AUBURN – Cell phones and the Internet have become the preferred method of aggression for Middle School kids, according to a spokeswoman for StandUp!, a program to prevent cyber bullying.

“Kids are using technology to spread gossip faster and to more people,” according to Shanterra McBride, official speaker for the StandUp! program sponsored by Unicel. “There is increased anxiety around not knowing how long a message has been posted or how many people saw it, and there is also greater embarrassment because more people saw it.”

McBride, 32, of the District of Columbia has visited 16 cities across the United States, and gave two presentations in Maine on Tuesday to educate students and parents on how to prevent cyber bullying. A third speaking engagement at Auburn Middle school was canceled, but McBride was on-hand at the Unicel store on Center Street on Tuesday night to answer questions on the program.

Presentations include educating parents on how teens are using technology to tease or harass their peers. Unicel sponsors the programs across the country because it learned how kids were using their cell phones and wanted to be proactive in educating people about the issue.

“The best thing we can do is teach our children to responsibly use technology,” said Ryann Tash, a senior sales coordinator for Unicel.

The answer is not to take away their technology, which McBride said she hears a lot from parents. “We need to teach them to be responsible with it and that technology is a gift, not a right.”

Cyber bullying “happens five ways: instant messaging, Web sites, e-mail, text messaging, and pictures from cell phones,” McBride said.

“‘Words will never hurt'” is a lie because words do hurt,” McBride said, citing an old schoolyard taunt.

“If they start withdrawing, not wanting to use the computer or their cell phone as much, it can be a sign that they’re being harassed,” McBride said.

Students should tell an adult they trust if they are being harassed, McBride said, adding that many don’t tell their parents in fear of having their computers or cell phones taken away.

She also teaches kids that they can prevent cyber bullying by choosing not to participate in it; to log out of the chat room or delete a message if gossip is taking place.

“If you stop, it can stop,” McBride tells kids during her presentations.

A guide on “What every parent should know about cyber bullying,” and how parents can monitor their child’s technology activity is available at Unicel stores. It is also available online at unicel.com.

McBride urges parents to stop by their local cell phone store when their child is not with them and ask the sales clerk to teach them how to use a phone like the one their child has.

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