Introduction to Cyber-Bullying

There is a time in every person's life where they have to deal with the pains of adolescents. Whether it is growing into who you are, finding out who your true friends are, or maybe finding out who your true friends aren’t, there will be several instances in which you will go through trials and tribulations to become a more adult version of yourself. As many of us experience, adolescents can be quite mean to one another, but I don’t think people realize the extent to which this occurs. There is a relatively new form of adolescent torture, being termed cyber-bullying. According to an article by Sameer Hinduja and Justin Patchin (2008) called “Cyberbullying: An Exploratory Analysis of Factors Related to Offending and Victimization” the authors define cyberbullying as, “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the medium of electronic text” (p. 131). They also go on to say that cyberbullying is the result of childhood aggression mixed with the new forms of communication technology that are available to them, i.e. the Internet, cell phones, etc. Cyberbullying is a very serious crime, as well as a serious disruption to the victim and the perpetrator’s lives. The CyberBully Investigators feel that it is important to explore further into cyberbullying by the means of two ways. First, we will be looking at ways to solve the problem of cyberbullying, especially if you are a victim. Through this we will give step-by-step advice on how to effectively stop the cyber-bullying from occurring. Finally, we will be looking at the prevention of cyberbullying, not only for the victims, but also for educators and parents. After extensive research, we have developed the best ways for children to prevent becoming victims of cyber-bullying, as well as prevention tactics for parents and educators. Now let’s begin our journey into cyber-bullying starting with the solutions to cyber-bullying and moving on to prevention.

Reference
Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J.W. (2008) Cyberbullying: An exploratory analysis of factors related to offending and victimization. Deviant Behavior, 29(2), 129-156.

Cyber Bully Prevention

Ah? You’re here? At last! Yokosou*, everyone! Thus you’ve arrived at nearly the last segment of your journey through the world of cyber bullying. By now, you have read reports from my other associates detailing what cyber bullying is (see introduction); the effect it has on victims (see victims post), and personal solutions (see solutions post). This post will tie-in closely to personal solutions. Here in these pages, I will be talking about preventing cyber bullying. Let’s get started, ne?

Personal solutions was directed towards those who are the victims of being bullied. This post, on the other hand, is dedicated to adults, kids, and educators, and it will talk about what they can do to help prevent and counter cyber bullying. We will start with home, first. There are a lot of things that parents can do to help their children be cyber bully-free, but we are not going to talk about all of them. Instead, we will talk about the most important ones and then link you to sites that deal with others not mentioned.

One of the first rules of computer ethics states: “Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people,” (Scheuermann & Taylor, 1997, p. 270). Well, cyber bullies generally tend to ignore that rule because they make use of the web to do the exact opposite. Cyber bullying is victimization (Hinduja & Patchin, 2008); willful harm that is repeated inflicted through an electronic medium (Hinduja & Patchin, 2008). Yes, yes, I know you’ve already seen the definition of cyber bullying; or you’ve heard it time and again, but I ask that you bear with me. Seeing that cyber bullies tend to ignore this rule, what can adults do to counter it? Both stopbullyingnow and the NCPC (National Crime Prevention Council) list tips for parent and educators alike.

One of the most prominent tips is talk to your children about cyber bullying and making sure they understand what it is and what it entails (National Crime Prevention, 2008 & stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov, 2008). Did you know that thirty percent of teenagers and forty-five percent of pre-teens receive bullying messages while at school (stopbullyingnow,hrsa.gov, 2008)? That is a scary percentage, if you ask me. So, educators should also take charge and teach the children about cyber bullying (stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov, 2008). If you are a school psychologist, you have every opportunity to work with the school and advocate knowledge of cyber bullying (Diamanduros, Downs, & Jenkins, 2008). Talking to kids about cyber bullying and making sure they understand it is extremely important, because most kids who are victims of cyber bullying are not sanguine about telling adults that they are being bullied (Hinduja & Patchin, 2008).

