'Leave Amber Cole Alone' Pledge Works to Fight Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is in full force. Each and every day, our teenagers are subjected to cyberbullying for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately, some teenagers act in a manner that is deemed inappropriate by societal norms and, as a result, the teen is cyberbullied.

In an effort to stop the cyberbulling of one teen - Amber Cole - parents are banding together to develop Twitter hashtags, Facebook pages, and even independent pledge websites to leave Amber Cole alone. While the behavior of Amber Cole should be addressed by her parents, school administrators, and counselors, it is not the responsibility of cyberbullies to address her behavior. Nonetheless, the bullying continues.

What would you do as a parent? Would you create a pledge site, like 'Leave Amber Cole Alone', or would you ignore the subject? While this may not be your child, it is an issue that must be addressed by parents now that the cyberbullying as begun. While her behavior is not our responsibility to manage, we, as parents, must manage the behaviors of our teens. As parents, we have that power and the influence to encourage our teens to behavior a certain way. Cyberbullying a teen, such as Amber Cole, who has made a mistake is not the solution. Ultimately, a teen in this situation will experience complications with depression or other secondary mental health issues if we continue to allow the cyberbullying to continue. And, I'm sure, this is not what any parent wants to hear.

So, whether your teen is involved in this situation or not - take this time to discuss cyberbullying and encourage your teen to avoid engaging in such behavior no matter how hot the topic of discussion may be. In addition, be sure to encourage your teen to influence their peers in the effort to 'Leave Amber Cole Alone' - as well as any other teen who may be subjected to cyberbullying.