Cyber Bullying
By Barry Frey, bfrey@lmaconsulting.cc

Children and teenagers use their cell phones and computers to share their most intimate thoughts and feelings.  By doing so, they open themselves up in ways they wouldn't consider doing on a face-to-face basis to all sorts of electronic predators, including cyber bullies.  A recent study by the National Crime Prevention Council indicated that 43% of teens reported experiencing some form of cyber bullying.

Cyberbully411.org defines cyber bullying as:  threats or other offensive behavior sent online to a victim or sent or posted online about the victim for others to see (Wolak, Mithcell, Finkelhor et al., 2006).  Examples include:

• A text message or posting to a social networking site from someone who is threatening to hurt your child.
• Rumors posted on your child's online profile or spread online for others to see.
• The deletion of your child from a friend's "buddy list" to make him / her feel left out.
• A profile made by someone pretending to be your child.
• Someone hacking into your child's profile and writing comments pretending they're from your child.

In general, cyber bullying is bullying or harassing that happens online.  Much of it is similar to what children or teens experience in schools or elsewhere in the community, but has the additional aspect of including electronic media.

For children and teenagers, the impact of cyber bullying can be even more devastating than physical bullying.  While physical bullying may happen in a dark hallway corner during the school day, cyber bullying can occur 24 hours a day via internet or cell phone.  A child victimized by a cyber bully (or bullies) may feel like there is no safe time or place.  Unrelenting cyber bullying may result in anxiety, loss of sleep, poor grades, social withdrawal, loss of self-esteem and depression.

Just as you would talk with your children about safe behavior before letting them go to a mall alone for the first time, you should talk with them about online safety.  Keep lines of communication open and let them know they can always talk with you if they are having problems.

Cyberbully411.org offers these suggestions that parents can pass along to their children:

• Ignore the person.  Sometimes the easier thing to do is to ignore the person and go on about your business.
• Log off if the harassment is bothering you.
• Block or delete the person.  If harassment is happening at a site that requires a "friend list," you can block users based on their usernames or delete them if they are in your friend list.  You can also block text messages that you receive from specific phone numbers.
• Change your information.  If someone has hacked into your profile, change your password.  If someone repeatedly sends you messages like "add me to your buddy list," consider changing your username or email address.
• If there is a profile that was created about you without you knowing, contact the company who runs the site to have the profile or language taken off.
• If you are upset about what is being said, talk to someone you trust.  Don't feel like you're alone.

Source:  www.cyberbully411.org

Barry Frey is a Senior Consultant and Director of HR Strategies at LMA Consulting Group.  Contact Barry at bfrey@lmaconsulting.cc