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Newsbytes
October - Bully
Awareness and Prevention Month - Press Release
2020
 Talk
with your kids about
cyberbullying
Oregon
Cyberbullying Laws
Solutions
and Prevention of Cyber Bullying Among Youth – Complete
Guide 2020
A
Comprehensive Cyberbullying Guide for
Parents: Updated:
June 7, 2018
Cyberbullying:
What Parents Can Do to Protect Their
Children
(12 page PDF)
Cyberbullying
facts and statistics for
2016/2017
11
Facts About Cyber Bullying
Looking
for Cyberbullies? Try Instagram
Nationwide
teen bullying and cyberbullying study reveals significant
issues impacting youth
Understanding
Cyberbullying in College: Tips, Tools & Solutions for
Recognizing and
Stopping
Bullying in Social Media and
Online
Teen
Victims of Cyberbullying More Likely to Abuse Drugs and
Alcohol: Study
Students
Take On Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying
Quiz: Have you ever been
Cyberbullied?
Why
Do Kids Bully Each Other Online?
Top
Ten Mistakes
Simple
Avoidance Tactics
If
You Have Been Harassed Online: What to
Do
If
It Does Happen
Revenge
porn law
Where
Do You Report It?
Professional
Tennis Player Retires Following Cyber-Bullying
Incident
 Cyberbullying
& Suicide
Pediatric
Emergency Department Visits for Mental Health Crisis:
Prevalence of Cyber-Bullying in Suicidal Youth
Death
Hyperlink: Internet Suicide Pacts: Medical Journal Warns
of 'Cybersuicide' Trend
Suicide
| Suicide
Index
Bullying
and suicide |
Bullying
and Suicide Index
Cyberbullying
and Suicide
(2 page PDF)
Cyberbullying
and Teen Suicide
Bullying,
cyberbullying, and suicide
Bullying,
Cyberbullying, & Suicide
Statistics
Bullying,
Cyberbullying and Teen Suicide
Is
there a connection between cyberbullying and
suicide?
Young
victims of cyberbullying twice as likely to attempt
suicide and self-harm, study
finds
Cyberbullying
makes young people twice as likely to self harm or
attempt suicide
Bullying,
Cyberbullying, and Suicide Among US Youth: Our Updated
Research Findings
Victimized
Teens Six Times More Likely to Attempt
Suicide
What
Drives a Person to Suicide?
When
Suicide Summons
Suicide:
From the Edge and Back Again
How
to Survive Suicidal Thoughts
How
to Communicate Suicidal
Feelings
Suicidal?
10 Tips for Keeping Yourself
Alive
Suicide
Awareness: The Family Secret
Suicidal
Thoughts Are Not Weak
5
Self-Care Tips During Recovery from a Suicide
Attempt
Change
Suicidal Thoughts by Asking “Says Who?”
What
Can Be Done to Reduce the Risk of
Suicide
Your
Suicide Attempt Doesn’t Make You
Unloveable
CyberStalking
Links
Resources
Cyberbullying:
Identification, Prevention, &
Response - 2019 (9 page PDF)
Cyberbullying: The
complete resource guide
Parenting
Online
Resources
Cyberbullying:
What Is Cyberbullying and How to Stop It - An
overview
What
is doxxing (with examples) and how do you avoid
it
Merchandise
- Single card - $1.00 includes shipping, Positive
Parenting Pack (all 34 cards) - $13.00 plus shipping
Related Facing History
Resources:
www.facinghistory.org/resources/lesson_ideas/nios-1
ostracism.facinghistory.org/
Related NIOS Videos:
7:57
Students
Take On Cyberbullying
Source: www.niot.org/nios/lesson/lesson-idea-%E2%80%9Cstudents-take-cyberbullying%E2%80%9D
Talk
with your kids about cyberbullying
Cyberbullying has intensified the experience of getting
bullied by literally shattering the walls between school and
home. There is no escape. Cyberbullying follows you
everywhere: home, summer camp, to Grandma’s
house.”
Fact is, it’s not
enough to say to a kid, “So don’t go online.
Don’t pick up the phone.” Could you follow that
advice? I sure couldn’t. Young people are passionate
about their reputations. They’re also developmentally
unable to understand that anything beyond their personal
hell exists.
With a recent study
showing that youth spend nearly every waking moment with a
device in their hand, we want to share some of advice on how
to talk with your child about cyberbullying and digital
citizenship.
Experts say there are
some guidelines parents can follow to protect their
children, at least until they're old enough to make
decisions for themselves.
1. Monitor the use of
your child’s photo online. Many cyberbullies will take
your child’s photo and manipulate it in ways that are
damaging or embarrassing. Be very careful about the images
your child presents online, especially those coming from
cell phones.
2. Watch out for cell
phones, period. If you can’t figure it out, regardless
of whether your child is dying to have it, don't buy
it.
3. Regularly check in
with kids and gauge the emotional tenor of the social
network. Ask "What happened online today" right after you
ask "How was school today." Often, simply raising questions
and having an open discussion are the best ways to find out
whether children are encountering inappropriate pressure
online.
4. Set, then obey, age
limits. If you’re child is under 13 they DO NOT belong
on Facebook. Parents need to enforce that rule and not play
ostrich. All conversations need to be age appropriate. Say
"sexting" to a 13-year-old, but not to a
10-year-old.
5. Know who your kids
are talking to. Don’t assume -- there is no profile for
a cyberbully or a victim.
It's not about
spying. Teach your kids to seek out an adult, such as
yourself, if they are online and one of the ' four Ds'
occurs: something Dangerous, Destructive, Derogatory, or
Damaging.
6. Teach kids to let
it roll off their backs. Advise your kids not to make
comments or join in spiteful threads. Be
nice. Emphasize
the positive: “I see you as a person with enormous
kindness, integrity and respect for others. I expect you to
be that same person when you’re using an electronic
device." Don’t forward negative communication or
respond back, but show it to a trusted adult.
7. The Internet is
forever. Remind kids constantly of its permanence. It's not
a great place to play a prank on someone, since it never
goes away and spreads like wildfire.
If you haven’t
had this conversation, or one like it, do not pass go. The
time is now.
Students Take On
Cyberbullying
Overview
In this lesson idea, the short video
“Cyberbullying” is explored through teaching
strategies such as pre-viewing, anticipation guides, four
corners, evaluating Internet resources, fishbowl and levels
of questions. By learning about cyberbullying and how
students in Watchung are taking a stand against online
bullying, students may think more deeply about this in their
own community.
Materials
Suggested Activities
Pre-viewing – Before
watching the video, identify the core issue the students are
attempting to address: cyberbulling. What does it mean to be
bullied online? What does friendship mean in person vs. in a
social network such as Facebook? How can students move from
being bystanders to becoming an upstander?
Then ask students to respond to the
following questions:
- What strategies might students use
to address these issues?
- What are the risks, if any, to
taking these steps?
- What challenges might students
confront?
- What would “success” in
addressing these issues look like? How could
“success” be measured?
- What resources do students need to
be successful?
- What might be the consequences of
doing nothing?
Anticipation guides —
Anticipation
guides
ask students to express an opinion about ideas before they
encounter them in a text of unit of study. Often teachers
ask students to return to their anticipation guides after
exploring new material, noting how their opinions may have
shifted or strengthened as a result of new information. Here
are examples of statements you can use to encourage students
to think about the ideas addressed in this video:
- Students are the most powerful
influence on their school’s tone and climate. They
decide what kind of behavior is acceptable and
unacceptable.
- Stepping in when you see someone
treated unfairly is easier in person than
online.
- It is unrealistic to think that
social networks (such as Facebook) can be places where
all students are treated fairly and kindly.
- If someone is verbally or
physically attacking another student – someone you
do not know – the best thing to do is stay out of
it.
- Cyberbulling is less harmful than
face to face bullying.
- Bystanders have the power to stop
injustice.
- If bullies knew their behavior was
unacceptable, they would stop acting that
way.
- The best way to stop teasing,
harassment and bullying is to have a stronger system of
enforcement and punishment.
(Note: Many teachers use the Four
Corners strategy to structure a conversation about
controversial statements.)
