Cyber Bullying

What is Cyber-bullying? Cyber-bullying is defined as the use of technology, such as the internet or text messaging to post derogatory or hateful material about another.

Cyber-bullying is put into two categories:

Synchronic: Considered “LIVE” bullying or technology that allows for real time.

Chat rooms
Instant messaging
Cell phones-text messaging
Online gaming, i.e. (World of War Craft, XBOX live)

Asynchronic: Technologies that allows for delayed and permanent posting of communication

Social networking sites, i.e. (Facebook, Myspace)

email
youtube.com

Those most Affected

Ages 9-14 are most commonly known as both victims and bullies
Of those who are cyber-bullied frequently:
- 62% were cyber-bullied by a student from their school
- 46% were cyber-bullied from a friend
- 55% did not know who had cyber-bullied them

Students in grades 6-8

18% - cyber-bullied at least once in the last couple months
And 6% said it happened to them 2 or more times
Girls are twice as likely as boys to be involved in cyber-bulling, as victim or perpetrator

2006 study

Girls show increase competition and aggression toward other girls as early as age 4.
Girls view gossip is a prerequisite to popularity.

Primetime Experiment

Technology makes the rumor mill move faster.
Easier to be cruel when you are anonymous.

Motivations

81% of young people said that they cyber-bully because they think it’s funny.

Other motivations include:

Self-protection or Revenge.
Bored (bullying is entertaining.
Ego-based; promote status.
Want reaction, want to control others.
Socially isolated person taking revenge on others who may be bullying them at school.

How to tell if your child is being cyber-bullied?

Computer Avoidance.
Computer Obsession.
Change in behavior at home.
Change in behavior at school / school avoidance.
Kids will either want to be on the computer to see if anything else is being written for others to see.

Or they will want nothing to do with the computer.

Nightmares
Any change in their behavior is usually a sign something is going on in their world.

Tips

As parents establish home rules regarding cyber-bullying. Talk to your kids about what it is, and come up with a plan.
If you see it, print it or take a screen shot of it.
Address it.
Talk to the parents if you know that child.
Talk to the students involved if you know them.
Teach your child to only talk to kids that they know on the computer.
Teach your kids not to talk to strangers.
According to the National Crime Prevention Center, over 40% of all teenagers with Internet access have reported being bullied online during the past year.
Girls are more likely than boys to be the target of cyber-bullying. There is a direct correlation to the amount of time girls spend online and the likelihood that they will be bullied.
The National Crime Prevention study found that only 10% of those kids who were bullied told their parents about the incident, and that a mere 18% of the cases were reported to a local or national law enforcement agency.
Only 15% of parents are “in the know” about their kids’ social networking habits, and how these behaviors can lead to cyber-bullying.

According to a recent study;

58% of 4th through 8th graders reported having mean or cruel things said to them online.
53% said that they have said mean or hurtful things to others while online.
42% of those studied said that they had been “bullied online”, but almost 60% have never told their parents about the incident.
Cell phone cameras and digital cameras are a growing problem in the cyber-bullying world. A recent survey found that 10% of 770 young people surveyed were made to feel “threatened, embarrassed or uncomfortable” by a photo taken of them using a cell-phone camera.

Jacob Testimony from Xpleo Media on Vimeo.

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites