have updated internet safety policies that show how they will educate minors about appropriate online behavior. Now, a new…
Tennessee Valley schools to get free weather alerts
Former WAAY-TV meteorologist Brad Huffines might no longer be on the air alerting people to approaching storms, but he's dedicated his life to getting the word out about…
N.Y. adopts cyber bullying measure—without stronger penalties
New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation putting more responsibility on schools to monitor and report incidents of cyber bullying, reports the Buffalo News—but the new measure…
Does Facebook use lead to depression? No, says Wisconsin study
A study of university students is the first evidence to refute the supposed link between depression and the amount of time spent on Facebook and other social media…
Survey: Teens use their tech skills to hide online activity
From clearing their browser history to creating private eMail addresses, teens are increasingly leveraging their tech-savvy skills to hide their online activities from their parents, reports the Great…
Having trouble getting online? Call your provider
Having trouble getting online July 9? You might be one of thousands across the U.S. who waited too long or simply didn't believe the warnings, and your internet…
New course is like traffic school for sexting
Students who send explicit photos on their cell phones wouldn’t have to be branded as sex offenders, if a new curriculum developed by Yahoo! Inc. catches on.
Arizona districts required to monitor online activities
Beginning this week, school districts in Arizona are required to teach cyberbullying awareness and monitor online chats and social media in schools, in keeping with a bolstered Children’s…
Bullied school bus monitor ‘fine’ with bully punishment
The upstate New York school bus monitor who was bullied by four seventh-graders says she's satisfied that they're being suspended for a year, the Associated Press reports.
How a lone grad student scooped the government—and what it means for your online privacy
As the FTC tries to protect consumers’ online privacy—by publishing a report targeting the data-collection practices of mobile apps for kids, for instance, and launching a voluntary Do…
Project to evaluate use of tablets in schools
Tablets—with their lightweight portability and interactive touch screens—have been hailed as the next “must have” as schools move toward mobile computing. But questions linger: How much network access…
Bullying of teachers more damaging in online era
The bullying that bus monitor Karen Klein endured on a ride home from an upstate New York school was painful and egregious, but also shows how student harassment…
Video shows kids bullying school bus monitor; now, the questions
This article is no longer available.
Texas teacher removed for instructing Salinas Elementary students to hit bully
A Texas teacher will lose her job after ordering more than 20 kindergartners to line up and hit a classmate accused of being a bully, a district spokesman…
New site offers a whole new approach to online safety
While schools are right in teaching students about the dangers that exist online, a new website aims to promote the benefits of internet use—as well as bridge the…
Should bullies be treated as criminals?
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Why Romney officials objected to an antibullying document
Former governor Mitt Romney’s administration in 2006 blocked publication of a state antibullying guide for Massachusetts public schools because officials objected to use of the terms “bisexual’’ and…
One-third of U.S. teens report texting while driving: CDC
A new federal study shows dramatic improvement in the driving habits of U.S. high school students, but texting by teenagers behind the wheel is a concern, the Centers…
Feds: Older teens often text behind the wheel
More than half of U.S. students in their last year before college admit they text or eMail while driving—the first federal statistics on how common the dangerous habit…
Massachusetts teen sentenced to prison for texting while driving
A Massachusetts teenager was sentenced Wednesday to two years in prison and loss of his license for 15 years for causing a fatal crash by texting while driving,…
Schools turn up their noses at pink slime
The nation's school districts are turning up their noses at "pink slime," the beef product that caused a public uproar earlier this year, the Associated Press reports.
New concussion-management service targets schools
Sports concussions have captured public attention in recent years, with high-profile NFL players and other professional athletes stepping forward about the long-term effects of sports-related head injuries. Now,…