Not in Our School: Sample
Anticipation Guide:
Directions: Read the statement in the
left column. Decide if you strongly agree (SA), agree (A),
disagree (D), or strongly disagree (SD) with the statement.
Circle your response.
|
|
Your
Opinion
|
|
Statement
|
Strongly
Agree
|
Agree
|
Disagree
|
Strongly
Disagree
|
|
1. Students are the most
powerful influence on their school’s tone and
climate. They decide what kind of behavior is
acceptable and unacceptable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
2. Bystanders have the power
to stop or prevent injustice.
|
|
|
|
|
|
3. Stepping in when you see
someone treated unfairly is easier in person than
online.
|
|
|
|
|
|
4. The best way to stop
teasing, harassment and bullying is to have a
stronger system of enforcement and
punishment.
|
|
|
|
|
|
5. If someone is verbally or
physically attacking another student – someone
you do not know – the best thing to do is to
stay out of it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
6. It is unrealistic to think
that social networks (such as Facebook) can be
places where all students are treated fairly and
kindly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
7. If someone is verbally or
physically attacking your friend, the best thing to
do is to stay out of it.
|
|
|
|
|
Using web resources on school
climate, bullying and hate crimes: After having students
watch the video you might want to have them explore some of
the following resources to learn more about school climate,
bullying and hate crimes. Students can report back to the
class about what they found. Or, you can use information
from these websites to create a short lecture.
- Bullyinginfo.org
- National School Climate
Center
- Cyberbullying Research
Center
- Students’ Reports of Being
Called Hate-Related Words and Seeing Hate-Related
Graffiti (2009, National Center for Educational
Statistics)
- Bullying at School and
Cyberbullying Anywhere (2009, National Center for
Educational Statistics)
- Southern Poverty Law
Center
- Federal Bureau of Investigation,
Hate Crimes Division
- “Combating Hate,”
Anti-Defamation League
You could also ask your students to
use online search engines to locate information from
credible sources on bullying and/or hate crimes. In addition
to the general search function, Google provides searches
that present information in different ways. You can find
these functions on the bottom left navigation list and/or by
clicking the heading “More search
tools.”
- “Wonder wall” breaks
down a topic into sub-topics via a concept may display.
Click here for an example of a Wonder Wall search for the
term “bullying.” Students could be assigned
different spokes of the wheel to explore in greater
depth.
- “Timeline” presents
information organized by year. This function allows
students to trace the history of bullying or hate crimes,
as reported by the media.
- “Nearby” provides
information relevant to your particular area. This
function allows students to focus on bullying or hate
crime incidents in their region.
Review the strategy
“Evaluating
internet resources”
for ideas on how to help students assess the validity of
their sources.
Fishbowl – After students
have had the opportunity to process the video independently
or in small groups, facilitate a whole-class conversation.
Here are some specific questions with which you might
consider having students grapple:
- What were students responding to
in this video? What problem were they trying to
solve?
- What did they do? What strategies
did they employ? What community or school resources did
they draw from?
- What risks did they take? What
challenges did they confront?
- What do you think of their
response? What did they accomplish?
- What advice would you offer these
students? What could be some next steps these students
could take to further address this problem?
- What more do you want to know
about this situation? If you had the opportunity, what
would you want to ask the students in this
video?
- What do you think the new
immigrants gleaned from this experience? How could this
project be expanded and deepened?
Fishbowl
is a strategy that helps students practice being active
listeners and participants in a discussion. Half the class
can debrief the video while the other half observes. Then
students can switch roles.
Levels of questions -- Here is
an example of the kinds of questions you can use with this
strategy:
- Level one: What were students
responding to in this video? What action did they
take?
- Level two: What do you think of
their response? In what ways was it effective? What else
could they have done to address the problem they saw in
their school or community?
- Level three: What power do you
think young people have to change attitudes and actions?
What gives young people power? What limits the power of
young people to create change?
Teen Victims of
Cyberbullying More Likely to Abuse Drugs and Alcohol:
Study
Teens who are cyberbullied are more likely than their peers
who are not harassed online or through cell phone messages
to develop symptoms of substance abuse, depression and
Internet addiction, a new study concludes.
Spanish researchers found victims of
cyberbullying are at higher risk for psychological and
behavioral health problems, including substance abuse, after
six months of bullying, Health Behavior News Service
reports.
Manuel Gamez-Guadix, PhD of the
University of Deusto in Spain surveyed 845 teens, and found
24 percent had been a victim of one cyberbullying behavior,
15.9 percent had experienced two such behaviors, and 8
percent had experienced cyberbullying three
times.
The researchers note in the Journal of
Adolescent Health that cyberbullying is a growing problem
among teens. It can include hurtful and harassing messages,
rumors, inappropriate or fake photos and videos posted on
social networking sites, or in text messages or
emails.
Gamez-Guadix said, “It is
important to include strategies to prevent cyberbullying
within interventions for behavioral problems during
adolescence. Mental health professionals should pay special
attention to these problems in the treatment of victims of
cyberbullying.”
Source: www.drugfree.org/join-together/alcohol/teen-victims-of-cyberbullying-more-likely-to-abuse-drugs-and-alcohol-study?utm_source=Join%20Together%20Daily&utm_campaign=c68f4867c2-JT_Daily_News_Teen_Victims_of_Cyberbullying&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_97f4d27738-c68f4867c2-221326937
Why Do Kids Bully
Each Other Online?
There are many reasons kids bully each other online.
Sometimes they are bored and looking for entertainment.
Sometimes they are nursing a grudge and want to hurt the
other. They may see themselves are righteous avengers,
righting the wrongs of the intented victim. They may be the
victim of an offline bullying or another netbully, striking
back the only way they can. They may be jealous, hurt or
just role-playing. They may not even mean to netbully
another. They might have just had their communications
misunderstood or misdelivered.
Each type of netbully requires a
different approach. They ways we can stop and prevent them
are different. And our educational campaigns have to cover
all different motiviations to be effective. And the approach
to helping the victim differs depending on why they have
been bullied. While all victims need support and caring and
understanding, there is a difference between the victim
merely being in the wrong cyberplace at the wrong time and
being the intended victim of a dangerous multi-pronged
campaign of harassment and terror. The educational and
prevention programs need to consider these differences as
well.
Where Do You
Report It?
There is no easy answer about where you should report
bullying online. It depends on a number of circumstances,
like the kind of communications, the level of harassment and
when and how the communications are made.
Schools may try and take action when a
student is bullied online. But they often find themselves
defending an expensive lawsuit brought by the irate parent
of the bully charging them with overstepping their
authority. Schools have limited authority to address actions
that take place outside of school grounds and off-hours
unless it is a school-sponsored activity. Since most
netbullying occurs from the bully's home computer after
school, it may be outside fo the scope of a school's
authority.
Unless the school plans carefully in
advance and builds their authority into their acceptable use
contracts, they may not be authorized to act.
Law enforcement is typically
unprepared to deal with cyberharassment cases, specially
when children are involved. They may be unable to conduct a
cyber-investigation, and may not be able to find a crime to
hang their hat on. While many cases of bullying online may
be illegal, especially when hacking and death threats are
involved, much of what occurs is not a crime.
ISPs are often the best place to
start, after the bully's parents have been contacted, or if
the victim doesn't know for sure the identity fo their
bully. Most netbullying violates the ISPs terms of service.
And if the case is recorded and reported correctly, the ISP
may shut down the netbully's account.
Death
Hyperlink: Internet Suicide Pacts: Medical Journal Warns of
'Cybersuicide' Trend
The car, parked on a deserted mountain road near Tokyo,
had its windows taped shut from the inside. In the car were
small charcoal burners -- and the bodies of seven
people.
Within a few miles of the scene,
another car held two more bodies.
The suicide victims were five men and
two women ranging in age from 34 to 20. They came from all
over Japan. What drew them together was an Internet posting
from the 34-year-old woman offering a suicide
pact.
On Nov. 28, four men were found dead
in a Tokyo apartment where they had gassed themselves. The
next day, two men and two women were found dead in a car
parked near a dam outside Tokyo. Police suspect the two
unrelated groups met over the Internet.
Could it happen outside Japan?