So we have talking to your children. Well, yes, of course, you’re telling me. And what else? Just talking to kids about it might not garner much. I hear you. The National Crime Prevention Council also suggests that home computers are kept in active places within the house (http://www.ncpc.org/, 2008). Wait, wait, spying? No, it is not spying. It is monitoring. When I was high school, way back when in the late ‘90’s, lunch time was a noisy affair and there were two options. Either endure it and walk away with an inevitable headache, or vacate to somewhere quiet. My school separated lunch times to lunch A and lunch B. I was always in lunch B—I would have four classes, lunch and two more classes before being dismissed for the day. Since it was so late, it was not necessarily worth it to eat, so I would go to the library instead. There were three computers there, all of them old and slow, but also with in plain sight where the librarians could monitor what students were doing. And monitor they did. So educators, keep watch of what the kids attending your schools do when they use the Internet on premise (stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov, 2008).

One of the presumed draws for Internet sites is the anonymity that accompanies them (Rosen, 2007), and that is another reason to monitor your children’s activities online. If your children want to set up an email account or chat account—really any type of account in my opinion— participate with them in that venture and make doubly sure that you know their user name and passwords, just in case (http://www.ncpc.org/, 2008).

Along this line parents, you should also go over who your kids are talking to online. Look at your child’s buddy list frequently and ask them about the people there (http://www.ncpc.org/, 2008), because anonymity does not just work in your child’s favor; it also works in favor for bullies, too (Hinduja & Patchin, 2008). The anonymity of the Internet frees bullies from the constraints of the world around them; they are no longer pressured by society norms (Hinduja & Patchin, 2008). Back to you, educators, when talking to students about cyber bullying, make sure you talk with them about the effects that cyber bullying can have on them as students attending school, because it affects them there, too (stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov, 2008). Parents, you might also want to seriously consider parental controls on the Internet (stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov, 2008).

Let us turn now to kids. Kids, do not just think that educators or adults are the only ones who can be pro-active in cyber bully prevention. You can help prevent it too, even if you are a victim. Let me start by saying this: do not ever forget, that just like you, there is a human being operating the computer (Scheuermann & Taylor, 1997) so be nice to others online (Wagner, 2008). Izzy Kalman, a school psychologist comments that you can’t expect niceties from people online if you’re mean to them first (Wagner, 2008).

What else can kids do to help themselves? They can work with schools and school psychologists to come up with guidelines (http://www.ncpc.org/, 2008). Also, when you are online, don’t give out any personal information, anywhere (http://www.ncpc.org/, 2008); do not give out your passwords, either (http://www.ncpc.org/, 2008). What? Yes, I know; you can stop with the ‘are you nuts?’ expression. I am sane, I assure you.

You all might give a scornful scoff and say, but we already know that. Well if you do, wonderful. But saying you understand and practicing what you know are two different things. For example, when people sign up for social sites under the impression of anonymity, they tend to give out more information than they withhold (Rosen, 2007). Also kids, understand that there is no eraser on the net: “people can see everything” (Conlin, 2006, p. 2). Anything you put on the net can be traced (Conlin, 2006).

In other words, the real world and the online world have blended together (Conlin, 2006). Let me illustrate this for you all by giving you an example of online and offline no longer being two separate entities (Conlin, 2006). This happened about two years ago. I had signed on to AIM for the first time in several months and I was talking to a cousin of mine. Seeing as said cousin had more contact with my family in the South than I did, I asked him just before signing off if he happened to have the home address of another family member. I wanted to send cards for the holidays and my cousin, instead of leaving the computer for a few seconds to ask his wife who worked for that particular person, googled him. And he successfully found him, too. That, if anything, should be an eye opener. Anonymity? Where?

There are many more things that parents, educators, and kids can do to help prevent cyber bullying from happening. We, the Cyberbully Investigators will provide links to some of the websites with the best tips. So let us review what we have touched upon thus far. Parents, educators—you all should talk to your children about cyber bullying and make certain they understand what it is and what impact it can have. Parents, in the event that your children come to you with the news that they are being bullied, help them understand that it is not their fault, nor are they going to lose their Internet privileges (http://www.ncpc.org/, 2008). Parents, keep home computers in an active place where they are easily seen and keep an eye on what your kids are doing when they are online. Help them set up their emails and chat profiles, and parents, make certain you know their passwords just in case. Look over whom they talk to and ask your kids about them. Also parents, think about parental controls for when your kids surf the net. Kids, be nice to others online. Remember that there is no longer any anonymity, so be careful about the information you post. Do not share anything personal. Educators, right along with parents, you should talk to the students about cyber bullying.

