Speak Out against Cyberbullying

There is so much that you can do on the net now – lots of new and fabulous ways to create and share content, and to keep in touch with friends and family.

However, there is also the possibility some people may misuse these technologies and services.  You, or a friend, may find that you are the target of cyberbullying.

You’re not on your own -  there is something that can be done.  There are strategies for dealing with bullies.

 

What you can do

Cyberbullying is defined as ‘the use of information communications technology (ICT), particularly mobile phones and the internet, deliberately to upset someone else.’

Sadly, bullying behaviour is nothing new.  However, people can – and do - use their phones and their computers to make this problem so much bigger, and so much worse.

Bullies can be people you know, but sometimes passers-by can join in because they believe they’re anonymous and can’t be traced.

Wrong.  Every word, every action leaves a digital footprint that can be tracked right to the bully’s virtual front door.  Bullies will be found out eventually.

This kind of bullying can happen in school, or out of it.  It can happen any hour of the day or night.  It can leave someone feeling unsafe, and horribly alone.

No one has the right to bully another person.  No one is expected to put up with it.  At its most serious, cyberbullying is illegal and can be investigated by the police.  However, even when it’s teasing or a joke that’s got out of hand, there are steps you can take to stop the bullies and take back control:

 

  • Block the bully – learn how to block or report someone who is behaving badly.
  • Don’t retaliate or reply!  Often if you don’t reply the bully will decide to leave you alone.
  • Save the evidence – learn how to keep records of offending messages, pictures or online conversations.
  • Make sure you tell: an adult you trust, or call a helpline (like the Kids Helpline, on 1800 55 1800) in confidence; also the provider of the service - check the service provider’s website to see where to report incidents.
  • If the bullying includes threat to you report it to the police straight away!
  • your school – your teacher or the anti-bullying coordinator can help you.

If you think that someone else is being cyberbullied:

  • don’t just stand there – if you see cyberbullying going on, support the victim and report the bullying.  How would you feel if no one stood up for you?

Finally:

  • Always respect others – be careful what you say online and what images you send.
  • Think before you send – whatever you send can be made public very quickly and could stay online forever.
  • Treat your password like your toothbrush – keep it to yourself. Only give your mobile number or personal website address to trusted friends.

(Tips from Childnet International at www.digizen.org )

Further advice, information, resources, and all sorts of interesting things can be found here.  

For parents and carers

“Kids these days…”

…have, at their fingertips, an incredible range of communications media, and ways to express their creativity and make friends and connections.

However, some people will use their phones and computers to bully others through SMS, IM, email, through the misuse of social network services, through the mis-application of programs such as Photoshop or any of the myriad of video programs freely available online.  It can be personal - defamatory, embarrassing, even threatening.  It can take the form of power-play from so-called ‘griefers’ in gaming sites such as Runescape, World of Warcraft or in Second Life.  It can also involve repeated spam attacks, hacking, virus assaults and other technologically crippling things.

It can happen to anyone, not just the obviously vulnerable children.  Sometimes otherwise confident, outgoing individuals can be targeted, and the effects are no less devastating.

Common signs that a child is being subject to cyberbullying might include:

  • changing patterns of how they use the computer – perhaps being reluctant to go online, or seeming unhappy once they’ve been there;
  • receiving a sudden increase in the number of SMS messages;
  • having trouble sleeping, having nightmares;
  • becoming withdrawn, appearing depressed, having mood swings, crying without reason;
  • feeling unwell, with no specific symptoms;
  • becoming anti-social, having less to do with their friends;
  • falling behind in homework, being reluctant to go to school, even skipping school.

 Of course, kids can exhibit signs such as these for any number of reasons, however, increasingly, parents do need to be aware that cyberbullying could be a contributing factor.

Each family should formulate a clear strategy with their children about how to deal with bullies, both on and offline.  Stategies could include:

  • Communication: It is incredibly important that you communicate with your children about their online well-being.  It sounds a bit too easy, but setting the pattern of talking to your kids right from the start about what they are doing online and who they’re talking to, finding out about the kinds of experiences they are having, can mean that your kids are not afraid to talk to you when something is happening to them that makes them unhappy.  It’ll help you understand their point of view so that you are ready to take action to help straightaway.
  • Research: Find out the anti-bullying policies at your children's school. Many schools are also building in specific cyberbullying policies just to deal with this issue.
  • Report: Know who to contact if your child is being cyberbullied and what the procedure is for removing distressing information from the internet.  Places to go include:
  1. Your child’s school – schools should act on any complaints about bullying, cyber- or otherwise;
  2. Your internet service or phone provider;
  3. The operator of the site where the bullying content is hosted; these sites should provide a ‘report abuse’ mechanism visible at least from the home page or in its safety advice area
  4. Where the messages contain any form of threat you should report this to the police as soon as possible.

 

Simply ignoring the problem – or trying to address it by ‘turning it off’ – won’t work.  Research shows that, often, incidence of bullying aren’t reported because the victim is afraid they will either be blamed for it, or because they are afraid of losing access to a critical means of staying in touch with their real friends.  Kids are literally wired together…to break that connection would be to isolate the victim even further.

 

Further advice, information, and resources can be found here.