Psychiatrist Sundararajan Rajagopal, MD, thinks it might.
His editorial in the Dec. 4 issue of the British Medical
Journal sounds the alarm. Rajagopal is with the South London
and Maudsley NHS Trust in London.
"In recent years there has been
concern about the role of the Internet in normal suicide --
solitary suicide, people who take their lives on their own,"
Rajagopal tells WebMD. "There is evidence that the Internet
can influence people to take their own lives. The term
coined is 'cybersuicide.' What we are seeing in Japan may
occur sporadically in other countries. We cannot rule out
the possibility that people, who might otherwise have taken
their lives on their own, will meet on the Internet to form
suicide pacts."
Suicide Sites Easy to
Find
Web sites dedicated to suicide are
easy to find on the Internet. Here are some excerpts from
one suicide chat room:
"I somethings [sic] think I'd
prefer myself dead. And then other times I do as well. And
sometimes, I think I'd prefer myself dead. And rarely I
don't not think I'd prefer myself dead.
"You really want to die but on the
good days you programmed yourself to know that on the bad
days when you really want to die you don't really want to
die and that you are thinking irrationally. But i want to
die."
"Now if you'll excuse me, i have a bus
to catch."
"Catching a bus," on these web sites,
is slang for killing oneself. Don't try to log on to save
anyone. Those leaving antisuicide messages are banned from
the sites.
Perhaps it was just talk and nothing
serious. But psychologist Gerald Goodman, PhD, professor
emeritus at the University of California in Los Angeles,
says it's important to take talk of suicide
seriously.
"Suicide oftentimes involves some
sense of isolation," Goodman says. "Theorists say that the
heart of it is meaninglessness. Meaninglessness without
hope. When you look at why people do it, there are several
things that add up: isolation, meaninglessness, and
self-loathing -- disgust with oneself."
If isolation is part of the recipe for
suicide, wouldn't a community -- even an Internet chat room
of suicidal people -- keep people from killing
themselves?
No, Goodman says. In fact, suicidal
patients often tell him in chilling language that other
people's suicides gave them "inspiration" or "courage" to
kill themselves. It comes, ironically, from the human need
to be known.
"The suicide wants company. The
suicidal person thinks, 'I want to be known by you, and if
you truly empathize with me there is no question you will
want to talk me out of it - because if you know me you know
it is the right thing to do,'" Goodman says. "So the empathy
on these web sites is not saying, "Oh, I really understand
you.' Instead, they demonstrate that they know how you feel
by adding to it. It is collaborative. It is mutual support
for suicide."
Goodman notes that there are many more
web sites dedicated to mental health, support, and
professional help than there are to suicide. But the suicide
sites offer something enormously powerful.
"Mutual support is more powerful as a
change agent than psychotherapy," Goodman says.
"Psychotherapy is one-way intimacy. But with mutual support,
we are both in it together. You aren't going to try to talk
me out of it. We want the same thing. I've heard the word
inspiration twice in this context. Inspiration for
suicide."
Since young people are at particular
risk of Internet-supported suicide, Goodman suggests that
parents monitor teens' Internet use. And Rajagopal suggests
that doctors and psychologists should ask depressed patients
about whether they have used the Internet to obtain
information about suicide.
The good news, Rajagopal notes, is
that very few suicides -- only about one in 100, even in
Japan -- are linked to the Internet.
"Suicide pacts are a very small
proportion of suicides, and the number of Internet-linked
suicides is still very small," he says. "I don't want people
to be unduly alarmed."
Source: Daniel
DeNoon,
Rajagopal, S. British
Medical Journal, Dec. 4, 2004; vol 329: pp 1298-1299.
Sundararajan Rajagopal, MD, South London and Maudsley NHS
Trust, Adamson Center for Mental Health, St. Thomas's
Hospital, London. Gerald Goodman, PhD, professor emeritus,
University of California, Los Angeles.
my.webmd.com/content/Article/97/104345.htm?printing=true
Professional
Tennis Player Retires Following Cyber-Bullying Incident
Rebecca Marino, a 22-year-old professional tennis player
from Canada, retired from the sport this week and cited
cyber-bullying as a contributing factor. Marino was once
ranked as high as 36th in the world.
“Cyber-bullying has taken
it’s toll on me,” Marino told The Star. She
went on to add that though it wasn’t the main reason
for her retirement, it did exacerbate the situtation.
“My depression had come way before the so-called
cyberbullying,” she said.
Marino had received several offensive
tweets recently, including ones that said, “go burn in
hell” and “go die.”
On a conference call with reporters,
Marino said “I am opening up to you all about this
because I would like to get rid of the stigma attached not
only to depression but also to mental illnesses both in the
public and in professional sports. If I can share my story
and change one person’s outlook or life, I have reached
my goal.”
It’s a sad story and shows hows
social media can really hurt people. Here’s hoping that
Marino gets the help she needs and finds the happiness
she’s looking for.
Source: josephsoninstitute.org/sports/pvwh-sportsmanship/2013/02/tennis-player-retires-following-cyber-bullying-incident/
Teen Victims of
Cyberbullying More Likely to Abuse Drugs and Alcohol:
Study
Teens who are cyberbullied are more likely than their peers
who are not harassed online or through cell phone messages
to develop symptoms of substance abuse, depression and
Internet addiction, a new study concludes.
Spanish researchers found victims of
cyberbullying are at higher risk for psychological and
behavioral health problems, including substance abuse, after
six months of bullying, Health Behavior News Service
reports.
Manuel Gamez-Guadix, PhD of the
University of Deusto in Spain surveyed 845 teens, and found
24 percent had been a victim of one cyberbullying behavior,
15.9 percent had experienced two such behaviors, and 8
percent had experienced cyberbullying three
times.
The researchers note in the Journal of
Adolescent Health that cyberbullying is a growing problem
among teens. It can include hurtful and harassing messages,
rumors, inappropriate or fake photos and videos posted on
social networking sites, or in text messages or
emails.
Gamez-Guadix said, “It is
important to include strategies to prevent cyberbullying
within interventions for behavioral problems during
adolescence. Mental health professionals should pay special
attention to these problems in the treatment of victims of
cyberbullying.”
Source: www.drugfree.org/join-together/alcohol/teen-victims-of-cyberbullying-more-likely-to-abuse-drugs-and-alcohol-study?utm_source=Join%20Together%20Daily&utm_campaign=c68f4867c2-JT_Daily_News_Teen_Victims_of_Cyberbullying&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_97f4d27738-c68f4867c2-221326937
If You Have Been
Harassed Online: What to Do
1. Determine if the behavior is really harassment.
Someone disagreeing with you is NOT harassment. Even if
they disagree with you strongly. It is also usually not
harassment if a person contacts you or posts about you once.
Harassment consists of the intentional crossing of your
emotional or physical safety boundaries. You must have
boundaries set in place clearly in order for that to
apply.
Here is the legal definition of
harassment according to Black's Law Dictionary: "a course of
conduct directed at a specific person that causes
substantial emotional distress in such person and serves no
legitimate purpose" or "words, gestures, and actions which
tend to annoy, alarm and abuse (verbally) another
person."
This is of course a very broad
definition which state and federal legislation and common
law have narrowed and refined in various ways. However, for
our purposes, we will define online harassment as any
actions that meet the qualifications of the above definition
after the harasser has been told to cease. This definition,
due to its broadness, is useful in that it fails to put
value judgements on the complaints of
individuals.
2. Tell the harasser to STOP!
Clearly tell the perpetrator that his/her email, posts,
comments, IRC or ICQ communications are unwanted and that
you want an immediate end to them. Sometimes the best
approach to this is a simple, rational "I am sorry that you
feel that way, but I really feel that you are crossing some
boundaries for me here and I would prefer it if we ended our
communication here."
3. Contact the site administrator.
If the behavior persists, you may want to contact the
administrator responsible for the site. Who is the site
administrator and how do you locate them? S/he is the
operator of the BBS, the sysadmin of the system on which the
web-based chat or other server is placed, or in the case of
email the sysadmin of the system that the person harassing
you is mailing from.
