The OPMOM Blog

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is the online form of playground bullying, teasing, and taunting through social networks, email, cell phones, and instant messaging. Kids will send or post text and images with the explicit intention of hurting someone.

The facts:
- 90% of middle school students have had their feelings hurt online.
- 75% have visited a Web site bashing another student.
- 40% have had their password(s) stolen and changed by a bully who then locked them out of their own account or sent communications posing as them.
- Only 15% of parents polled knew what cyber-bullying was.

SOURCE: wiredsafety.org

We have all read about it and listened to it on the news about kids being taunted online. The statistics show that Cyberbullying is the #1 issue online for kids today in Middle School and High School.

So as our children venture online or if they are already there then we need to be aware of the signs of Cyberbullying. Signs of victims can include a change in behavior or attitude. For example if you child uses instant message and starts blocking friends or not using it as often then you will want to talk to them about it.

Which leads me to the next thing, talk to your kids! Make sure you understand where they like to go online and who they socialize with just like you do in their offline life. The more active you are about keeping a regular dialog with your children you will be in the loop on whatever is happening to them online.

Bullying in any form can result in long-term psychological harm such as low self-esteem, depression, anger, poor academic performance, truancy, and, in some cases, violence against self or others.

If you child becomes a victim of Cyberbullying then here are some things that you need to do.

- Keep hard copies of messages and posts
- Contact the service provider through their IP Violations letting them know what is happening
- Block the communicators so that they cannot reach your child
- If it is believed to be someone from school then you will need to engage help from school officials

A good way to be in the loop about what is going on in your child’s life is to keep the computer in a centralized area and put service like Onlinefamily.Norton.com on the computer to help you monitor what they’re doing and who they are talking to. Establish rules in your home about email, IM, and private information and what is appropriate. Tell your children about the grandma rule that Marion Merritt from Onlinefamily.Norton.com talks about – that if they don’t want grandma to see it then it probably shouldn’t be out there.

For more information on Cyberbullying visit the Norton Library of Cyberbullying