If you’re like most teenagers, you spend a lot of time on a cell phone or instant messenger chatting with friends and uploading photos, videos, and music to websites. You may have online friends whom you’ve never met in person, with whom you play games and exchange messages. Teens’ lives exist in a variety of places such as school hallways, part-time jobs, and friends’ houses. Now many teens also have lives on the Internet. And bullying has followed teens online.
Online bullying, called cyberbullying, happens when teens use the Internet, cell phones, or other devices to send or post text or images intended to hurt or embarrass another person. Cyberbullying is a problem affecting almost half of all American teens. Whether you’ve been a victim of cyberbullying, know someone who has been cyberbullied, or have even cyberbullied yourself, there are steps you and your friends can take to stop cyberbullying and stay cyber-safe.
Being a victim of cyberbullying can be a common and painful experience. Some youth who cyberbully:
Pretend they are other people online to trick others
Spread lies and rumors about victims
Trick people into revealing personal information
Send or forward mean text messages
Post pictures of victims without their consent
When teens were asked why they think others cyberbully, 81 percent said that cyberbullies think it’s funny. Other teens believe that youth who cyberbully:
Don’t think it’s a big deal
Don’t think about the consequences
Are encouraged by friends
Think everybody cyberbullies
Think they won’t get caught
Contrary to what cyberbullies may believe, cyberbullying is a big deal, and can cause a variety of reactions in teens. Some teens have reacted in positive ways to try to prevent cyberbullying by:
Blocking communication with the cyberbully
Deleting messages without reading them
Talking to a friend about the bullying
Reporting the problem to an Internet service provider or website moderator
Many youth experience a variety of emotions when they are cyberbullied. Youth
who are cyberbullied report feeling angry, hurt, embarrassed, or scared. These
emotions can cause victims to react in ways such as:
Seeking revenge on the bully
Avoiding friends and activities
Cyberbullying back
Some teens feel threatened because they may not know who is cyberbullying them. Although cyberbullies may think they are anonymous, they can be found. If you are cyberbullied or harassed and need help, save all communication with the cyberbully and talk to a parent, teacher, police officer, or other adult you trust.
Teens have figured out ways to prevent cyberbullying. Follow in the footsteps of other quick-thinking teens and:
Refuse to pass along cyberbullying messages
Tell friends to stop cyberbullying
Block communication with cyberbullies
Report cyberbullying to a trusted adult
You can also help prevent cyberbullying by:
Speaking with other students, as well as teachers and school administrators, to develop rules against cyberbullying
Raising awareness of the cyberbullying problem in your community by holding an assembly and creating fliers to give to younger kids or parents
Sharing NCPC’s anti-cyberbullying message with friends
Don’t forget that even though you can’t see a cyberbully or the bully’s victim, cyberbullying causes real problems. If you wouldn’t say it in person, don’t say it online. Delete cyberbullying. Don’t write it. Don’t forward it.
Remember that the Internet is accessed by millions of people all over the world, not just your friends and family. While many Internet users are friendly, some may want to hurt you. Below are some ways to stay cyber-safe:
Never post or share your personal information online (this includes your full name, address, telephone number, school name, parents’ names, credit card number, or social security number) or your friends’ personal information.
Never share your Internet passwords with anyone, except your parents.
Never meet anyone face-to-face whom you only know online.
Talk to your parents about what you do online.
All statistics from the 2006 Harris Interactive Cyberbullying Research Report, commissioned by the National Crime Prevention Council.
Keeping Kids Safe Online
As parents and educators, we want our students to be safe and responsible while using technology. We will have succeeded if we can help each child recognize and minimize the three main risks associated with all connected technologies (i.e., iPods, instant messaging, chat, computer games, game consoles, cell phones, text messaging, webcams).
The three main risks are:
- Inappropriate Contact Teach kids how to recognize and protect themselves against contact with cyber-bullies, hackers, phishers, and predators. People aren’t always who they say they are. The Internet is a place to enhance existing relationships, not a place to meet new people.
- Inappropriate Content This includes both content that is viewed and content that is uploaded by kids. Help kids understand that the Internet is forever: everything they post online is tracked and stored and will follow them to future job interviews and college entrance interviews.
- Inappropriate Conduct Because the web environment can feel anonymous, some youth become dis-inhibited . Teach kids that the Internet is a public forum: anonymity is a myth. Help them be the good person online that they are when they’re offline.
Once children understand these core risks, three simple rules will keep them safe online.
Elementary school
Keep Safe • Keep Away • Keep Telling
I keep safe my personal information—all of it! I never give my real name, address, phone number, the name of my school, or a picture of myself to anyone online.
I keep away from Internet strangers—no matter what they tell me, because I have no way of knowing who they really are. I don’t talk with them online, and I never meet them face-to-face.
I keep telling my parents about everything I see on the Internet—especially when something makes me uncomfortable.
Middle and High school
Protect your NAME, IDENTITY, and REPUTATION
As students become more tech-savvy and have greater access to technology,
it is important they understand the need to protect their name, identity and reputation. Everything they post online today can affect the goals they have for tomorrow.
Teens are more likely to learn and have an open dialogue when their peers
present information. The resources for this age group use a peer-to-peer
educational module using resources like Student Voices: Cyber-bullying ,
a film where teens discuss their personal experiences of being cyber-bullied,
identify safety tips, and discuss how and when to make a report.
More information can be found at I Keep Safe, Enough
is Enough, and Web Wise Kids, The FTC And other great resources for parents and children!
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