1. Pics, Flicks, and Sexting
Cyberbullying:
The Use and Abuse of
Pics, Flicks, and Sexting

2. Cyberbullying: What is it?
Using the Internet, cell phones, video game systems or other technology to send or post text or images intended to hurt or embarrass another person
Willful repeated harm inflicted through electronic devices

3. Cyberbullying: What is it? “Sexting”
using cell phones or computers to share racy photos and videos
Most victims initiate the act by taking the photos/videos of themselves and sending them to boyfriends/girlfriends
After pressing “SEND”, there is no control over where those racy photos end up

4. Cyberbullying: How is it done?
97% of American teens have daily access to one or all of the following:
High speed Internet
Cell phones
Instant messaging
Blogs
Online videos
Personal profiles on social networking sites

5. Cyberbullying: How is it done?
National Crime Prevention Council (March 2008):
Bullies pretend they are other people online to trick others into revealing personal information
Spread lies or rumors about victims
Send or forward mean text messages
Post pictures of victims without their consent
Creating websites or fake online profiles to make fun of another person

6. How does this differ from traditional bullying?
Cyberbullying:
How does this differ from traditional bullying?
Can occur any time of day or night
No “safe haven”; victimized anywhere
Messages & images can be distributed quickly to very wide audience
Offender can be anonymous when cyber bullying; difficult to trace them

7. How does this differ from traditional bullying?
Cyberbullying:
How does this differ from traditional bullying?
Victim’s embarrassment (sexting)
More harsh than face-to-face bullying
Offenders will say things online that would not say in person
Embarrassing or private information posted online can reach a widespread audience instantly

8. Cyberbullying: Consequences Victim humiliated, feels helpless
Avoids friends and activities
Seeks revenge on the bully
Victims become cyber bullies themselves
Suicide

9. Cyberbullying: Who is most affected?
33% males & 36% females report being cyber bullying victims
Statistically no significant difference between sub-groups
Male vs. Female
Whites vs. Non-whites
Middle school students (ages yrs)
make up largest combined group as both victims and perpetrators
Females ages yrs largest single group of victims

10. Cyberbullying: Why? Perpetrators think its no big deal
Don’t think about consequences
Encouraged by friends to target “losers”
Think everybody cyber bullies
Think they won’t get caught

11. Cyberbullying: Prevention “High tech” problem has “low tech” solutions
Talk to kids about cyber bullying
Ask kids to let you know if an online message or image makes them feel threatened or hurt
Monitor your kid’s online profile and protect it
If it was created or altered w/o permission, contact the company that runs the site remove it

12. Cyberbullying: Prevention
Don’t react; bullies are looking for a response from the target
Block or delete the bully
Save the evidence
Share with school officials and law enforcement
Encourage kids not to engage or forward anything that is hurtful to others
Bullying stops quickly when peers intervene on behalf of victim
Be a role model
Kids learn from adults’ gossiping habits and unkind behavior