Did you know that about one-third of online teenagers, ages 12-17, have been cyberbullied?
According to stopcyberbullying.org, Cyberbullying is when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones. Despite progress in defining and identifying cyberbullying, confusion remains surrounding exactly what constitutes cyber bullying. It might help to first understand some of the various ways your child could be the target of a cyberbully. Here are the laws against cyberbullying in every state provided through the National Conferences of State Legislature
Common types of Cyberbullying
Harassment- In order for a behavior to be labeled as harassment, it must be repetitive and offensive. And for it to be considered a form of cyber bullying, it must occur online. Online harassment is common among kids who use e-mail, instant messaging, text messaging, and social networking sites. Harassment is probably the simplest way to bully another child online. A bully can send hundreds of hostile e-mail messages and can enlist the help of her friends to do the same.
Flaming- Flaming can be described as a contentious or heated online exchange between two or more kids. It usually begins as a normal interaction in a chat room, on a discussion board, or even during an instant-messaging session.
Denigration- When a child is the victim of denigration, it means that someone has spread a lie or started a malicious rumor with the intention of maligning the victim's character and reputation. This can be carried out numerous ways: an e-mail or instant message containing false accusations and statements could be sent out to other students; a slanderous statement could be posted on a website or social networking site; a nasty passage could be written about the victim in an online slam book; or a photo of the victim could be digitally altered and posted online or sent via e-mail to others with the sole intention to humiliate and embarrass the victim.
Impersonation- This is where one child poses as or impersonates another child (the victim). Great harm can be wreaked if a child's online identity is stolen and it is made to look like the victim sent hateful or hurtful communications to others.
Outing- When someone shares personal information that was meant to remain private, it is called outing. Girls tend to use this method of cyber bullying more than boys due to the more intimate nature of their relationships. When two girls get in a fight, chances are good that both girls have a stockpile of personal information that they can share with others online that will hurt, embarrass, or humiliate.
Exposure- This is when kids post inappropriate photos or videos online. In the past, when a kid took an embarrassing or compromising photograph of another kid, just a few people were likely to see it. It might get passed around in school or at soccer practice, but the power to embarrass and humiliate was fairly limited. Today, that photo can be posted online for millions to see, and it can hang around in cyberspace forever and come back to haunt the victim even in adulthood. In the past, when kids would fight, it would be a similar situation. There might have been a few kids who witnessed the fight and talked about it for days or weeks afterward, but when it was over it was over. Today, fistfights and beat-downs are being recorded with digital cameras and cell phones and uploaded to video-sharing websites like You-Tube. The fight is exposed to millions of viewers, who can watch it or forward it as many times as they please. This type of exposure leads to unending humiliation and victimization.
Exclusion- It hurts to be excluded from cliques and groups in real life, and it can hurt just as much to be excluded from online groups. A child can be suddenly blocked from sending e-mail or instant messages to one or more other people. A child can be denied being added as a friend on a social-networking site, and it can hurt as much as being blocked from sitting at a certain lunchroom table that suddenly becomes too full or a study group that has no room for one more. To be excluded from online social activity can be like a social death to some kids. Communicating online has become a natural extension of in-person socializing and when that communication is blocked or cut off, it can be devastating. The victim is left out and has to live with the knowledge that all the other kids are talking, gossiping, making plans, and having fun without them.
Signs of Cyberbullying
1. Social withdrawal- Your child stops playing games online or using the phone, and his or her comrades are mysteriously MIA.
2. Fear of technology- Your child spends evenings catching up on his or her reading instead of logging on, and appears nervous when text messages pop up.
3. Bad behavior- Teens might start getting in trouble as a way to get their frustrations out because they are being cyberbullied.
4. Ask around- Odds are your child told his or her best friend about the cruel comments made about his or her weight in a chat room, and then they told their mom. Check in with parents you trust.
5. See for yourself- If all else fails, Internet parental controls and monitoring software -- as well as regular, honest chats about your kid's online life -- can help you identify an elusive bully.
Ways to protect your child from being cyberbullied
- Never share information about their online activities, such as their gaming name or passwords that could be used against them.
- Never respond to a cyberbully’s attacks, which will only escalate the abuse.
- Save abusive messages or websites as evidence in case the bully needs to be reported to authorities.
- Report abuse—Every Internet service should have a code of conduct and way for you can to notify them about abuse.
Here are some safety pledges that all children are encouraged to look at and memorize before they embark on a journey in to the cyber world.
