Cyberbullying Part 1 – What is Cyberbullying?

Kerry Keith The Friday Flyer Columnist

Kerry Keith
The Friday Flyer Columnist

Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived imbalance of power. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Cyberbullying is bullying through electronics; for example, mean text messages or emails, rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites, embarrassing pictures or videos posted online, or fake social media site profiles.

It was reported by Nobullying.com that 52 percent of teenagers report being cyber bullied and that 25 percent of teenagers report that they’ve experienced repeated cyberbullying. Most kids who are bullied through their electronics are most likely being bullied in person as well. Kids who are cyber bullied have a harder time getting away from the behavior since it can happen 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and can reach a kid even when they are alone.

Cyberbullying messages and images can be posted anonymously and distributed quickly to a very wide audience, and deleting inappropriate or harassing messages, texts and pictures can also be difficult after they’ve been posted or sent.

According to Stopbullying.gov, kids who are the targets of bullying behavior often show characteristics that put them more at risk of being bullied, though not all children with these factors will be bullied. Sometimes, these children will often need help learning how to respond to bullying.

Characteristics may include kids who:

  • Are perceived as different from their peers or are weak and unable to defend themselves;
  • Are depressed, anxious or have low self-esteem and tend to be less popular than others;
  • Don’t get along well with others or seen as annoying or provoking.

According to Stopbullying.gov, kids who engage in bullying behavior towards their peers often show many characteristics that may contribute to the child’s involvement in the behavior. Often, these students require support to change their behavior and to address other challenges that may be influencing their behavior.

Characteristics may include kids who:

  • Are aggressive or easily frustrated and view violence in a positive way;
  • Have less parental involvement or have issues at home;
  • Think badly of others or have difficulty following rules;
  • Have friends who bully others.

There are many warning signs that may indicate that someone is affected by bullying. Recognizing these signs is an important first step in taking action against bullying. Not all children who are bullied or are bullying others ask for help.

Signs that your child may be subject to a problem with bullying include:

  • Unexplainable injuries;
  • Lost or destroyed clothing, books, electronics or jewelry;
  • Frequent headaches or stomach aches, feeling sick or faking illness;
  • Changes in eating habits, like skipping meals or binge eating or coming home from school hungry because they did not eat lunch;
  • Difficulty sleeping or frequent nightmares;
  • Declining grades, loss of interest in schoolwork, or not wanting to go to school;
  • Sudden loss of friends or avoidance of social situations;
  • Self-destructive behaviors such as running away from home, harming themselves or talking about suicide.

Kids may be bullying others if they: 

  • Get into physical or verbal fights or are increasingly aggressive;
  • Have friends who bully others;
  • Get sent to the principal’s office or to detention frequently;
  • Have unexplained extra money or new belongings;
  • Don’t accept responsibility for their actions or blame others for their problems;
  • Are competitive and worry about their reputation or popularity.

Talking about bullying

Statistics show that only one in every 10 kids will tell an adult that they’ve been bullied.

Kids don’t tell adults for many reasons including:

  • Bullying can make a child feels helpless and they may fear being seen as weak or a tattletale;
  • Kids may fear backlash from the kid who bullied them or being rejected by their peers;
  • Bullying can be a humiliating experience and kids may fear that adults will judge or punish them for being weak;
  • Kids who are bullied may already feel socially isolated and may feel like no one cares or understands.

Where and how to report cyberbullying:

Explain to your child that you will not take away their computers or cell phones if they confide in you about a problem they are having with bullying. Make sure to get all the facts and don’t forget to listen without blaming. States have laws and policies against bullying, so be sure to contact your child’s school if you feel your child is being harassed online by fellow students.

Schools can take measures to respond to specific cases, and most take it very seriously. Cyberbullying can create a disruptive environment at school and, in many states, schools are required to address cyberbullying in their anti-bullying policy.

Parents should report bullies to the social media sites since bullies often violate the company’s policies and terms and conditions.

Parents can also contact their local police, since cyberbullying is a crime when messages contain:

  • Threats of violence;
  • Child pornography or photos with sexually explicit messages. (Sending or receiving a sexually suggestive message, image or video of someone who is under the age of 18 can be considered child pornography);
  • Images taken from places where the person expected privacy, like a bathroom;
  • When someone is stalking a victim or engaging in activities considered to be a hate crime.

Next week we’ll discuss ways to prevent cyberbullying.




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