What is Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place using electronic technology. Electronic technology includes devices and equipment such as cell phones, computers, and tablets as well as communication tools including social media sites, text messages, chat, and websites.
Examples of cyberbullying include mean text messages or emails, rumours sent by email or posted on social networking sites, and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles.
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Why Cyberbullying is Different
People who are being cyberbullied are often bullied in person as well. Additionally, people who are cyberbullies have a harder time getting away from the behaviour.
Cyberbullying can happen 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and reach a person even when he or she is alone. It can happen any time of the day or night.
Cyberbullying messages and images can be posted anonymously and distributed quickly to a very wide audience. It can be difficult and sometimes impossible to trace the source.
Deleting inappropriate or harassing messages, texts, and pictures is extremely difficult after they have been posted or sent.
Effects of Cyberbullying
Cell phones and computers themselves are not to blame for cyberbullying. Social media sites can be used for positive activities, like connecting kids with friends and family, helping students with school, research, acquiring news and information, for entertainment and so much more. But these tools can also be used to hurt other people. Whether done in person or through technology, the effects of bullying are similar.
People who are cyberbullied are more likely to:
- Use alcohol and drugs
- Experience in-person bullying
- Be unwilling to attend public events
- Receive poor grades
- Have lower self-esteem
- Have more health problems
Frequency of Cyberbullying
The 2013-2014 School Crime Supplement (National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Justice Statistics) indicates that 7% of students in grades 6–12 experienced cyberbullying.
The 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey finds that 15% of University students were electronically bullied in the past year.
Research on cyberbullying is growing. However, because technology use changes rapidly, it is difficult to design surveys that accurately capture trends.
Ways to Prevent Cyberbullying
• To stay safe with technology, teach your kids to:
• Refuse to pass along cyberbullying messages.
• Tell their friends to stop cyberbullying.
• Block communication with cyberbullies; delete messages without reading them.
• Never post or share their personal information online (including full name, address, telephone number, school name, parents’ names, credit card number, or Social Security number) or their friends’ personal information.
• Never share their Internet passwords with anyone, except you.
• Talk to you about their life online.
• Not put anything online that they wouldn’t want their classmates to see, even in email.
• Not send messages when they’re angry or upset.
• Always be as polite online as they are in person.
Source: National Crime Prevention Council
Stop Cyberbullying today, protect your loved ones from cyberbullyies.
For more info: Visit http://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/what-is-it/index.html