Well? Are you ready to take the next step to the last part of your journey for cyber bullying? Then don’t let me keep you! Have a good trip and thanks for visiting! Be sure to check out our resources page where you’ll find all sorts of cool links and stuff packed full of helpful tips and more information!

References:

Conlin, M. (2006). You are what you post. Business Week, 3977, 52-53.

Diamanduros, T., Downs, E., & Jenkins, S. (2008, September). The role of school psychologists in the assessment, prevention, and intervention of cyberbullying. Psychology in the Schools, 45(8), 693-704. Retrieved November 21, 2008, from Academic Search Complete database.

Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2008). Cyberbullying: An exploratory analysis of factors related to offending and victimization. Deviant Behavior, 29, 129-156.

National Crime Prevention Council. Retrieved November 23, 2008, from Stop Cyberbullying Web site: http://www.ncpc.org/topics/by-audience/parents/bullying/cyberbullying/stop-cyberbullying/

Rosen, C. (2007). Virtual friendship and the new narcissism. The New Atlantis (electronic version). Downloaded on Sept. 25, 2007 from http://www.thenewatlantis.com/archive/17/rosen.htm.

Scheuermann, L., & Taylor, G. (1997). Netiquette. Internet Research: Electronic Networking Applications and Policy, 7(4), 269-273.

What Adults Can Do, Cyberbullying. Retrieved November 23, 2008, from Stop Bullying Now! Take A Stand, Lend A Hand Web site: http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/adult/indexAdult.asp?Area=cyberbullying

*Yokosu is an exteremely informal way of saying 'welcome' in Japanese.

Cyber Bully Solutions

Cyber-bullying has become an escalating concern over recent years. Typically when thinking of bullies, we imagine hulking children who push us down on the play ground, call us names or threaten us. While those types of bullies certainly still exist, cyber-bullies are a bit different. They operate in cyber-space, free from any inhibitions that face to face communication might bring. While both bullies are harmful to others, it is important to know the difference so you can take the appropriate steps to stop a cyber bully from dominating your life.
The first necessary step is identifying whether or not you are the victim of cyber abuse. If someone is willingly using information and communication via cyber related technologies, such as the computer and internet or cell phone, to harass or threaten you by repeatedly or deliberately posting cruel text or images, then you are the victim of a cyber-bully (Mason, 2008). This abuse can take on several forms. Perhaps a class mate is harassing you via instant messaging, posting false or cruel information about you on a web page, or sending threatening emails or text messages (Li, 2006). Recognizing these specific forms of bullying is a vital step in bringing your abuse to an end.
Now that you are aware of the problem it is time to take action. The issues with cyber-bullying are multiple and complex. Typically, abuses may not take place while either student is on school grounds, which can make it difficult for school officials to intervene. There are complex constitutional rights that can protect those who perpetrate online hate speech and similar abuses (Barnes, 2003). A cyber-bully may also perpetrate his abuses anonymously; making it difficult for a victim to even know who their cyber-bully is (Hinduja & Patchin, 2008). It is important to remember you are not alone, a survey of youth in Britain reported that as many as one in four youth had been a victim of some form of cyber bullying(Li, 2006).With so many complex issues, resolving cyber abuse can be quite difficult, but it is possible if you take the right steps.
There are several informative resources for those who find themselves to be victims of cyber bullies. Stopcyberbullying.org is a great online resource for victims. It has a very simple list of steps to remember that can help you deal with cyber bullies: Stop, Block, and Tell.
The first step is 'stop'. The concept is very simple. If you find you are the victim of a cyber bully, take a moment to calm down (Stopcyberbulling, 2008). You do not want to do anything irrational that could potentially aggravate the situation. It could be easy to get caught in a retaliation mindset. According to research some cyber-bullies take on the role of “Retaliator”. They decide it is okay for them to fight cyber abuse with cyber abuse (Mason, 2008). This is absolutely the wrong way to handle a cyber-bully. Remember to take a moment to get control of yourself and prepare to take rational steps to resolve the situation.
The second step is to ‘block’. Much of the bullying that takes place online can occur through social networking sites like myspace.com or facebook.com. These sites, along with many instant messaging programs allow for the users to block messages from undesirable posters. You should take steps to make sure your cyber-bully cannot abuse you through conventional channels (Stopcyberbulling, 2008). Although this will not necessarily put an end to the cyber abuse, it will help you to maintain a safe and healthy online environment. Once you have used all available tools to block your cyber-bully’s communication it is time to get others involved.
Finally we move to our third step 'Tell'. Tell anyone you can think of who might be able to help you. This would probably include parents, teachers, councilors, etc. There are even online resources that can help you resolve dangerous cyber –bullies. Wiredsaftey.org is a site that works with law enforcement officials. It allows you to report instances of cyber abuse like cyber-stalking, hacking, or identity theft. Once those in authority know a problem exists, the likelihood of resolving the situation is much greater (Stopcyberbulling, 2008).
These are just some of the steps that can help you resolve a conflict with a cyber bully. Although there are many different ways to resolve an issue as complex as cyber abuse some of the most important things to remember are to: remain calm, remove abusers access, and inform someone in authority. If you follow these steps the likelihood of bringing the abuse to a peaceful and healthy resolution is much greater.