Most often, sites have an address
called postmaster@[that site].com or
webmaster@[that site] that you can use to report
problems. If that fails, you can usually find contact
addresses at web sites , which you can find by looking up
the host name in a search engine like Alta Vista or Lycos
(to name just a couple) or you can look them up through the
internic. Searching for sites in the USA [.com, .mil,
.org, .edu, .us and .gov] will give you the full contact
information including names and addresses. The site is...
rs.internic.net/cgi-bin/whois
.
Just type in the address after the "@" symbol.
4. Determine your desired
result. What do you want to see happen in this
situation? Try to think of this more rationally than
emotionally, and try to be realistic about what you can
expect.
Some very reasonable and realistic
goals might be :
- Stop the harasser from contacting
you
- Convince the site administrator to
ban the harasser if s/he is doing this to many people or
has a history of it.
- Improve the climate at this site
by raising awareness of harassment issues and convincing
the site administrator to employ and enforce some
anti-harassment policies.
- Protect yourself emotionally and
physically from the harasser
- Some unrealistic goals might
be:
- Solicit an apology from the
harasser. He/she obviously doesn't have the social skills
necessary to do something this mature if he/she is
harassing you to begin with.
- Shut down the system completely.
You might really be angry at the whole thing and want to
do this, but unless there is a culture of harassment on
that system, or unless the administrator has an itchy
trigger finger, this is not so easy to do. It isn't
impossible however in extreme cases.
- Harass the harasser until he/she
is sorry. This is possible in some cases, but it is not
in keeping with rational thinking. Of course you are
angry, and you want to see the person who is hurting you
hurt as well. This is a natural human reaction. But take
a step back and think about what that would really
accomplish. It would only perpetuate a culture of
harassment, and this is the exact thing we want to stop
so that others do not have to feel as hurt and upset as
you do right now.
5. Take care of you first. In
spite of what some people may say to you, words can hurt a
lot. No matter what decisions you make about dealing with
harassment, put your own emotional needs first. Sometimes
you may want to simply walk away, and that's alright. There
are times that we are too vulnerable to fight a battle. Get
yourself into some safe places, talk it out with friends or
ask me for a referral to organizations and/or professionals
that can help you work through this.
6. Decide how you want to
proceed. If you feel that no progress has been made
after attempts to contact and educate the site
administrator, you may feel that you want to pursue the
matter in some other way. I can make suggestions and refer
you to other sources if that is your desire at that
time.
Source: www.daffi.org/if_you_have_been_harassed.htm
Top Ten
Mistakes
Not listening to your intuition. As countless stories
reveal, you need to keep your internal radar tuned to pick
up signals that something might be wrong.
Letting someone down easy,
instead of saying a definitive NO if your not interested in
a relationship. Trying to be nice can lead a potentially
obsessive suitor to hear what he wants instead of the
message that your not interested.
Ignoring the early warning
signs that annoying attention might escalate into
dangerous harassment and pursuit.
Responding to a stalker in any way,
shape or form. That means not acceding to your stalkers
demands even once he or she has introduced
threats.
Trying to reason or bargain with a
stalker. Stalking is a like a long rape.
Seeking a restraining or protective
order. All to often, this one act propels stalkers to
act violently.
Expecting police to solve your
problems and make it go away. Even the LAPD's Threat
Management Unit says that victims have to take 100 percent
responsibility for their dealing with the
situation.
Taking inadequate privacy and
safety precautions.
Neglecting to enlist the support
of family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, therapists
and other victims. It may be tough to admit you're being
stalked, but it's not your fault. Learn how to gather the
people who will constitute your first line of
defense.
Ignoring your emotional needs
during and after a stalking. Do you know how to get support
you need?
Source: www.daffi.org/top_ten.htm
Simple
Avoidance Tactics
Be Careful Who You Talk To. The greatest thing about
the Internet is that you can talk to people you might never
have been able to talk to in any other way. Even if there's
no immediate threat of physical danger on the Internet, you
still have to be careful who you talk to. You don't have to
be nice to everyone, you don't have to get into a
conversation with everyone who demands your attention, and
you don't have to answer unsolicited e-mail, even if it's
mail telling you how nice your Web page looks. If you feel
at all uncomfortable with the conversation you're having
with someone online, you have every right to stop all
communication.
Be Even More Careful Who You Decide
To Meet In Person. Friendships and professional
relationships you start online can be special, beneficial
relationships. But it's very difficult to predict what
someone is like in person just from some text, GIF or video
of them. Someone may seem normal on the phone even when they
aren't. Be extra careful when you bring your online
friendships offline. For your first meeting, bring a friend
and/or meet in a public place.
Stalk Yourself. From your user
ID to what Internet directories say about you--check all the
information about you that could possibly be online. Every
time you put a piece of personal information into someone
else's hands, you are giving them power over you. Be careful
where you send your real name, address, phone number,
picture, or work history. Think about whether you really
want your full resume on the Web. Every person has to weigh
the benefits and risks and decide what personal information
they want to put online. The trick is to know what's out
there and how to hide that information if you need to.
Source: www.daffi.org/simple_avoidance_tactics.htm
Checklist on your Personal
Information.
Is your user ID obviously female? How much of your name does
it reveal?
Check your .sig file for personal info
such as your full name, address (even just city and state),
workplace, and phone numbers.
Have ICQ? Remove any
information in your Global Directory (user's details) that
could tell a person who you are or where you are. Check that
the email address listed is not your personal email. Use one
of the free one's on the internet.
Use finger to see what kinds of
information might be listed about you, especially if you
have a .edu account. If you think finger reveals too much
about you, edit your .plan file or contact your system
administrator for help.
Does your Web site contain a photo, a
resume, your name, address, or phone numbers? Any
information about friends, family, or the area where you
live?
Check your source code to make sure
registration information (like your name) hasn't been
inserted by your HTML editor.
Internet directories. Remember six
months ago when you put your resume on that BBS? Did you
ever leave personal information at someone's Web site for
all to see? Check Web/Usenet search engines (Alta Vista,
WebCrawler) and 411 phone directories for your
name.
Is your phone number listed in the
local phone book? Your address? Could someone conceivably
make a link between your online information and what's in
the local phone directories?
How easy would it be for someone to
find you at work? What kinds of security measures do you
have there?
Source: www.daffi.org/checklist.htm
If It Does
Happen
If you are getting unsolicited e-mail or other forms of
communication from someone you don't know or have no contact
with, your best defense is to just ignore it. If the
harasser doesn't have much of a personal image to latch
onto, they may detach and go on to someone else. But don't
let it go too far hoping the person will give up. Take
precautions now in case it gets ugly later.
1. Archive Every Piece of
Communication Relating to the Situation: Save every
piece of communication you get from this person. Save all of
the e-mail header information you can if it is an e-mail or
newsgroup posting. If you are getting chat requests, ICQ or
IRC messages, or any other type of communication, take a
screenshot, print it out, and write notes on it. Send copies
of each harassing communication to your postmaster and the
harasser's provider.
Don't forget to save communications to
postmasters, providers, system administrators, police,
supervisors at work, and security specialists.
2. Start a Log. In addition to
your archive of communications, start a log that explains
the situation in more detail. Document how the harassment is
affecting your life, and document what steps you're taking
to stop it.
3. Tell Your Harasser To Cease and
Desist. It is important that you contact your harasser
directly telling him or her in simple, strong, and formal
terms to stop contacting you. You must state that the
communications are unwanted and inappropriate and that you
will take further action if it does not stop. Don't worry
about whether your letter sounds too harsh--make sure it's
professional and to the point. CC: your postmaster and your
harasser's. Archive the mail you have sent, and note that
you sent it in your log.
After you send this mail, your
communication to this person must stop. Any further
communication can feed the situation. The harasser's
behavior will be rewarded by your attention, so it will
continue. Also, if the case goes to court, your harasser can
report that the communication was going both ways, and it
could damage your case. It is best to keep quiet no matter
how tempted you are to defend yourself. It is important that
you tell your friends not to communicate with the harasser
in your defense for the same reasons.
4. Tell the Right People. If
this person makes contact with you via video conferencing,
notify the owners or reflector monitors (refmons) of the
reflector sites you frequent. The refmons can assist you and
watch for any inappropriate behavior. They may even remove
him from the reflector and/or ban him. There is a network of
refmons out there and word can be passed on about harassment
from a particular person.
