Current Thinking on Bullying and Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying
Cyber bullying – sending or posting harmful or cruel text or images using the internet or other digital communication devices – can deal with racial, cultural and/or religious differences.
Tips to Stop Cyber bullying:
Don’t respond. If someone bullies you, remember that your reaction is usually exactly what the bully wants. It give him or her power over you. Who wants to empower a bully?
Don't retaliate. Getting back at the bully turns you into one and reinforces the bully behavior. Help avoid a whole cycle of aggression.
Save the evidence. The only good news about digital bullying is that the harassing messages can usually be captured, saved, and shown to someone who can help. You need to do this even if it's minor stuff, in case things escalate.
Talk to a trusted adult. You deserve backup. It's always good to involve a parent but - it you can't - a school counselor usually knows how to help. Sometimes both are needed. If you 're really nervous about saying something, see if there's a way to report the incident anonymously at school.
Block the bully. If the harassment's coming in the form of instant messages, texts, or profile comments, do yourself a favor: Use preferences or privacy tools to block the person. If it's in chat, leave the "room."
Be civil. Even if you don't like someone, it's a good idea to be decent and not sink to the other person's level. Also, research shows that gossiping about and trash talking others increases your risk of being bullied. Treat people the way you want to be treated.
Don't be a bully.How would you feel if soneone harassed you? You know the old saying about walking a mile in someone's shoes; even a few seconds of thinking about how another person might feel can put a big damper on aggression. Respect others online.
Be a friend, not a bystander. Watching or forwarding mean messages empowers bullies and hurts victims even more. If you can, tell bullies to stop or let them know harassment makes people look stupid and mean. It's time to let bullies know their behavior is unacceptable - cruel abuse of fellow human beings. If you can't stop the bully, at least try to help the victim and report the behavior.
Cyberstalking
Cyberstalking – Term that can refer to the online enticement of children; rude or threatening messages; slanderous information; or repeated, unwanted messages - extension of physical stocking but uses the internet or other digital devices
Tips to stop Cyber Stalking
- Don’t respond
- Save the Evidence
- Talk to a trusted adult
- Only share your password with your parent or guardian
- Change your passwords often
- Password protect your cell phone
- Use privacy settings to block unwanted messages
- Think before posting or sending photos – they could be used to hurt you
- Contact the site administrator if someone creates a social networking page in your name
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