1. CyberBullying

2. The danger Cyber bullying is when a person, or a group of people, use the Internet, mobile phones or other devices to threaten, tease or abuse someone

3. It's against the law to bully someone in this way

4. Types of cyberbullying CyberBullying is becoming quite common and can take the form of: –Teasing –Causing embarrassment –Threats and physical intimidation –In the worst case, trying to taunt someone into suicide, for example

5. How it can be done It can take place via: –Email –Instant Messaging (IM) –Chat rooms –Interactive online games –Social networking sites –Mobiles

6. How big the problem is A survey published in September 2006 by ABC News in the USA found: –42% of children have been bullied while online - one in four have had it happen more than once –35% of children have been threatened online - nearly one in five have had it happen more than once –21% of children have received nasty or threatening emails or other messages –58% of children admit someone has said nasty or hurtful things to them online - more than four out of ten say it has happened more than once –58% have not told their parents or an adult about something nasty or hurtful that happened to them online

7. CyberBullying examples Email –Sending abusive messages, inappropriate pictures or videos, and computer viruses via email Social networking sites –Creating fake profiles of people –Leaving abusive comments on profiles

8. CyberBullying examples Mobile phone –Sending abusive text messages –Sharing videos of physical attacks on individuals (happy slapping) Abusing personal information –Posting photos, personal information or fake comments about people without their permission

9. Why do Cyberbullies do it? There’s no one answer but here are some common ones: –Because they’re jealous, angry or want revenge –They think it makes them look cool, hard or makes them more popular with their friends –Some do it as a form of entertainment –Often people who cyberbully think that they won’t get caught if they do it on a mobile phone or on the Internet

10. CyberSafety tips Advice for children and young people It’s not the fault of the person being bullied Don’t reply to messages – a response is exactly what the bully wants Bullies want to know that they’ve got you worried

11. CyberSafety tips Don’t keep it to yourself – tell an adult you know and trust about the situation Tell your Internet Service Provider or mobile phone provider Inform your local police if the bullying gets bad enough

12. CyberSafety tips Their aim is to mess with your mind and control you - don’t give them that pleasure Do not erase or delete messages – you don’t have to read them but do keep them as they are your evidence

13. CyberSafety tips Cyberbullying is a form of emotional abuse –It can leave you feeling vulnerable, upset, scared, lonely, stressed and feeling that there’s no way out Change your online nicknames, user ID or email address, if necessary Block the email address of the sender

14. CyberSafety tips Don't get involved –Even if you’re not a ringleader and targeting someone specifically yourself, you can easily be part of the problem by adding to what’s already happened by, for example, forwarding on something that’s been sent to you – also don’t laugh at it or encourage the bully to continue Think how it would make you feel if it was aimed at you, a friend or a member of your family

15. CyberSafety tips Cyberbullies cannot remain anonymous - someone using a false name or email address can be traced and banned Don’t take on the bully yourself Don’t respond to them in a way that’s just as threatening - you may become guilty of bullying yourself

16. CyberSafety tips If you do notice bullying taking place on instant messenger, in a chatroom or on a social networking site report it to the website operators If you notice bullying happening on a mobile phone, contact your mobile service provider Tell a responsible adult or the police, if necessary

17. Happy slapping Happy slapping is where someone attacks an unsuspecting victim while an accomplice records the assault – normally with a camera phone Most happy-slappers are teenagers or young adults Several incidents have been extremely violent, and people have been killed

18. A feature of happy slapping is to make the attack seem like a ‘comical surprise’ When the "happy slapping" craze first started it was seen amongst youngsters as harmless fun

19. Happy slapping is a crime In March 2008, a teenage girl who filmed the fatal beating of a man on her mobile phone was sentenced to two years' detention – this was the first prosecution of its kind in the UK She had pleaded guilty at Leeds Crown Court in February 2008 to aiding and abetting the manslaughter of Gavin Waterhouse Mark Masters and Sean Thompson were sentenced to seven and six years respectively after admitting to Mr Waterhouse's manslaughter Just before the attack, the girl was handed a mobile phone by one of the attackers and told to "video this", prosecutors said. She then approached Gavin Waterhouse, asked for money, and recorded the attack

20. Useful links Anti-bullying Network Anti-bullying Alliance BBC Advice on bullying Bullying Online Cyberbullying.org ThinkUKnow