Report the situation to your system
administrator(s), your friends, family, and coworkers. Tell
your supervisor and work security personnel. Tell your
apartment building's security people. Report the situation
to your local police. The FBI will also take down a
complaint, and they'll follow up on it if they have the
manpower.
5. Take Police Action. Many
states have modified their stalking laws to include
electronic communications. Many states will let you file for
a restraining order in cases like this, and the courts will
often let you ask that your harasser pay for any filing
fees. You'll need the person's address if you want to serve
them with a restraining order or press charges against them.
The police can get this information from the harasser's
postmaster if they need to.
6. Protect Your Online Space.
Change your password frequently. Pay attention to your
files, directories, and last logout information. Monitor
information about yourself on the Net with Alta Vista and
other search engines. You might want
to lay low for a while if the person
is haunting you in Usenet or on IRC.
7. Protect your offline space.
Take all the precautions you would if an old boyfriend
was acting crazy, especially if you think the person can
find you at home or at work.
Source: www.daffi.org/if_it_does_happen.htm
Cyberbullying
facts and statistics for 2016/2017
All technology these days produces both good results and
notable consequences. The internet is increasingly a perfect
case study for this idea. While better connecting the world
and democratizing information, the internet has also allowed
individuals to hide behind masks of anonymity. The
“faceless evil” of the internet is a growing
threat for teens, specifically when it comes cyberbullying.
Despite a more recent ramping up of awareness campaigns,
cyberbullying facts and statistics indicate the problem is
not going away anytime soon.
Recent statistics
show steady growth in cyberbullying
A 2007
Pew Research study
found 32 percent of teens have been victims of some type of
cyberbullying. Nearly a decade later, a 2016 study by the
Cyberbullying Research Center found those numbers were
almost unchanged. By 2016, just under 34 percent of teens
reported they were victims of cyberbullying.
According to the
Cyberbullying Research Center, which has been collecting
data on the subject since 2002, that number has doubled
since 2007, up from just 18 percent. Disagreements in
statistics and data gathering methods aside, a minimal
increase in cyberbullying is a distinct positive. It’s
also an indication that the increasing attention on
cyberbullying in the intervening years has done little to
stem the tide.
Google Trends data
indicates much more attention is focused on cyberbullying
than ever before. The volume of searches for
“cyberbullying” increased threefold since
2004:
Research presented at
the 2017 Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting revealed the
number of children admitted to hospitals for attempted
suicide or expressing suicidal thoughts doubled between 2008
and 2015. Much of the rise is linked to an increase in
cyberbullying. (Source: CNN). More teen suicides are also
now attributed in some way to cyberbullying (1, 2, 3) than
ever before.\
Where and how
cyberbullying occurs
While data on
cyberbullying growth rates are sometimes difficult to come
by, there’s a much larger body of information regarding
where and how cyberbullying occurs. Just as with bullying
before social media and internet forums, those who bully
others typically look for two things: opportunity and
attention.
In the internet age,
the opportunity to bully others has only increased. Prior to
the internet, a physical presence was often needed outside
of spreading rumors. Now, bullying can occur immediately, to
a much larger audience, and can occur much faster.
Additionally, those who choose to bully others can get more
immediate gratification from likes, shares, retweets, and
the “piling on” effect that often occurs when
others add to an already negative situation.
As one 2010 study
found, bystanders can have a significant impact on
vulnerable students’ risk for victimization. According
to the study’s findings, bystanders can “moderate
the effects of individual and interpersonal risk factors for
victimization.” While the study was conducted on
physical bullying, by extension, “bystanders” can
have a significant impact in online interactions by either
calling out such behavior or, lacking that, not responding
and diminishing the attention cyberbullies may be hoping to
receive.
Data from numerous
studies also indicate that social media is now the favored
medium for cyberbullies. Other formats are still in use as
well, however, including text messaging and internet forums
such as Reddit.
Recent stats
include:
- 20.1 percent of
reported that they were affected by online rumors.
(Source: Cyberbullying
Research Center)
- Just over 7
percent of middle school and high school students had a
mean or hurtful web page created about them. (Source:
Cyberbullying
Research Center)
- In a survey of
parents and adults across Asia, 79 percent reported that
either their child or a child they know had been
threatened with physical harm while playing online games.
(Source: Telenor)
- Cyberbullying
often occurs on Facebook or through text messages.
(Source: American
Journal of Public Health)
Direct impact of
cyberbullying on teens and adolescents
The long-lasting
impacts of cyberbullying are difficult to ignore. Alongside
the increasing number of suicides directly linked to
cyberbullying, other consequences arise for bullying
victims. One 2016 study discovered that bullying victims are
more likely to engage in substance abuse and nonviolent
delinquency. Other cyberbullying research (listed below)
indicates that cyberbullying carries over into how students
feel about their physical safety at school. Additionally,
cyberbullying can negatively impact a student’s’
overall success by cutting into their motivation.
Key research on the
impact of cyberbullying includes the
following:
- As of August 2016,
16.9 percent of middle and high school students
identified themselves as cyberbully victims. (Source:
Cyberbullying
Research Center)
- Among adolescents,
36.7 percent of female respondents stated they’d be
the victim of cyberbullying at some point in their
lifetime, compared to 30.5 percent of boys. (Source:
Cyberbullying
Research Center)
- Most online
behaviors and threats to well-being are mirrored in the
offline world (Source: Perspectives
on Psychological Science)
- 34 percent of
students claimed to have been bullied online at least
once in their lifetime. (Source: Florida
Atlantic University)
- 17 percent of
students explained that they’d been bullied sometime
within the past 30 days. (Source: Florida
Atlantic University )
- Roughly 64 percent
of students who claimed to have been cyberbullied
explained that it negatively impacted both their feelings
of safety and ability to learn at school. (Source:
Florida
Atlantic University )
- According to a
decade-long Florida Atlantic University study of 20,000
middle and high school students, 70 percent of students
said that someone spread rumors about them online.
(Source: Florida
Atlantic University )
- More than one in
10 students (12 percent) admitted to cyberbullying
someone else at least once. (Source: Florida
Atlantic University)
- Girls are more
likely to be victims of cybercrime (except for those
bullied within the last 30 days), while boys are more
likely to be cyberbullies. (Source: Florida
Atlantic University )
- There are
significant cross-overs between in-person and online
bullying. 83 percent of students who had been bullied
online in the last 30 days had also been bullied at
school. Meanwhile, 69 percent of students who admitted to
bullying others online had also recently bullied others
at school. (Source: Florida
Atlantic University)
- Adolescents who
engaged in cyberbullying were more likely to be perceived
as “popular” by their peers. (Source:
Journal
of Early Adolescence
- 22 page PDF
).
A need for more
broad-reaching and open research
One common theme
emerged as we researched various aspects of
cyberbullying—a stunning lack of data. This is not to
say that research on cyberbullying isn’t there. Even a
simple search in research databases will reveal thousands of
articles covering the topic in some form. However, most
research on cyberbullying is either small in scale or
lacking in depth. Most research is also based on surveys,
resulting in a large variation in the results from survey to
survey.
The Florida Atlantic
University study represents one of the best sources of
information to date. However, more is needed, including a
meta-analysis of the data gathered from many other sources.
Until then, publically available cyberbullying statistics
paint an incomplete picture of the ongoing issue.
Past research still
holds value
Despite a lack of
consistent publicly or easily-accessible data, a plethora of
data from beyond 2015 can still help shed some valuable
light on the issue. Past research and statistics reveal
where cyberbullying has been and help reflect on why this
issue is still a concern today.
Older data on
cyberbullying include the following:
- Most teenagers
(over 80 percent) now use a mobile device regularly,
opening them up to new avenues for bullying. (Source:
Bullying Statistics)
- Half of all young
adults have experienced cyberbullying in some form. A
further 10-20 percent reported experiencing it regularly.
(Source: Bullying Statistics)
- Cyberbullying and
suicide may be linked in some ways. Around 80 percent of
youth that commits suicide have depressive thoughts.
