Police Tackle Cyber Harassment At Long Valley Middle School

LONG VALLEY, NJ — As technology becomes more prevalent in the daily lives of young children and teenagers, learning internet safety rules as well as anti-harassment lessons appears to be more important.

Last week, Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Samantha DeNegri and Sergeant Patrick LaGuerre from the Morris County Prosecutor's Office visited Long Valley Middle School in Washington Township and gave a presentation about bias, cyber harassment, and making smart social media choices.

The MCPO regularly conducts presentations at schools throughout Morris County to educate local youth about using good judgment when interacting with others online or in school.

“The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office shares an absolute commitment to help our students understand the long-term damage that can result from these behaviors, as well as identifying strategies to resist such actions,” Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll said.

The informational presentation was organized in part by the Long Valley Middle School PTA, school officials said.

Both DeNegri and LaGuerre stressed during their presentation that students should be mindful of what they post on social media because how they conduct themselves online can have an impact on their future.

Today's social media and technology record everything, including photos and messages that many children believed were deleted or only temporary, as well as those they believed were private.

The presentation also differentiated between bias crimes and bias incidents, warning students that their school administrators could choose to take disciplinary action even if the incident was not considered criminal.

With a generation of youth using electronic means of communication and creating content online, it is critical for parents to have open communication with their children about content sharing, including the importance of exercising good judgment when interacting with others online.

County officials recommend that parents have age-appropriate conversations with their children as soon as they give their child access to any technological device, as both boys and girls are involved in these potentially dangerous behaviors.