Posted June 12, 2012

In a school year filled with selfless acts by Shaker High School students to combat bullying, another group of students has stepped up to help those individuals convicted of cyberbullying and sexting.

A group of 12 theatre students at Shaker High School, working in conjunction with the NYS Office of Family and Child Services, provided the images and voiceovers for an informative video that discusses the terrible impact that cyberbullying and sexting have. The videos are shown to people who have been convicted of these acts as part of a state mandated rehabilitation program. The videos get at why these acts are wrong and how one can make better choices in life, while helping others make better choices too.

One of the videos depicts a boy who receives a text of provocative photo from a girl who likes him on his cell phone. He then sends that photo to his friends and many others in his school. The video talks about why this was wrong and possible ways to have addressed this situation in a more mature fashion.

“When our students were recording these videos, they kept coming to me asking ‘Why would people do stuff like this’,” SHS social studies teacher and theatre instructor Liana Martino said. “I think they were struck by how terrible some of these acts are.”

Martino, who helped coordinate the project, took a lot of pride in how her students conducted themselves given the subject matter.

“By nature, they are helpful and welcoming kids,” she said. “I don’t think they understood the impact they were making. To them, they weren’t doing anything out of the ordinary. I enjoyed watching them contribute to their community. It makes me smile.”

Earlier today, a state official said New York could announce as early as this week a legislative deal to crack down on cyber bullying in schools through social media. The bill combines measures sought by the Assembly's Democratic majority and the Senate's Republican majority. Each chamber seeks to crack down on threatening or insulting e-mails, instant messages and postings to social media including Facebook.

More than 30 states have cyber harassment measures.