ADL Launches New Curriculum

New York, NY, January 29, 2008 … Amid increasing reports that some youth are misusing Internet and cell phone technology to bully and harass others, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has introduced a free curriculum designed to help students and teachers recognize and confront cyberbullying.  Described as intentional harm inflicted through electronic media, cyberbullying is a growing threat that affects almost half of all U.S. teens.

ADL's new Cyberbullying: Understanding and Addressing Online Cruelty curriculum was designed by the League's A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute to increase awareness about the problem and to provide educators with the tools to empower young people to respond productively to online bullying, social aggression, and hate.

"Cyberbullying is a serious threat facing young people today, and it can easily go unnoticed amid the privacy of electronic interactions, while causing tangible harm in the real world," said Ed S. Alster, ADL's Director of Education.  "While it is difficult to police the online world, given its vastness and anonymity, the best countermeasure against hate is education.  Our young people need to know about the dangers of cyberbullying and be equipped with the skills to respond effectively."

The cyberbullying curriculum is part of a nationwide educational initiative launched by ADL in November 2007, in which the League's anti-bias experts engage with students, parents and educators to increase awareness about the problem and help young people respond.

More information about the League's cyberbullying initiative is available at http://www.adl.org/education/cyberbullying/.