Stop Cyberbullying
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What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbulling is the act of sending harmful text messages or posting pictures and statuses on social media that degrade a person by putting them down, generally to give the bully power over the victim being bullied.
Examples of cyberbullying
- Sending mean, degrading text messages or emails to someone
- Spreading untrue rumors about someone via email, text message, or social media
- Posting embarrassing pictures or videos about someone on social media
Three differences between cyberbullying and bullying
- Cyberbullying offers protection for the bully because they can hide behind the medium they are using to harass their victim, usually anonymously.
- Cyberbullying can happen anywhere or anytime, while traditional bullying has to be where contact can be made. This makes it almost impossible for the victim to escape the attacks of the bully.
- While traditional bullying occurs in front of a relatively small audience, cyberbullying has the potential to occur in front of anyone who wishes to see it.
Effects of cyberbullying
- Using alcohol or drugs
- skipping school
- Having low self-esteem
- Having health issues
Prevention and awareness
- Parents should know the sites their children are on and who they're interacting with
- Parents should review their children's online communication
- Parents need to know how to operate the technology their children use
- Parents should have their children's passwords, but only use them if needed
- Parents should follow their children on social media to monitor what they're doing
Establishing rules
- Don't share anything online that could hurt or embarrass you
- Be aware of what you post online and how it could affect you
- Keep passwords safe and private
Reporting a cyberbully
- Don't respond or forward cyberbully messages
- Keep evidence of cyberbullying
- Block the bully from being able to contact you or see your posts
Report to your online service provider
- Visit social media safety centers to learn how to block users from contacting you
- Report the cyberbully to the social media service providers so they can take action against users who are abusing their terms of service
Report to your school
- The school can use information given to inform prevention and response strategies
- Schools can address bullying in their anti-bullying policies