Cyber+Bullying

"Cyberbullying is when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones." It is only considered bullying if adolescents are involved. If adults are involved it becomes "cyber-stalking." We will discuss inappropriate internet behavior between children and adults in "Internet Predators." Cyberbullying is also different from sexual harrassment, because sexual harrassment typically involves sexual predators which again falls under the "Internet Predators" page (Wikipedia.com, 2008).

Cyberbullying and traditional bullying can be difficult for teachers, administrators, and parents to identify because students often are too ashamed or scared to come forward with their attacker. However, while both forms of harrassment can be devastating, cyberbullying can be avoided simply by abadoning the electronic sources (or the source of the bully's power). A webpage, chat, or instant message can all be shut down and erased; however, because of all the methods that a cyberbully can access their victim, it may not be that easy for everyone. If you are being bullied online and have left the chat room, deleted the email, blocked the instant messenger, or all of the above, and the assailant is still persisting in his attack, then the next step is to make sure you save all the contact and inform your parents/teacher/administrator/counselor or anyone you trust who can help you. Since cyberbullying can be hard to pursue criminally because of a lack of proof or the blurred lines of the internet, it is imperative that you come foward with the harrassment as soon as possible and stay away from the channels of communication that the bully tends to use. For parents who are concerned about their children's internet usage/cyberbullying should visit the following website for clues to identify in your child's behavior. Many sources suggest that parents inform themselves and their children with "cybersense," or taking what you already know about protecting your child and applying that knowledge to the internet (WiredKids, Inc., 2008).
 * What Is the Difference between Cyberbullying and Traditional Bullying?**

**Cyber Bullying Statistics** I-SAFE.org is the authority in internet safety for children. Some shocking statistics include that "42% of kids have been bullied while online, 1 in 4 have had it happen more than once, 35% of kids have been threatened online, nearly 1 in 5 have had it happen more than once, 21% of kids have received mean or threatening e-mail or other messages, 58% of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online, more than 4 out of 10 say it has happened more than once, 53% of kids admit having said something mean or hurtful to another person online, more than 1 in 3 have done it more than once, and 58% have not told their parents or an adult about something mean or hurtful that happened to them online" (i-Safe, Inc., 2008). While these numbers are not as shocking as the numbers you will find under the Internet Predators subpage, it is important to remember that Cyberbullying is a growing problem that many children are facing.


 * "Direct Attacks" and "Cyberbullying by Proxy"**

WiredKids, Inc. describes Direct Attacks as:
 * Instant Messaging/Text Messaging Harassment
 * Stealing Passwords
 * Blogs
 * Web Sites
 * Sending Pictures through E-mail and Cell Phones
 * Internet Polling
 * Interactive Gaming
 * Sending Malicious Code
 * Sending Porn and Other Junk E-Mail and IMs
 * Impersonation

What is the difference between Direct Attacks and Cyberbullying by Proxy? Direct Attacks is exactly as it sounds, the bully directly contacting their victim. Cyberbullying by Proxy simply means that the bully goes through someone else to bully their victim. Often, parents unknowingly become involved in the bullying when the bully accuses the victim of harrassing them (WiredKids, Inc.).

WiredKids, Inc. lists the methods that Cyberbullies can resort to in order to harrass their victims at http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/parents/howdoyouhandleacyberbully.html. Just keep in mind that sharing too much information online may invite intruders to take advantage of your naivity. Remember, do not share personal information on the internet and if someone does resort to one of the methods mentioned on WiredKids, Inc. or harrasses you in any way, alert a trusted adult (your teacher, parents, and/or guardians).
 * Methods of Cyberbullies**

[|Watch Cyberbullying Video]

[|Visit the I-SAFE Website - The Leader in e-Safety Education] [|Visit the Internet Super Heroes Website for more info on Cyberbullying] [|Visit Art Wolinsky's Powerpoint Presentation on Cyberbullying]
 * e-Safety Facts:**

__[|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megan_Meier__ __http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFsfDLCkfQU__ [|http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/06/16/internet.suicide.ap/index.html__
 * Megan Meier Information**

 WiredKids, Inc. (2008). //Stop cyberbullying//. Retreived on June 26, 2008 from http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/index2.html. Wikepedia. (2008). //Cyber bullying//. Retreived on June 26, 2008 from [|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyber_bullying.> i-Safe, Inc. (2008). //i-Safe: the leader in e-safety education//. Retreived June 26, 2008 from [|http://www.isafe.org/  TechForum. (2007). Childsafety wiki. Retreived on June 26, 2008 from [|http://childsafety.pbwiki.com <span]
 * References**