Social Networking Sites: Implications for Secondary
School Counselors
Social Networking Sites (SNS) first rose to popularity with teens with the advent of MySpace, in 2003, and Facebook, in 2004. The two web sites became widely used to communicate though messaging and online chatting and to share personal updates, photos, and music. Reviews by education researchers such as Gri-th and Liyanage (2008) suggest that SNS have immense value for promoting academic dialogue and social support for special interest groups. However, as the popularity of SNS expands among secondary school students, school officials, particularly school counselors, face a myriad of potential difficulties that often result from improper use. Academic dishonesty, cyberbulling, and exposure to possible sexual predation from adults are common issues associated with SNS (Livingston & Brake, 2010). Continued research on the incidence and nature of SNS misuse and victimization continues to inform policy development for secondary schools and secondary school counselors.
Most secondary school counselors are charged with implementing systems to support social-emotional wellness and reduce risky behaviors within their school communities. Student use of SNS poses an extremely complex variety of issues related to cyberbullying and risky behaviors, including sexual activity and substance abuse. Teens can use SNS such as MySpace and Facebook to post public or semi-private comments of a harassing nature, and on Facebook, for example, it's also possible to post photographs and videos. While both sites have policies regarding appropriate use and inappropriate content, information, videos, and photos can often be shared publically prior to being blocked or removed by the site administrators (Burgess, A., Patchin, J.W., Hinduja, S., 2010). The social-emotional issues associated with cyberbullying and the misuse and abuse of SNS can be serious and lasting. Students report problems with low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety after...
All that is left are the bullying words, without so much of the context that comes with face-to-face communications. Franek's surmised that children who have been cyberbullied are more likely to perform cyberbullying on others. With cyberbullying on the rise, this is of particular concern. "When asked if they had been buillied while online, 10% indicated yes. The 2006 NASSP publication News Leader indicated that 33% of all teens aged
2). This rapid growth and economic success clearly indicate that Facebook is doing something right to attract these numbers of young users and in finding ways to make money from them, but some critics suggest that there are some downsides to this growing popularity that should be recognized by school counselors as well and these issues are discussed further below. Why Facebook is a "Hot Topic" for School Counselors Given the
(Stasz, and Bodilly, 2004) In the press release by Mike Bowler and David Thomas (2005), High School Students Using Dual Enrollment Programs to Earn College Credits, New Reports Say. According to this report, the federal budget proposes to increase access to "dual enrollment" programs for at-risk students. Out of the approximately 2,050 institutions with dual enrollment programs, almost 110 institutions, or 5% (about 2% of all institutions) offered dual enrollment
Figure 1 portrays three of the scenes 20/20 presented March 15, 2010. Figure 1: Heather, Rachel, and Unnamed Girl in 20/20 Program (adapted from Stossel, 2010). Statement of the Problem For any individual, the death of a family member, friend, parent or sibling may often be overwhelming. For adolescents, the death of person close to them may prove much more traumatic as it can disrupt adolescent development. Diana Mahoney (2008), with the
Skills International School: Case Study/Case Study: Improving the Performance of Skill International Mission Statement Distributed Leadership Fundraising Ideas Communication plan (To Staff And Parents) Philosophy of staff development and retention This paper is a case study on issues that concern Skill International School leadership. Its major aim is to analyze the major approach employed in school leadership for complete improvement that lead to academic success. In an environment that is decentralized, school districts are adopting varied approaches
Similar to the suggestions offered by Gahala (2001), Brody (1995) identified several traits to be considered when developing a comprehensive professional development program. Among those traits include the reputation of the trainer, the rewards available to the participants, both tangible and intangible, and the support of the administration. Traditional staff development models have required everyone to participate at the same time and in the same location creating problems such
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