Cyberbullying is a very worrisome thing. Children don’t know how to cope with it, are sensitive and easily hurt.
There have been suicides because of this occurring on social networks.
“The statistics on bullying and suicide are alarming:
Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year, according to the CDC. For every suicide among young people, there are at least 100 suicide attempts. Over 14 percent of high school students have considered suicide, and almost 7 percent have attempted it.
Bully victims are between 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicide than non-victims, according to studies by Yale University. A study in Britain found that at least half of suicides among young people are related to bullying 10 to 14 year old girls may be at even higher risk for suicide, according to the study above.
According to statistics reported by ABC News, nearly 30 percent of students are either bullies or victims of bullying, and 160,000 kids stay home from school every day because of fear of bullying.” – Statistics on Bullying and Suicide
What can you do? Well, the first thing is to become cyber literate. The next is to get this free pamphlet Microsoft is offering.
“Nearly one in five students has experienced cyber-bullying, according to a February 2008 University of Toronto study of 2,186 students. And cyberbullying often happens within their peer group.
Bullying online is at least as frequent as bullying in the schoolyard because kids can’t see whom they are bullying and therefore don’t understand the results of their actions. In fact, a 2005 study for the Media Awareness Network found that some kids act bolder online for this very reason: 10 per cent of children from Grades 4 to 11 have assumed a false identity online so they “can act mean to people and not get in trouble.
Keep private information private. Many children and teens unwittingly give out too much personal information. Help kids understand the dangers of posting personal information and encourage them to use the privacy settings on social networking sites.
Know who your friends are. The best way your kids can prevent bullies from contacting them is by adding only close friends and trusted people to friend lists. If your kids wouldn’t talk to a person at school, then there’s no reason for your kids to talk to that person online.
Monitor Internet use. Tell your kids not to delete their search and chat histories. The History and Favorites folders show your children’s Internet footprints. These folders tell you which web sites your children have visited and could help if you suspect a problem.” – Elysse Zarek
What should you do if your child is being bullied?
Use privacy settings. Explain to your children that they don’t have to put up with nasty e-mail or instant messages. Show your kids how to use the security features to remove bullies from buddy lists, says Grandmont. Responding to bullies will only make the problem worse. Tell your kids to leave an online forum if they feel uncomfortable.
File a complaint. An ISP can cancel a user’s account or shut down a web site if there is evidence of inappropriate behavior. The ISP or the web site provider may ask you for copies of chat logs or printouts of the offensive material before taking action, explains Sgt. Robyn MacEachern. Make sure your kids don’t delete their search history or online conversations. MacEachern also notes that the police and schools will want the history if an investigation is launched.
Apply the real-life test. If you’d call the principal or the police in real life, then don’t hesitate to get them involved now. That’s exactly what Powell did when she discovered her student’s problem. – Ibid
Sources and download links:
1. http://www.microsoft.com/canada/home/safety-and-security/articles/taking-aim-at-cyberbullying.aspx
2. http://www.microsoft.com/security/family-safety/cyberbullying.aspx
3. http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=a839127e-493a-4207-bed4-5733f68a31ee
The above is in English. Other languages are available.
4. http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/bullying-and-suicide.html