Digital Citizenship
Cyber Bullying
Facts about Cyber Bullying
- Nearly 43% of kids have been bullied online. One in four has had it happen more than once.
- One in three teens has experienced cyber-threats online.
- Nine out of ten middle school students have had their feelings hurt online.
- About 75% have visited a website bashing another student.
- Four out of ten middle school students 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.
- The psychological and emotional outcomes of cyber bullying are similar to real-life bullying outcomes, except for the reality that with cyber bullying there is often no escape. School ends at 3 p.m., while the Internet is available all the time.
- Over 80% of teens use a cell phone regularly, making it the most common medium for cyber bullying.
- Girls are about twice as likely as boys to be victims and perpetrators of cyber bullying.
- About 58% of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online. More than four out of ten say it has happened more than once.
- 90% of victims will not inform a parent or trusted adult of their abuse.
- Cyber bullying has increased in recent years. In a national survey of 10-17 year olds, twice as many children indicated they had been victims and perpetrators.
http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-cyber-bullying
What to do if you are a victim of Cyber Bullying?
- Tell an adult you trust: you deserve all the support you can get. It’s always good to talk to a parent but if you can’t - a school counselor or even your teacher will usually be able to help you
- Save the evidence: with digital bullying the harassing messages can usually be captured, saved and shown to someone who can help, or they can be used as evidence. Keep copies of text messages, e-mails and online conversations, including relevant dates and times. It’s a good idea to print out copies
- Treat others as you would like to be treated: be decent even to those you don’t really like. Don’t “lower yourself” to their level. Also, research shows that gossiping about and trash talking others increases your risk of being bullied
- Block the bully: on your phone, e-mail or instant messaging program. If it is happening while in chat, leave the “room”
- Get a new e-mail account and/or a new mobile phone number if necessary
- Report the problem: social networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace have links where you can report abuse. Use them!
http://puresight.com/Cyberbullying/dos-and-donts-for-cyber-bullying-victims.html
Jigsaw: Assembly for 8 -10 year olds