What Parents/Students Need to Know Kenneth Hanson

Cyber bullying is when a child or teenager is tormented, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed, or otherwise targeted by another child or teenager using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies, or cell phones. ( Cyber bullying is the willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices. (Hinduga and Patchin (2009))

97 % of youth use the Internet and more than half use it daily Nearly 20% of middle school students have been cyberbullied in the last 2-3 months (Kowalski & Limber 2007) The greatest change in online activity is between the 6th and 7 th grade (Be Prepared Ahead of Time) Almost 50 % of youth have cell phones (increasing!!) 75 % of youth use text-messaging daily 25% of social networking sites belong to minors 61 % have a personal profile ½ include a picture (often provocative)

Social Networking Sites (MySpace, Facebook, etc…) Chat rooms Text-messaging (cell phones) Personal Websites s Pictures sent through cell phones and posted to the web

Sending mean, vulgar, or threatening messages or images Posting sensitive, private information about another person Pretending to be someone else in order to make that person look bad Intentionally excluding from an online group (stopbullynow.hrsa.gov)

People sending hurtful, cruel, and threatening messages People stealing other people’s screen names and sending inflammatory messages to other people using their identity. People creating online “polling booth” to rate a school’s girls as “hottest,”, “ugliest,” or “most boring.” (Harmon, 2004) Individuals taking pictures of others in the locker rooms with digital phone cameras and sending those pictures to others or posting them on the Internet.

Bullying Direct Occurs on school property Poor relationships with teachers Fear retribution Physical: Hitting, Punching & Shoving Verbal: Teasing, Name calling & Gossip Nonverbal: Use of gestures & Exclusion Anonymous Occurs off school property Good relationships with teachers Fear loss of technology privileges Further under the radar than bullying Emotional reactions cannot be determined Cyberbullying {McKenna & Bargh, 2004; Ybarra & Mitchell, 2004}

“Inadvertent” Role-play Responding May not realize it’s cyber bullying “Vengeful Angel” Righting wrongs Protecting themselves “Mean Girls” Bored; Entertainment Ego based; promote own social status Often do in a group Intimidate on and off line Need others to bully; if isolated, stop “ Power-Hungry ”  Want reaction  Controlling with fear “ Revenge of the Nerds ” (“Subset of Power-Hungry”)  Often Victims of school-yard bullies  Throw ‘cyber-weight’ around  Not school-yard bullies like Power-Hungry & Mean Girls {Parry Aftab. Esq., Executive Director, WiredSafety.org}

Increased school absenteeism School difficulties Perpetrators of school violence Increased risk of alcohol and drug use Linked to serious mental health problems: Depression Anxiety Disorders Fear and Withdrawal Low Self Esteem Substance Abuse Blumenfield & Cooper 2008

Typically starts around age 9 and ends after 14 years of age 65 % of students between 8 – 14 have been involved directly or indirectly in a cyber bullying incident as the victim or friend 50% had heard of a website bashing of another student 15% of parents polled knew what cyber bullying was.

42% of kids have been bullied while online. 1 in 4 have had it happen more than once. 35% of kids have been threatened online. Nearly 1 in 5 have had it happen more than once. 21% of kids have received mean or threatening or other messages. 58% of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online. More than 4 out of 10 say it has happened more than once. 53% of kids admit having said something mean or hurtful to another person online. More than 1 in 3 have done it more than once. 58% have not told their parents or an adult about something mean or hurtful that happened to them online. Based on 2004 i-SAFE survey of 1,500 students grades 4-8

*Taken from an i-SAFE America survey of students nationwide.

85 % have access to the internet outside of school 40% of students claim parents do not always know when they are on the internet Approximately 50% of 5 th graders and 60% of 6 th graders have used MySpace or other social networking site. 20% claim they share personal information over the internet 55% own a cell phone and over ½ use text messaging 35 % HAVE RECEIVED THREATS OVER THE INTERNET OR CELL PHONE

Keep your home computer in easily viewable places Talk regularly with your child about on-line activities Specifically about cyber bullying and encourage child to inform you immediately Encourage child to inform you of other victims they might know Explain cyber bullying is harmful and unacceptable behavior Consider installing parental control filtering software Stay involved in your child’s life Report immediately any concerns of cyber bullying

A child may be a victim of cyberbullying if he or she… unexpectedly stops using the computer appears nervous or jumpy when an Instant Message, text message, or appears appears uneasy about going to school or outside in general appears to be angry, depressed, or frustrated after using the computer avoids discussions about what they are doing on the computer becomes abnormally withdrawn from usual friends and family members A child may be cyberbullying others if he or she… quickly switches screens or closes programs when you walk by uses the computer at all hours of the night gets unusually upset if he/she cannot use the computer laughs excessively while using the computer avoids discussions about what they are doing on the computer uses multiple online accounts or using an account that is not their own

Tell a trusted adult about the bullying Don’t open or read messages from cyber bullies Tell your school if it is school related Don’t erase the messages- they may be needed to take action Protect yourself – never agree to meet with the person or with anyone you meet online If you are threatened with harm, inform local law enforcement