Personal Safety and Injury Prevention Online Bullying and Harassment

What is cyberbullying? Cyberbullying occurs when a child or teen uses the Internet, emails, text messages, instant messaging, social media websites, online forums, chat rooms, or other digital technology to harass, threaten, or humiliate another child or teen. Unlike traditional bullying, cyberbullying doesn't require physical strength or face-to-face contact and isn't limited to just a handful of witnesses at a time. Cyberbullies come in all shapes and sizes—almost anyone with an Internet connection or mobile phone can cyberbully someone else, often without having to reveal their true identity. Cyberbullies can torment their victims 24 hours a day and the bullying can follow the victim anywhere so that no place, not even home, ever feels safe, and with a few clicks the humiliation can be witnessed by hundreds or even thousands of people online. http://www.helpguide.org/articles/abuse/cyberbullying.htm

Fact #1 Almost 1 in 10 Canadian online teens – 8 per cent – say they have been victims of online bullying on social networking sites. www.getcybersafe.gc.ca

Fact #2 Over one-third of Canadian teens with a social network profile – 35 per cent – have seen mean or inappropriate comments about someone they know. 14 per cent say they have seen mean or inappropriate comments about themselves on social networks. www.getcybersafe.gc.ca

Fact #3 18 per cent of Canadian parents say they have a child who has experienced cyberbullying. 31 per cent say they know a child in their community who has experienced cyberbullying. www.getcybersafe.gc.ca

Fact #4 90 per cent of Canadians would make it illegal to use electronic means to "coerce, intimidate, harass or cause other substantial emotional distress.". www.getcybersafe.gc.ca

Figure 1: Conceptualization of responses to cyberbullying (from Perren et al., 2012b)

Preventing Cyberbullying We’ve talked about responsible and appropriate use of technology, including social media, We’re encouraged to “THINK” before posting online, We’ve looked at the seriousness of sexting and its devastating consequences (legal, emotional, social), Schools have anti-bullying strategies in effect.

Preventing Cyberbullying ... Yet, despite all these preventative strategies, online bullying and harassment still happens. So what can you do?

Combatting Cyberbullying If someone you know is being cyberbullied: Here's how to avoid making a terrible situation even worse. Comment disapprovingly on posts, images or videos that hurt people. When it comes to this, there's no such thing as harmless fun. Refuse to forward or share it. Do something. Sometimes, we're so relieved that we're not the target that we just let it slide. Maybe it will be you next time. At the very least, offer support to the victim of the online bullying. Remaining silent could be misinterpreted as approval by both the person cyberbullying and the victim. If you can't bring yourself to take a stand against the cruelty, at least get a message to the person being cyberbullied that you disapprove of what's happening, and that it's not their fault. Acts like that actually save lives. Don't wait, and don't tell yourself it's none of your business. You don't want to be looking back on this moment years from now, wishing you'd done or said something. Help your friend now. www.getcybersafe.gc.ca

Combatting Cyberbullying If you are being cyberbullied: Keep your cool, and don't respond to a hurtful text, post, or email, however much you may want to. Keep the text or email, and if it's a post on a social networking site, get a screen shot. You may want to have a record of the incident in case you ever need to prove what happened. Block whoever sent the hate! Move the message to your 'Junk' folder, which is totally appropriate. If you don't know how to block a sender from your phone, call your cell phone service provider. Remember you're not alone in this. Tell someone you trust what happened, whether that's a parent, a teacher or a friend. If a threat to your safety was involved, call the police immediately! Report the online bullying to the social media site it happened on, whether that's Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Tumblr, or any other site. They have policies against abuse, and whoever violates those policies will likely get notified and prevented from using that site. www.getcybersafe.gc.ca

Combatting Cyberbullying If you are being cyberbullied: Being cyberbullied is awful. If it happens to you and you're really upset and don't know where to turn, don't go through it alone. Call a counsellor at Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868, or if you don't feel like talking, you can contact them online at kidshelpphone.ca. www.getcybersafe.gc.ca

Laws Surrounding Cyberbullying Several other Criminal Code offences also deal with bullying, including cyberbullying. Depending on the exact nature of the behaviour, the following current offences could be charged: Criminal harassment Uttering threats; Intimidation; Mischief in relation to data; Unauthorized use of computer; Identity fraud; Extortion; False messages, indecent or harassing telephone calls; Counselling suicide; Incitement of hatred; and, Defamatory libel

After Cyberbullying Occurs... If you are being cyberbullied, remember: Don't blame yourself. It is not your fault. No matter what a cyberbully says or does, you should not be ashamed of who you are or what you feel. The cyberbully is the person with the problem, not you. Try to view cyberbullying from a different perspective. The cyberbully is an unhappy, frustrated person who wants to have control over your feelings so that you feel as badly as they do. Don't give them the satisfaction. Don't beat yourself up. Don't make a cyberbullying incident worse by dwelling on it or reading the message over and over. Instead, delete any cyberbullying messages and focus on positive experiences. There are many wonderful things about you so be proud of who you are. http://www.helpguide.org/articles/abuse/cyberbullying.htm

After Cyberbullying Occurs... Get help. Talk to a parent, teacher, counselor, or other trusted adult. Seeing a counselor does not mean there is something wrong with you. Learn to deal with stress. Finding ways to relieve stress can make you more resilient so you won't feel overwhelmed by cyberbullying. Exercise, meditation, positive self-talk, muscle relaxation, and breathing exercises are all good ways to manage the stress from cyberbullying. Spend time doing things you enjoy. The more time you spend with activities that bring you pleasure—sports, hobbies, hanging out with friends who don't participate in cyberbullying, for example—the less significance cyberbullying will have on your life. http://www.helpguide.org/articles/abuse/cyberbullying.htm

http://www.helpguide.org/articles/abuse/cyberbullying.htm