Laws Aside – Is Your Teen Vulnerable To Cyberbullying?

Digitally-equipped teens have great fun with all their ways of connecting to the world. Cell phones and laptops are valuable and entertaining tools. But any tool can become a weapon, and these are no exceptions

For some families, they're intercommunication lifelines. For others, they're status symbols. But any family that can afford such devices, however well-meaning, leaves teens open to intimidation on a scale that dwarfs anything that's been known in the past. They've also redrawn the communication boundaries between parents and kids.

New Jersey is one of 46 states with anti-bullying legislation on the books, and one of 36 that specify cyberbullying. But intimidation knows no school-campus boundaries, and the responsibilities of school officials to intervene outside their grounds remains a grey area.

Scores of parents have registered for a candid discussion of the matter Thursday night at the Ocean County Library Toms River Branch. They'll see a video, "Sticks and Stones," created by the Bergen County Prosecutor's office, and dialogue with two Ocean County experts in cybercrimes, teen issues and juvenile delinquency - Detective Jim Hill and Assistant Prosecutor Anthony Pierro.

They'll discuss the signs that parents should understand and ways that families can seek solutions together. There will be ample time for questions and answers after the presentation.