Workshop in Boerum Hill teaches teens how to prevent cyberbullying

The event on Monday was part of a workshop held by AT&T in partnership with Hunter College and the Tyler Clementi Organization.

News 12 Staff

Mar 10, 2020, 1:42 AM

Updated 1,501 days ago

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Students at the Brooklyn High School of the Arts in Boerum Hill learned about cyberbullying and how to stop it from happening.
The event on Monday was part of a workshop held by AT&T in partnership with Hunter College and the Tyler Clementi Organization.
A Brooklyn High School of the Arts 10th grader shared one instance she saw a girl being cyberbullied.
"People decided to pick on her dental flaws and make memes about her and just publicly embarrass her," said 10th grader Camille Rhoden.
The group of students who participated in the workshop learned how to be #upstanders to interrupt cyberbullying and helping victims.
"When you know it's wrong you should say something. You should reach out to a trusted adult,” said Director of External Affairs NYC AT&T Robin White.
There’s a good chance somebody knows a high school student who has experienced some sort of cyberbullying.
AT&T conducted a poll and found that one out of every two high school students in the city has experienced some form of cyberbullying.
Students from Hunter College led the workshop by sharing with the younger kids experiences that are more relatable.
"While maybe none of the petty things that had happened in high school were very important then, they do have an effect on them, and I feel like they should be vigilant in like learning how to handle these situations," said Hunter College senior Kyle Cleary.
Students also engaged deep in conversation with the college students, talking about examples of cyberbullying, how to recognize it and how to step in.
The teens were happy that something is being done to protect them and their friends.
"I hope to continue to talk about it share my experience, tell people that it happens, and it's not okay. But the more you speak out about it, the more people know that they're not alone," said 10th grader Alicia Acosta.
AT&T hopes to bring their upstander program to more schools around the city and stop more instances of cyberbullying.


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