References

Mason, K (2008).Cyberbullying: A preliminary assessment for school personnel. Psychology in the schools. 45, 26.

Li, Q (2006).Cyber bullying in schools: A research in gender differences. School Psychology International. 27,15.

Barnes, S. B. (2003). Computer-mediated communication: Human-to-human communication across the internet. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2008). Cyberbullying: An exploratory analysis of factors related to offending and victimization. Deviant Behavior, 29, 129-156.

(2008). Stop, block and tell. Retrieved November 23, 2008, from STOP Cyberbullying Web site: http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/take_action/stop_block_and_tell.html

(2008). Cyber911 help. Retrieved November 23, 2008, from Wired Safety Web site: http://www.wiredsafety.org/911/index.html

The Effects of Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is a serious problem with serious results. The effects of cyberbullying can be extreme as stated in one study “Individuals who were bully/victims displayed more anxiety, more depression, and lower self-esteem than individuals in the other groups” (Kowalski 2008) Cases such as Megan Meier show these effects at the most serious state. This 13-year-old girl met a boy on Myspace named Josh Evans, which turned out to be a false account account. This account was made by Lori Drew, a middle-aged neighbor of Megan’s. The depressed teen was sent over the edge and committed suicide after receiving a message from this user saying “ ‘The world would be a better place without you.’ ” (Steinhauer 2008)

Depression and anxiety are severe issues that are a dangerous concern, especially amongst the youth. These emotions can be triggered by innumerable events and it is important to do all we can in order to minimize the risk. These emotional issues can lead to many other heartbreaking disorders such as social disorders, eating disorders and in extreme cases suicide. As one study states “depression has been identified as a significant correlate of suicidal ideation among children and adolescents.”(Allen, Carter, Hamm & Silverman. 2008 p.27) It is a parent’s worst nightmare to lose their child especially to something that is treatable like depression. Cyberbullying can be extremely dangerous at time taking effect on adolescents without any type of warning. Teens sited problems they had telling their parents. “They fear that they will be further victimized if the perpetrator gets into trouble and retaliates. They fear that their parents will remove their computers or cellular phones in an effort to protect them.”(Kowalski 2008) This is a subject that it pays to be educated on and through knowledge and openness on cyberbullying we can treat the effects before they become too severe.

Bibliography

Allen, A., Carter, R., Hamm, L. & Silverman, W. (2008). Measures Matter: The Relative Contribution of Anxiety and Depression to Suicidal Ideation in Clinically Referred Anxious Youth Using Brief Versus Full Length Questionnaires. Depression and Anxiety, P.27-35.

Kowalski RM. (2008).Recognizing and Treating Victim and Aggressor. Psychiatric Times, Vol. 25 (11)

Steinhauer, Jennifer (2008, November) Woman Who Posed as Boy Testifies in Case That Ended in Suicide of 13-Year-Old. New York Times

Welcome!

So here we are, the Cyber Bully Investigators Team-- CBI.

This is our blog. This is where we will post our project.

Welcome, welcome.

Lets all do our best!

(Blog moderator??)
Ariel