Copy and Paste this into Google Doc so the key points can be highlighted (from www.mediasmarts.ca)
How Kids Cyberbully
Verbal or emotional abuse is the most prevalent form of bullying online. Social bullying, another pervasive form – particularly with girls – includes social exclusion and spreading gossip and rumours.
Making public content that was meant to be private – such as photos or videos – is another frequent bullying activity, and is particularly common in the context of relationships. Finally, bullying may take the form of impersonation or spoofing, in which the perpetrator actually represents him or herself as the target. These forms of psychological bullying can be even more devastating when conducted through digital media.
Not surprisingly, social networks – particularly Facebook – are where youth report being bullied most often. Texting and instant messaging services are second, with YouTube well behind in third place. [1] Built-in digital cameras in cell phones are adding a new dimension to the problem. In one case students used a camera-enabled cell phone to take a photo of an overweight classmate in the shower after gym. The picture was distributed throughout the school email list within minutes. The emerging trend of sexting also exposes teenagers to cyberbullying: personal messages and photographs, even those sent to real friends or boyfriends/girlfriends, could end up being embarrassing if the relationship sours and private photos are made public.
On social networking sites, you can tag images with the names of people who are in the photo. This simple act can lead to cyberbullying, as these photos will appear in any search into this person’s name and it could be that misappropriated profile settings do not protect access to them.
Multiplayer online games and virtual worlds can be venues for harassment and cyberbullying when kids are playing or using the chat features to talk to other players. According to a 2008 Pew Internet & American Life Project report, more than half of teens who play games report seeing or hearing “people being mean and overly aggressive while playing”; a quarter of them report that this happens “often.”
Strategies for Fighting Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is everyone’s business and the best response is a pro-active or preventative one. From the outset, we can reduce the risks associated with Internet use if we engage in an open discussion with our children about their online activities and set up rules that will grow along with them.
Strategies for homes and schools
In order to fight cyberbullying effectively we need to change the culture in which it happens, starting with helping kids understand that what may seem like “just a joke” can have a powerful effect on someone else. It’s also important to teach them that cyberbullying may be less common than they think it is: kids and teens often overestimate how common bullying actually is, even though most say that their own online experiences are positive. [1] Knowing the facts is important because when young people believe that bullying behaviour is the norm, they are more likely to engage in and tolerate it – and when they understand how uncommon bullying actually is, bullying rates drop.
Strategies at home
· Both schools and homes should create online agreements or contracts for computer use, with input from students or kids. Make sure your agreement contains clear rules about ethical online behaviour: research has shown that bullying rates drop when kids know that it is against the rules and how to report it.[2] You can use our tip sheets Family Online Rules and Social Media Rules to come up with appropriate rules for your home.
· With younger children who visit games sites, rules should deal with online interactions: never provide personal information and don’t share passwords with friends.
· For teenagers, social activity online is intense. This is the time to discuss the nature of your teen’s online interactions and, more specifically, his or her responsible use of the Internet. Sexting can easily lead to cyberbullying, particularly if the relationship sours.
Whether your child is a tween or a teen, talk to them about responsible Internet use:
· Teach them to never post or say anything on the Internet that they wouldn’t want the whole world – including you – to read.
· Talk to them about reaching out to an adult at the first sign of a threat. Don’t take for granted that your child will: only 8 percent of teens who have been bullied online have told their parents. [3]
· Chill! Kids refuse to confide in their parents because they’re scared that if they find out about the cyberbullying, they will take away their Internet or cell phone. [4]
· Teach your children that what goes on online is everyone’s business. Let them know that action must be taken when cyberbullying is encountered. Not reporting it is tantamount to approving it.
· Encourage kids to speak out against bullying when they see it. Popular sites like Facebook and YouTube provide tools to report inappropriate content, and the “comments” features associated with individual pages can provide opportunities for witnesses to speak out. See the section on Strategies for Empowering Witnesses below for more information on how to do help them do this.
We also need to teach kids how to react to an online bully. Give them the tip sheet What to Do if Someone is Mean to You Online and make sure they understand the key points:
· Don’t fight back. A lot of times bullies are looking to get a rise out of the kids they are targeting, and fighting back just gives them what they want.
· Save the evidence. Tell your children to make sure they have a record of what happened if somebody is mean to them online. If it’s something that was sent directly to them, make sure they save it. If it’s something that can be deleted (a tweet, a status update, etc.) have them get a screenshot (http://www.take-a-screenshot.org/).
· Talk to somebody. Make sure that your kids know that they can always come to you or another trusted adult if they are in trouble. If there’s no one they can talk to offline, remind them that they can contact Kids Help Phone (http://www.kidshelpphone.ca) and talk to one of their trained counselors.
· Remind them that it’s not their fault if they are being cyberbullied. Nothing they do makes it okay for people to be mean to them, and nothing about them justifies people being mean to them.
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