Cyberbullying often leads to more suicidal thoughts than
traditional bullying. (Source: JAMA
Pediatrics)
- More than half of
all teens who use social media have witnessed
cyberbullying. (Source: NoBullying.com)
- Over 50 percent of
surveyed teens say they never confide in their parents
after being victimized by cyberbullies. (Source:
NoBullying.com)
- The website
Nobullying.com recorded over 9.3 million visits in 2016
from people seeking help with bullying, cyberbullying and
online safety. (Source: NoBullying.com)
- Almost 43 percent
of kids have been cyberbully victims. Around 25 percent
have been victimized more than once. (Source:
DoSomething.org
)
- Over 80% of young
adults believe it’s easier to get away with online
bullying than bullying in person. (Source:
DoSomething.org
)
- Nine out of 10
teens who have been bullied through social media report
that they’ve ignored it. A further 84% said
they’ve seen others attempt to stop cyberbullies.
(Source: DoSomething.org
)
- A UK survey of
more than 10,000 youths discovered that 69 percent
reported doing something about abusive online behavior
directed toward another person. (Source: DoSomething.org
)
- The same U.K.
survey also discovered that 71 percent of young adults
believe social networks do not do enough to prevent
cyberbullying. (Source: DoSomething.org)
Source:
www.comparitech.com/internet-providers/cyberbullying-statistics/
Nationwide
teen bullying and cyberbullying study reveals significant
issues impacting youth
Summary:
In one of the latest and most
ambitious studies on bullying and cyberbullying in middle
and high school students, researchers found that 1 in 5
students said that they had been threatened with a weapon at
school, 73 percent of students reported that they had been
bullied at school at some point in their lifetime, and 70
percent of the students said that someone spread rumors
about them online.
One of the latest and most ambitious
studies on bullying and cyberbullying in middle and high
school students begs to differ with the age-old adage,
"sticks and stones can break my bones, but names can't hurt
me." The study, conducted by researchers at Florida Atlantic
University and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
(UW-EC), used a nationally-representative sample of 5,600
children between the ages of 12 to 17 years old to address
various forms of bullying and cyberbullying, sexting and
dating violence, as well as thoughts of suicide, deviant
behavior, and resilience or coping mechanisms.
Sameer Hinduja, Ph.D., a professor of
criminology and criminal justice within FAU's College for
Design and Social Inquiry and co-director of the
Cyberbullying Research Center, and Justin W. Patchin, Ph.D.,
a professor of criminal justice at UW-EC and co-director of
the Cyberbullying Research Center, spearheaded this latest
study. They have conducted numerous formal surveys of teens,
educators, law enforcement, and parents over the last decade
across more than 20,000 respondents.
This most recent study of middle and
high school students found that when it came to school
bullying:
- 73 percent of students reported
that they had been bullied at school at some point in
their lifetime; 44 percent said that it had happened in
the last 30 days.
- Among those who were bullied
recently, 88 percent said they were called mean names or
were made fun of in a hurtful way; 77 percent said they
were excluded from groups or left out of
things.
- 1 in 5 students said that they had
been threatened with a weapon at school.
- At the same time, 32 percent of
the students admitted they had bullied others at school
at some point in their lifetime; 12 percent said they had
done it within the previous 30 days.
- Almost one-fifth acknowledged that
they forced another student to do things he or she didn't
want to do.
- Girls were more likely to have
been bullied at school, while boys were more likely to
have bullied others.
This study found that when it came to
cyberbullying:
- 34 percent of students had
experienced cyberbullying in their lifetime; 17 percent
said that it had happened in the last 30
days.
- 4 out of 5 of the students who
were cyberbullied said that mean comments were posted
about them online.
- 70 percent of the students said
that someone spread rumors about them online.
- Notably, nearly two-thirds (64
percent) of the students who experienced cyberbullying
said that it really affected their ability to learn and
feel safe at school.
- 12 percent of the students
admitted that they had cyberbullied others at some point
in their lifetime.
- The most commonly reported
behaviors included spreading rumors online (60 percent),
posting mean comments online (58 percent), or threatening
to hurt someone online (54 percent).
- Girls were most likely to have
been bullied online, with the exception of those with
recent experiences (30 days); while boys were more likely
to have bullied others online.
"We have long known that there is a
significant overlap between school and online bullying,"
said Hinduja. "For example, 83 percent of the students who
had been cyberbullied within the last 30 days also had been
bullied at school recently, and 69 percent of the students
who admitted to bullying others at school also bullied
others online."
Hinduja and Patchin note that it is
very likely that the causes and correlates of bullying
influence behaviors and experiences across environments.
What makes someone an attractive target at school makes them
similarly vulnerable online. What causes or induces someone
to be harassing or cruel at school also causes them to act
in the same ways online.
The study also found that nearly
two-thirds (64 percent) of the students who experienced
cyberbullying stated that it really affected their ability
to learn and feel safe at school. However, a child's level
of resilience -- their ability to "bounce back" or "overcome
adversity" -- was a significant differentiator. Among those
middle and high school students who had the lowest levels of
resilience, their ability to learn and feel safe at school
was negatively affected many times. Students with the
highest levels of resiliencies indicated that bullying --
when it happened -- did not impact them very much at
all.
Hinduja believes schools must
prioritize the development of this internal social
competency so that kids learn to navigate and productively
handle whatever life throws at them.
"Overall, we're trying to paint an
updated, accurate picture of what teens these days are
facing across our nation so as to underscore the critical
importance of devoting additional resources and attention to
this persistent problem, and inform schools exactly what
they should focus on," said Hinduja. "Knowing what
contributes to the problem helps us know how educators
should spend their time and resources to really make
progress in this area."
This study was supported by a $188,776
grant awarded to Hinduja and Patchin by the Digital Trust
Foundation to collect nationally-representative data on
cyberbullying and teen dating violence.
See more at: cyberbullying.org/2016-cyberbullying-data
Source: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170221102036.htm
11
Facts About Cyber Bullying
Welcome to DoSomething.org,
a global movement of 5.5 million young people making
positive change, online and off! The 11 facts you want are
below, and the sources for the facts are at the very bottom
of the page. After you learn something, do something! Find
out how to take action here.
- Nearly 43% of kids have been
bullied online. 1 in 4 has had it happen more than
once.
- 70% of students report seeing
frequent bullying online. Filling up your friends'
Facebook feeds with positive posts instead of negative
ones can boost school-wide morale. Start a Facebook page
for students to submit positive acts they see in school
to promote a culture of positivity on and offline. Sign
up for Positivity Page.
- Over 80% of teens use a cell phone
regularly, making it the most common medium for cyber
bullying.
- 68% of teens agree that cyber
bullying is a serious problem.
- 81% of young people think bullying
online is easier to get away with than bullying in
person.
- 90% of teens who have seen
social-media bullying say they have ignored it. 84% have
seen others tell cyber bullies to stop.
- Only 1 in 10 victims will inform a
parent or trusted adult of their abuse.
- Girls are about twice as likely as
boys to be victims and perpetrators of cyber
bullying.
- About 58% of kids admit someone
has said mean or hurtful things to them online. More than
4 out 10 say it has happened more than once.
- Bullying victims are 2 to 9 times
more likely to consider committing suicide.
- About 75% of students admit they
have visited a website bashing another
student.
Sources:
1 Moessner, Chris.
"Cyberbullying, Trends and Tudes." NCPC.org. Accessed
February 10, 2014, www.ncpc.org/resources/files/pdf/bullying/Cyberbullying%20Trends%20-%20Tudes.pdf.
2 Graham, PhD, Sandra.
"Bullying: A Module for Teachers." Accessed February 10,
2014, http://www.apa.org.
www.apa.org/education/k12/bullying.aspx#.
3 Connolly, Ciaran. "Facts
About Cyber Bullying" No Bullying Expert Advice On Cyber
Bullying School Bullying. Accessed February 10, 2014,
nobullying.com/facts-about-cyber-bullying/.
Source: www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-cyber-bullying
Solutions
and Prevention of Cyber Bullying Among Youth – Complete
Guide 2020
What is cyberbullying?
