Cyberbullying

Bullying has moved beyond harassment at school or on the playground. In a 2006 study, one in three online teens reported experiencing a range of cyberbullying activities, including “receiving threatening messages; having their private emails or text messages forwarded without consent; having an embarrassing picture posted without permission; or having rumors about them spread online.”¹ Older children or teenagers may bully via text messaging, social networking sites, chat rooms, and other forms of digital or online communication. For the most part, cyberbullying is defined by the same characteristics as other bullying. There are some significant differences, though, that deserve mention.

• How the balance of power is established is much different in cyberbullying. While physical strength, intellect, or social connections may be important factors in face-to-face bullying, technological know-how and access to information and technology become much more significant in the online world.
• The impact of cyberbullying can be wider-reaching than in-person bullying due to the speed and breadth of the Internet’s reach: groups of youth have created Web pages used to make fun of other young people, teens have posed as other teens on MySpace or Facebook, and embarrassing photos are sometimes circulated via e-mail within a matter of minutes. The most infamous of these cases have had devastating consequences and led to lawsuits, arrests, and coverage in the national press.
• You may feel uncomfortable monitoring your child’s online actions, but it’s crucial to be as well informed and up-to-date as possible. If you learn that your child is being cyberbullied, use some of the following tips from the National Crime Prevention Council on how to respond:
  • Block communication with the cyberbully.
  • Delete messages without reading them.

• Report the problem to an Internet service provider or Web site moderator.

Cyberbullying is the same as all other forms of bullying—it’s harmful, and it requires intervention by adults. If you think your child is either being cyberbullied or cyberbullying others, take positive action sooner rather than later. You may help prevent a very negative situation.