Cyberbullying

1. Cyberbullying Think Before You Post Melanie Siliato Anti-Bullying Specialist

2. What is cyberbullying? Willfully causing hurt or harm verbally, emotionally or psychologically to another person by using cyber tools and other informational technologies by sending threatening or violent messages that: • Intimidate • Threaten • Impersonate • Harass • Ridicule • Humiliate • Trick • Bully • Generate Rumors • “Cyber” Stalk • Tease

3. Cyberbullying can take many forms • Sending mean messages or threats to a person's email account or cell phone • Spreading rumors online or through texts • Posting hurtful or threatening messages on social networking sites or web pages • Stealing a person's account information to break into their account and send damaging messages • Pretending to be someone else online to hurt another person • Taking unflattering pictures of a person and spreading them through cell phones or the Internet • Sexting, or circulating sexually suggestive pictures or messages about a person

4. Why cyberbully? • Don’t think it’s a big deal • Don’t think about the consequences • Are encouraged by friends • Think everybody cyber bullies • Think they won’t get caught • For laughs or to get a reaction • The power-hungry do it to torment others and for their ego • To help bolster or remind people of their own social standing

5. Effects of cyberbullying • Undermining confidence, self-esteem and sense of security • Affecting performance and attendance at school • Anger • Fear or intimidation • Smoking/drinking • Depression • School violence • Increased social isolation • Causing stress and affecting health • Fueling prejudice in areas such as race, religion and sexuality • Suicidal thoughts

6. Signs of cyberbullying • Emotional distress during or after using the Internet or the phone • Being very protective or secretive of their digital life • Withdrawal from friends and activities • Avoidance of school or group gatherings • Slipping grades and "acting out" in anger at home • Changes in mood, behavior, sleep, or appetite

7. What can you do as the victim? • Tell someone about it. • Report the online behavior to the online provider. All responsible companies have policies against harassment. • Don't bully back. It is tempting to retaliate and say something equally mean back to a harasser, but it only makes things worse.

8. What can you do as the victim? (Continued) • Block the offenders from being able to communicate with you online. • Record the dates, times, and descriptions of instances when cyberbullying has occurred. Save and print screenshots, emails, and text messages. • Ignore it as much as possible. Generally, harassers only harass as long as it is entertaining for them. If you ignore them, they will eventually give up and move on. This is not to suggest you don't report the behavior – it is still worth turning them in. Just don't tell them about it.

9. What can you do as the victim? (Continued) • Ask a trusted adult to open the messages for you, so I they need to be kept for later action they can be, without having you have to read it. • Never agree to meet anyone you met online. This can be very dangerous. • Have a sanctuary. Surround yourself with people who make you feel good. • If it is bad enough, change your login names. This means your email address, profiles, etc. Then don't advertise that you have a new address so the harassers don't put any effort into trying to find it again. Only tell your family and a few trusted friends.

10. What can parents do? • Talk with children about some risks and benefits posted by Internet • Share examples of inappropriate incidents that can happen online • Learn what their children are doing online and keep track of their online behavior • Visit websites that teens frequent • Tell children never to give out person information online

11. What can parents do (continued) • Let children know that they should never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone they meet online • Communicate online rules and responsibilities to teens and enforce rules with tangible consequences • Keep computers on a highly trafficked room in the house where online activities are hard for teens to hide • Teach youth about cyberbullying and let them know that engaging in cyberbullying is unacceptable

12. What can parents do (continued) • Explain that youth who cyberbully sometimes bully because they have a feeling of anonymity and a lack of accountability; however, cyberbullying is harmful and can have negative consequences • Explain that youth who cyberbully aren’t always anonymous; they can be traced, located, and punished if the bullying becomes harassment • Speak to teens about how to react if they are cyberbullied

13. Cyberbullyingstatistics • Nearly 43% of kids have been bullied online. 1 in 4 has had it happen more than once. • 1 in 3 teens has experienced cyber-threats online • 9 out of 10 middle school students have had their feelings hurt online • About 75% have visited a website bashing another student • 4 out of 10 middle school students have had their password(s) stolen and changed by a bully who then locked them out of their own account or sent communications posing as them.

14. Cyberbullying statistics (continued) • Over 80% of teens use a cell phone regularly, making it the most common medium for cyber bullying • 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 of 10 say it has happened more than once. • The psychological and emotional outcomes of cyber bullying are similar to real-life bullying outcomes, except for the reality that with cyber bullying there is often no escape

15. Cyberbullying statistics (continued) • 90% of victims will not inform a parent or trusted adult of their abuse • In a national survey of 10-17 year olds, twice as many children indicated they had been victims and perpetrators • About 80% of teens said that they either did not have parental rules about internet use or found ways around the rules

16. definitions Cyberstalking. Cyberstalking is the use of internet, email or other electronic communications to stalk, and generally refers to a pattern of threatening or malicious behaviors. Cyberstalking can be considered to be the most dangerous of the three types of Internet harassment, based on posing credible threat of harm. Sanctions range from misdemeanors to felonies.

17. Cyberharassment. Cyberharassment differs from cyberstalking in that it is generally defined as not involving a credible threat. Cyberharassment usually pertains to threatening or harassing email messages, instant messages, or to blog entries or websites dedicated solely to tormenting an individual.

18. Cyberbullying. Cyberbullying and cyberharassment are sometimes used interchangeably. Cyberbullying is used to mean electronic harassment or bullying between minors within the school context.

19. Resources • http://safetyclicks.com • http://www.bullyingstatistics.com • http://www.Stopbullying.gov • www.Cyberbullying.us • www.stopcyberbullying.org • www.ncpc.org/cyberbullying