Bullying is not a new
phenomenon in our culture. There are references of
bullying, typically among school aged children, in
published psychology articles as early as the
1800’s
(1). Bullying is defined as
any unwanted behavior that is aggressive and includes an
imbalance of power, such as physical strength or
intimidation, in order to assert control or harm
another.
With the proliferation of users on the
internet starting in the 1990s, traditional bullying took a
new form: cyberbullying. The definition of cyberbullying is
using technology such as texts, photos, videos, tweets,
private messages, or posting on social media as a means to
bully a person. Cyberbullying is a form of harassment, and
victims can often feel embarrassed, intimidated, or even
threatened by these actions. The Cyberbullying Research
Center (CRC), directed by Dr. Sameer Hinduja and Dr. Justin
W. Patchin, was founded in 2005 and researches and publishes
research for the public on the topic of cyberbullying. The
CRC reports that teens and adolescents who are bullied
online are also likely to be bullied in person, as issues
which are raised online rarely stay solely
online.
While bullying in the pre-internet
days was rough, adolescents and teenagers were more slightly
more able to limit their interactions with peers, especially
those they wished to avoid. Simply going home from school
for the day often allowed children a reprieve from bullying
behaviors, where they could vent, get advice, and regroup
before returning to potential bullying situations again. The
internet allows bullies to continually engage in bullying
behavior, regardless of where the victim is located. This
inability to disconnect from their attackers is part of what
makes cyberbullying such a huge mental health risk. Victims
may feel that there is no safe space for them to relax away
from their attacker, and may isolate themselves from using
social media and/or their friends, which may compound the
problem and make them feel worse.
Students in grades 3-5 who
owned cell phones were significantly more likely to
report being a victim of cyberbullying.
Who is at risk?
Research published by the American
Academy of Pediatrics in 2017 reported that students in
grades 3-5 who owned cell phones were “significantly
more likely to report being a victim of cyberbullying
(2).
However, children who are at the greatest risk for being
bullied, either online or in person, are children who are
perceived as being different from their peers in some way.
Girls are just as likely as boys to experience bullying,
both as victim and perpetrator.
Children who are at greatest risk may
fit into one or more of these descriptors:
- overweight
- underweight
- less popular than
others
- don’t get along well with
others
- are seen as annoying by their
peers
- are or seem depressed
- are or seem anxious
- have low self esteem
Effects of
cyberbullying
Bullying, whether in person or online,
can have serious and long-lasting effects for the victim,
such as fear, anxiety, and depression. These effects can
lead to changes in mood, sleep disturbances, affect the
appetite, and potentially lead to harmful behaviors such as
cutting or even suicidal thoughts or actions. The effects of
cyberbullying can be wide and long-lasting, so while you
shouldn’t jump to conclusions or escalate the
situation, you should carefully assess your child’s
mental and emotional well-being. Your child may try to mask
their fear, anxiety, or upset from you, especially if they
feel it is upsetting you. They may want to tell you
everything one day, and other days not want to discuss it at
all. Try to ensure they are sleeping well, eating healthy,
and that other factors in their life such as homework and
other responsibilities are well-managed to avoid adding
additional stress.
Sometimes people who do not know how
to manage the stress or pain of something they are dealing
with may turn to harmful behaviors they can control as a
sort of release. These could include lashing out at people
they love, acting out behaviorally, engaging in physically
risky behavior, self-harm, or suicide attempts. If you are
concerned that your child may be engaging in self-harm
behaviors or having suicidal thoughts, seek help from a
qualified mental health therapist immediately.
Warning signs your child may be a
victim of cyberbullying
It can be difficult to notice the
signs of cyberbullying since the act itself may not be
visible to you due to the technology involved. There are
some common behavioral signs you should watch out for, and
if you spot them, try to open a dialogue with your child to
ensure they are okay.
If your child:
- seems upset after going
online
- seems suddenly
depressed
- appears to be isolating themselves
from friends or family
- is secretive about their phone or
internet use
- is uneasy about going to school or
to social situations
- complains of headaches, stomach
aches, or has a change in appetite
- has trouble sleeping at
night
- has lost interest in their
favorite hobbies
- tries to stay home from school or
extracurricular activities
- makes comments about self-harm or
suicide attempts
What can you do?
You may have to rely on communications
with your child to know whether or not they are being hurt
by someone online. You could also consider monitoring your
child’s online activity, including their social media
sites, browser history, and/or messaging. If you find
evidence of bullying, save it by taking screenshots and
sending a copy to your own phone. Having evidence of the
bullying will help you if you decide to get school officials
or anyone else involved. Review the privacy settings on your
child’s phone and internet access, and make sure their
accounts are set to “private” in order to limit
access to their social media accounts. Have your child
accept you as a friend on all social media sites they
participate in so that you have access to what they post,
and what others post to them as well. Require your child to
give you their login and password to applications and
websites they use so that you can check in, if needed.
Familiarize yourself with the commonly used social media
apps and websites and how they are used
Most importantly, try to keep the
lines of communication with your child open and honest. A
child in need will mostly come to you for help if they feel
they can trust you, particularly if they feel they can be
honest with you without risking trouble or a lecture. Let
your child know they can talk to you about anything, and try
to let them vent without jumping in to quickly solve the
problem. Very often, adolescents, and especially teenagers,
just need to feel they are being heard by someone who cares.
If they ask you for solutions, talk it through with them
rather than just dictating what they should do. Present a
few options, and ask if any of those options sound workable,
and if there’s anything they would change or add. By
presenting them with gentle guidance and allowing them to
have some input in how they handle their situation, they may
begin to feel less like a victim and more empowered to help
resolve the situation, as well as situations that may arise
in the future.
If you feel your child is being
bullied
Depending on the severity of the
situation, there are a number of ways you can help your
child navigate a tricky and uncomfortable situation online
with bullies. Here are a few tips on what you can do as a
parent.
Reach out to parents. If you are
familiar with the child and/or their parents, you can
possibly start a conversation with them about your
suspicions? They may be unaware of what their child is doing
and may help you resolve the situation.
Contact your child’s teacher.
Particularly if the incidences are happening at school or on
the bus, your child’s teacher could be an invaluable
resource in helping you and your child, and most schools
have a zero tolerance policy on bullying.
Escalate to your school’s
guidance counselor and/or administration. Sometimes teachers
may not be aware of the situation, or they may be unable to
witness anything first hand. In these cases, it may be
necessary for you to go straight to the school counselor or
administration to make your concerns known. School officials
may set up a meeting between the students involved, or a
group meeting with parents involved also.
Talk to your child about what they can
do in bullying situations. Keep in mind that bullies want a
reaction, so if your child ignores them, they may move
on.
Help your child disconnect from their
online interactions. It may be tempting to check their
phones or computer every day, however, encourage them to
take a break from online. Invite a friend over and do
something fun. Go to a library and find new books to read.
Take a break as a family and have a game night.
Give them some examples of responses
they can use. Sometimes a simple, “Please stop”
will be enough, other times laughing it off may be
appropriate.
No matter the situation, don’t
retaliate! Not only does it typically make things worse,
your child could get into trouble for the things they
say.
Consider reporting the
behavior to the application provider. Apps like Instagram
and Facebook, among others, have features where you can
report inappropriate messages or comments. They may get a
warning, a temporary suspension, or even banned from the
platform altogether.
If you believe your child may be
mentally suffering from the bullying, schedule an
appointment with a mental health therapist you trust. Often,
just talking it through with a neutral party may help
relieve some of the anxiety, depression, or confusion they
may feel, and a qualified mental health counselor may have
some advice about how to proceed.
For severe cases or if you feel your
child’s physical safety is at risk, call the
police.
The Link Between Substance Abuse
and Bullying
Research has shown that victimization
from cyberbullying can increase the likelihood of substance
use (3).
To cope with the distress or to attempt to manage the
feelings associated with being bullied, adolescents might
turn to drugs or alcohol. They may believe that using
alcohol or another substance may allow them relief, even
temporarily, from the situation. While they may experience
some initial relief, the effects of using substances are
short-lived, and may require higher amounts of substances or
additional substances to obtain the same relief.
