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As social networking evolves, communities and organizations find new ways to share information through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Foursquare, or myriad other outlets.

But officials at Manchester Essex Regional Middle/High School are sounding warnings to parents regarding what they say is an increasingly popular site called Ask.fm.

Unlike Facebook and other sites, the Latvia-based Ask.fm can be completely anonymous. And with Ask.fm, there is little to no accountability in potential cases of cyberbullying meaning that if a user posts a hateful message, there is no way to tell who did it, according to Manchester Essex Middle School Principal Steve Guditus.

School districts across Cape Ann and elsewhere are familiar with social networking sites, and many officials within all three districts have their own blogs and Twitter accounts, sharing educational goals, classroom activities, and the latest school sports updates.

Guditus, like Superintendent of Schools Pamela Beaudoin, has his own blog as well. But it was the new principal who first posted about Ask.fm and the dangers it could pose to students.

Gudituss blog post notes an uptick in Ask.fm use at the middle school.

Remember, technology itself is not the danger; students engaging in risky online behavior is the danger, Gudituss blog post reads. Please remind your child that his/her behavior both online and offline should be consistent. The message also appeared in the schools weekly newsletter.

Manchester Essex is not the only district on Cape Ann tackling the issue; Rockport Middle High School Principal Philip Conrad said he is familiar with Ask.fm as well.

Conrad said Rockport has a good relationship with other districts when it comes to cyberbullying. If a Rockport student happens to be involved with cyber harassment with a student from another community, the two schools are good at sharing information, he said.

We have had instances where a student of ours was a perpetrator, or victim (of cyberbullying) from students in other districts, he said. Weve got a good relationship in the neighborhood.

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Social media site draws parent warnings