What is Cyberbullying?

Definition of Cyberbullying

"Cyberbullying" is when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones. It has to have a minor on both sides, or at least have been instigated by a minor against another minor.

Cyberbullying is a growing trend. Current estimates are that as many as 20 to 35% of children and adolescents report experiencing cyberbullying as a bully, a victim, or both.  
There is no standard definition of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying has been defined as “an individual or a group willfully using information and communication involving electronic technologies to facilitate deliberate and repeated harassment or threat to another individual or group by sending or posting cruel, vulgar, or threatening text and/or graphics using technological means". 

The methods used are limited only by the child's imagination and access to technology. And the cyberbully one moment may become the victim the next. The kids often change roles, going from victim to bully and back again.

Cyberbullying can involve varying forms of technology: 

• Mobile phone calls
• Text messages
• Picture/video clips
• E-mail
• Instant messaging
• Chat rooms
• Websites
• Gaming

In a recent study, cyberbullying most commonly involved phone calls, texts and instant messages. The nature of the electronic bullying or cyberbullying often includes:

• Sending mean, vulgar, or threatening messages or images online or via text

• Posting sensitive, private information or pictures about another person
• Intentionally excluding someone from an online group
• Pretending to be someone else in order to make that person look bad²
• Spreading lies and rumors about victims
• Tricking someone into revealing personal information

The nature of gaming as a place where cyberbullying occurs, can happen through gaming websites or PC and console games with online components (e.g. Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, and Playstation 3).

• Cyberbullying in gaming is usually referred to as "griefing" and is fairly common among young gamers who use IM, chat, and voice chat features to tease and taunt other players.

How is Cyberbullying Different from Traditional Bullying?

Despite the subtle differences, definitions share the following components which make cyberbullying distinct from traditional bullying:

• Access: It is virtually impossible for victims to get away from cyberbullies. Because most students have access to computers and cell phones at home, cyberbullies have access to and can reach their victims almost all the time. Victims do not have a safe haven as they do in cases of traditional bullying.
• Reach: Unlike traditional bullying, due to technology, the cyberbullying audience has few to no barriers and the audience easily grows almost exponentially.
• Anonymity: Cyberbullying is not a face-to-face interaction and cyberbullies hide behind technology. Anonymity which is inherent in electronic communication fosters lack of inhibition.  As a result, normal behavior restraints can disappear, allowing adolescents to act harsher than they would in real life.

Initial research has demonstrated that being a victim of cyberbullying may negatively impact students’ physical, social, emotional, and cognitive functioning

Ignore the message. Don’t ignore the problem.

One vital lesson children should learn is to ignore the message, not the problem. As parents, you have an ideal opportunity to step in and encourage children suffering from cyberbullying to speak out and fight this kind of victimization. They are best suited to tell their own stories, and their stories can make a difference.

Educate. Engage. Empower.

Educate your children about cyberbullying.

• Start a dialogue at home. Make sure your children understand what is considered cyberbullying and what isn’t.
• Talk about the possible effects and consequences of cyberbullying.
• Focus on prevention methods they may not have considered, such as not posting personal information or provocative photos that someone could use against them, and not sharing passwords with friends.

Engage them in the fight against cyberbullying.

• Take it seriously! Sometimes sticks and stones matter, so discuss feelings of guilt or depression resulting from the incident.
• Explore various ways to handle the situation, including counseling if necessary.
• Consider enacting a mediation plan utilizing school counselors; the issue may be resolved with a bit of intervention.

Empower them to lead the fight against cyberbullying.

• Encourage your children to start an awareness group at school or online to educate their peers about cyberbullying.
• Get the school involved. Just because it happens at home does not mean the school can’t help. Encourage your children to learn about their school’s cyberbullying policy and urge administrators to take a stand against all forms of bullying.
• Let your children tell you about their experiences online.

Cyberbullying may arise to the level of a misdemeanor cyberharassment charge, or if the child is young enough may result in the charge of juvenile delinquency. Most of the time the cyberbullying does not go that far, although parents often try and pursue criminal charges. It typically can result in a child losing their ISP or IM accounts as a terms of service violation. And in some cases, if hacking or password and identity theft is involved, can be a serious criminal matter under state and federal law.

When schools try and get involved by disciplining the student for cyberbullying actions that took place off-campus and outside of school hours, they are often sued for exceeding their authority and violating the student's free speech right. They also, often lose. Schools can be very effective brokers in working with the parents to stop and remedy cyberbullying situations. They can also educate the students on cyberethics and the law. If schools are creative, they can sometimes avoid the claim that their actions exceeded their legal authority for off-campus cyberbullying actions. We recommend that a provision is added to the school's acceptable use policy reserving the right to discipline the student for actions taken off-campus if they are intended to have an effect on a student or they adversely affect the safety and well-being of student while in school. This makes it a contractual, not a constitutional, issue.

Some people say that bullying will always happen no matter what you do. That kind of defeatist attitude does not effect change. Cyberbullying has become a serious problem, one that requires parents, educators and children to take action. Parental instinct tells you to protect your children, but why not empwoer them to protect themselves and their peers? Let your children lead the fight against cyber bullying; they're more prepared than you might think.