Additionally, since the victim still hasn’t dealt with
the original issue or emotions associated with it, they will
likely continue to suffer emotionally any time they
aren’t able to ignore the situation, distract
themselves from the situation, or numb their emotions with
substances.
Those who engage in bullying behavior
also report higher incidences of using alcohol or substances
such as marijuana than those who do not. Children and teens
may engage in bullying behaviors because they themselves
were victims of bullying or other abuses, they suffer from
low self-esteem, depression, or anxiety, or they are having
family or school issues that they feel are out of their
control. Those who bully others may also be using alcohol or
other substances in an effort to drown out their emotional
pain, which also provides a temporary but unhealthy and
unsustainable solution.
Substance or alcohol use has been
shown to be higher for those connected to bullying in some
way both during the adolescent and teen years as well as
later in life. Although there appears to be a strong link
between substance abuse and bullying, not all victims,
bullies, or victim-bullies use drugs or alcohol.
Popular Apps on Social
Media
There are a number of social media
applications used by adolescents and teens, despite many of
them having a minimum age requirement. New apps are
developed and added all the time, so stay informed by
researching online for the newest and most popular apps your
child may have downloaded, check their phone regularly, or
require a password so they cannot add any apps you
don’t know about or approve of to their phones. Here
are a few of the most common ones in use today. While
bullying can happen on any platform,
Discord:
(2015) Users can text, private
message, share images, photos, videos, and teleconference
with other users with and without video. Discord is unique
in that users can message/chat in small groups or broadcast
directly to large groups of 5000 or more other users at a
time. Minimum age: 13.
Facebook:
(2004) Users can create a profile,
create posts and polls, take, edit, and share images either
publicly on their “wall” or privately in messages.
Facebook also has a “story” feature, which deletes
after 24 hours. Facebook has a multitude of groups with
varying degrees of privacy, a marketplace for sales items,
and community events for all ages are also posted. Requires
an email address and birthdate to sign up. Minimum age:
13.
House Party:
(2016) Users can video chat with other
users or a group of users, either on mobile or desktop, as
well as leave video messages if users are not online at the
same time. Users can also send notes through the app to
other friends. Users must add friends to chat, chatting with
the public is not possible. Minimum age: 13.
Instagram:
(2010) Users can take, edit, and share
photographs and short videos on their public feed or through
private messaging. They can make public or private comments
to others, and share to their “story”, which
disappears after 24 hours. This app interacts with Facebook,
Twitter, Tumbler, and Flickr. Requires an email address or a
Facebook account to sign up. Minimum age: 13
Roblox:
(2006) Users design and create their
own games, and play the games created by others. Allows for
private messages among users, and provides a “Safe
chat” option for users under 13 which prevents custom
messaging as a safety precaution. Minimum age: no set
minimum, but accounts for users under 13 are automatically
restricted.
Snapchat:
(2011) Users can post videos and
photos to their “wall”, which lasts about 24
hours, as well as private messages which disappear a few
seconds after they are opened. Accounts can be made public
or private. Snapchat also includes a map feature where the
user’s location is displayed to friends or the public,
and accounts can be found via a person’s phone number.
Minimum age: 13.
TikTok:
(2014) Originally Musical.ly, changed
in 2018. Allows users to create, share, and discover mainly
music videos, but content often extends beyond music videos.
Users can make private or public accounts, as well as post
individual videos privately or publicly, and via private
message. Users can view, comment, like, and share other
videos on the platform, as well as create a “duet”
or “reaction” video with others via a split
screen. Minimum age: 13.
WhatsApp:
(2009) Another app which allows users
to text, chat, send videos and voice messages with both
individuals and groups of up to 256 users at once. Users can
chat with friends, but group chats may include users which
are not in each user’s friend list. Profile settings
allow for private use, where either only
“contacts” can see information about a user, or
“nobody” can. Minimum age: 16
Youtube:
(2005) Users can watch or share videos
posted by TV/movie companies, other businesses, or the
general public. Accounts can be public or private, and age
limit restrictions can be added to limit content for younger
users, although this is no guarantee of safety. Requires an
email address and date of birth to join. Minimum age: 13
with “parental” permission.
Resourced
Information:
1. Burk, F. L (1897).
Teasing and bullying. Pedagogical Seminary, 4,
336-371.
2. Grade School Students
Who Own Cell Phones are More Likely to be Cyberbullied,
retrieved from https://www.aappublications.org/news/2017/09/15/NCECellPhone091817
3. Litwiller, B. J.,
& Brausch, A. M. (2013). Cyber bullying and physical
bullying in adolescent suicide: The role of violent behavior
and substance use. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 42(5),
675-684. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-013-9925-5
4. Radliff, K. M.,
Wheaton, J. E., Robinson, K., & Morris, J. (2012).
Illuminating the relationship between bullying and substance
use among middle and high school youth. Addictive Behaviors,
37(4), 569-572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2012.01.001
5. Hinduja, S., PhD, and
Patchin, J.W., PhD. (2018). Responding to Cyberbullying: Top
Ten Tips for Teens. Retrieved from https://cyberbullying.org/Top-Ten-Tips-Teens-Response.pdf
6. Childhood bullying
behaviors at age eight and substance use at age 18 among
males. A nationwide prospective study. S. Niemelä, A.
Brunstein-Klomek, L. Sillanmäki, H. Helenius, J. Piha,
K. Kumpulainen, I. Moilanen, T. Tamminen, F. Almqvist, A.
Sourander. Addict Behav. 2011 Mar; 36(3): 256–260.
Published online 2010 Nov 10. doi:
10.1016/j.addbeh.2010.10.012
7. Beran, T. and Li, Q.
(2007).The Relationship between Cyberbullying and School
Bullying. Retrieved from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.586.7345&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Source: www.centeredrecoveryprograms.com/cyberbullying/
Newsbytes
Tuesday November 05, 2019 | A
thousand cuts - Bangkok
Post
Tuesday October 22, 2019 |
Teen
Died By Suicide; Bullying Over Sexuality Killed Him:
Mom -
Patch
Monday March 13, 2017 |
Cyberbullying
Among Teens: Prevalence, Impact, And The Path
Forward -
Forbes
Saturday | April 04, 2015
Real
life 'Burn Book' encourages cyberbullying among
students -
USA Today college blog
Monday October 20, 2014 |
Cyberbullying
Research Center, #startswithus
- Fox2 St. Louis
October - Bully
Awareness and Prevention Month - Press Release 2020
October is Bullying Prevention Month. Bullying
prevention continues to be a major focal point for school
districts, staff, and parents, and the current COVID-19
pandemic adds a layer of complexity to bullying prevention.
Traditional bullying that took place in hallways, after
school, or on the bus may have been reduced in recent months
as a result of school closures and social distancing
guidelines, however as students spend more time online, the
risk of cyberbullying is a growing concern. In an online
learning environment, it may be more difficult for school
staff to recognize potential bullying behaviors or signs
that a student has been the victim of bullying.
A 2018 study from Pew Research found
that 59% of teens had experienced some form of
cyberbullying. Examples include 42% offensive name-calling,
32% spreading false rumors and 25% receiving unsolicited
explicit images. A new study from Comparitech found that
kids reported being bullied 83% at school, 33% on the school
bus, and 19% on social media sites or apps, most commonly
via text messaging. Finally, a new survey from the
Anti-Defamation League found that one in four Americans
experience severe online harassment, so, unfortunately,
online bullying is an issue for all ages.
In order to address cyberbullying,
students should be taught that if they wouldn't say
something to someone's face, they shouldn't say it to them
online, through texting, or posting in any other way.
Parents and educators should let students know that it is
okay to immediately report if they are being digitally
harassed, cyberbullied, cyberstalked or if they have been
approached by a predator. During this unprecedented time
where kids are spending their days online, parents and
educators should keep close tabs on all online interactions
and encourage students to send screenshots or screen
recordings of any rule violations they see to help with
investigating and takedowns of problematic or abusive
content. It is important to monitor computer use. You want
to respect your children's privacy yet, your child's safety
may override these privacy concerns. Tell your child that
you are not spying on them but you may review their online
communications if you think there is reason for
concern.
Tim Wilson
Curry County Suicide Awareness and Prevention Council
October 4, 2020
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