CYBERBULLYING
The Statistics:
- Over half of adolescents and teens have been bullied online, and about the same number have engaged in cyber bullying.
- More than 1 in 3 young people have experienced cyberthreats online.
- Over 25 percent of adolescents and teens have been bullied repeatedly through their cell phones or the Internet.
- Well over half of young people do not tell their parents when cyber bullying occurs.
Defined:
Who is involved?
- Bully (Aggressor)
- Target (Victim)
- Bystander (Witness)
What is cyberbullying?
- When one person (or a group of people) intentionally hurts another person (or group of people) using technology (e.g., Internet, interactive and digital technologies, cell phones, etc.)
- The hurtful behavior is usually done more than once or repeatedly; and
- The behavior is peer-based (i.e., between two children or youth and not between a child/youth and an adult – when an adult is involved it is cyber-harassment).
How is Cyberbulling Different than Face-to-Face Bullying?
- Highly accessible – technology provides a 24/7 platform
- Audience is wide and can be accessed very quickly – hurtful messages and images can be sent to many, many people at the click of a button
- Bully is often anonymous – using technology it is possible to bully anonymously, so youth may use technology to send messages they would never deliver face-to-face
- Lack of reporting – many youth fail to report cyberbullying to adults for fear that in response the adult will limit their access to/use of technology
- Bystanders and witnesses are anonymous – hurtful messages and images can be viewed anonymously so there is not the same social pressure to step-in as in face-to-face situations
The Effects of Cyberbullying:
Without intervention targets of cyberbullying are more likely to:
- Be depressed, lonely and anxious
- Have low self-esteem
- Think about suicide or try to commit suicide
Web Resources:
www.familyplacebeproject.org
www.commonsensemedia.org
www.fosi.org
www.stopcyberbullying.org
www.cyberbullying.us
24-hour Hotlines:
The Family Place 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline: 214-941-1991
Texas Youth Hotline: 1-888-210-2278
National Hopeline Network: 1-800-SUICIDE
Teen CONTACT Help Line: 972-233-TEEN
The Trevor Lifeline: 1-866-4-U-TREVOR
