Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is a term that is used to describe when children are being threatened, teased, tormented, humiliated, harassed, embarrassed or targeted by one or more children through the use of the internet, mobile phones and other digital technologies. It is referred to as cyberbullying when there is instigation by one minor against another.
When an adult is involved with the harassment it is referred to as cyberstalking or cyber harassment. Adults that try to lure children into a meeting offline are called sexual exploitation or sexual predator luring. Occasionally a minor will use the internet to offer another child sex to a sexual predator, this is still considered cyberbullying when the initiation is done by a minor. Learn about CyberBullying Prevention now!
CyberBullying is Serious
There are several methods of cyberbullying and the bully may change roles going from the bully to the victim and back again. Cyberbullying is a serious matter, many children have performed violent acts as a result of bullying, including committing suicide as a result of being cyberbullied and in some situations, and children have killed other children as a result of being bullied.
In most situations, cyberbullying is not a one-time incident, unless the first treatment becomes serious enough to cause bodily harm or death. Children know what cyberbullying is when they see it, but many parents are initially more concerned about the explicit language used as opposed to the embarrassment and hurtfulness resulting from the post or text. Scroll down below for more on Cyberbullying Prevention.
How to Prevent Cyberbullying
Cyber safety is important and one of the first steps in preventing cyberbullying is for parents to understand that their child may be both a cyberbully and a victim. It is often difficult for parents and caregivers to recognize that a child is a bully or being bullied.
Parents have obligations and therefore cannot monitor everything their children are doing online, however, there are some steps that a victim or a parent can do in an effort to reach Cyberbullying Prevention.
- Cyberbullying Prevention: Talking to children about cyber safety may seem like common sense, but it is one of the most effective forms of prevention. When online, everyone is a stranger and children should never accept anything or talk to a stranger. Children must be taught that it is easy for someone to hide behind a mask when online. Keep in mind that the 14-year-old kid you are talking to may not actually be another kid, but instead a predator pretending to be someone your age just to earn your trust.
- Cyberbullying Prevention: Do a Google search to find out if there are any inappropriate pictures, posts or other information about you. By doing a few different searches using “your name” images or “your name” news, you will be able to locate content that may have been posted without your knowledge.
- Cyberbullying Prevention: Utilize the privacy settings on all of the websites you use, especially social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter. Social networking sites have adjustable settings so you can choose who sees your posts and personal information. Check these settings on a regular basis to make sure policies weren’t changed that interfered with your settings.
- Cyberbullying Prevention: Personal information must remain personal. Do not give out any details that may identify you to others, including school name, address, phone number, credit card number or passwords. Your passwords are used for a reason and sharing this information with friends is the same as inviting someone to invade your privacy. Parents should know their children’s passwords for every site they visit, including their email.
- Cyberbullying Prevention: Think before posting. The internet is a public domain and anything that you put out there will never be completely erased. Even if you are using email or a personal text, do not let anyone know embarrassing or sensitive secrets that you do not want anyone else to know.
- Cyberbullying Prevention: Speak up. If you know someone who is a cyberbully, call them on it, explain how their actions are hurtful to others and if they continue, tell an adult. If you or one of your friends is being cyberbullied, do not turn the other way. If it is your friend, talk to them about the situation and encourage them to talk to an adult about it. Sometimes, just giving your support to someone who is being cyberbullied is enough for them to overcome the situation.
Learn how to prevent Cyberbullying and spread the word on Cyberbullying Prevention Now!