With the increased level of access that young people have to
internet communication tools, a very real problem has been
escalating putting them at risk. Cyberbullying makes young people
vulnerable to abuse in a very real and harmful way that can result
in serious emotional distress.
What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying is a form of harassment, which is carried out
through an internet service such as email, chat room, discussion
group, online social networking, instant messaging or web pages. It
can also include bullying through mobile phone technologies such as
short messaging service (SMS).
Examples of cyberbullying behaviour are:
- Teasing and being made fun of in a negative manner causing
emotional distress;
- Spreading of rumours online;
- Sending unwanted messages after being asked not too
- Defamation.
Cyberbullying can happen to anyone and the bully can act
anonymously if they want or out in the open if they feel they
cannot be reprimanded. People can also be bullied online by groups
of people such as class groups or collective members of an online
community.
What's different about
cyberbullying?
While bullying isn't new, cyberbullying has a unique set of
characteristics that are evolving with changes in technology:
24/7 and the invasion of home/personal
space.
Cyberbullying can take place at any time and comes directly into
your personal space whether it is at work or at home.
The audience can be very large and
reached rapidly.
The difficulty in controlling electronically circulated messages
means the scale and scope of cyberbullying can be greater than for
other forms of bullying. Electronically forwarded content is hard
to control, and the worry of content resurfacing can make it
difficult for targets to move on.
People who cyberbully may attempt to
remain anonymous.
This can be extremely distressing for those being bullied. The
person cyberbullying never needs to be in the same physical space
as their target.
The profile of the bully and
target.
Cyberbullying can take place both between peers and across
generations; teachers have also been targets. Age or size is not
important. Bystanders can also become accessories to the bullying;
for example, by passing on a humiliating
image.
Some instances of cyberbullying are
known to be unintentional.
It can be the result of not thinking (something sent as a joke
may be deeply upsetting or offensive to the recipient) or a lack of
awareness of the consequences - for example saying something
negative online about another pupil, or friend that they don't
expect to be forwarded or viewed outside their immediate
group.
Many cyberbullying incidents can
themselves act as evidence.
This is one of the reasons why it's important to know how to
respond!
How common is cyberbullying in Australia?
The number of reports of cyberbullying to the NetAlert Helpline has
been increasing, particularly since 2006.
An online safety survey conducted by NetAlert and ninemsn in
February 2007 found that:
- 16% of young people said they had been bullied online, while
14% were bullied through their mobile, with boys and girls
experiencing similar levels.
- 56% thought it was easy to get bullied online
Under certain circumstances (such as harassment and making threats)
cyberbullying is a criminal activity and is illegal. If you feel
someone's safety is at risk, contact '000' or your local
police. Police around Australia are working together to
reduce this type of crime and create awareness amongst parents and
teachers.
Responding to a young person who is being
cyberbullied
Support the young person being bullied: As with other
forms of bullying the target of cyberbullying may be in need of
emotional support. Key principles here include reassuring them that
they have done the right thing by telling someone; recognising that
it must have been difficult for them to deal with; and reiterating
that no-one has a right to do that to them.
Offer them advice on online empowerment: It is
essential to advise the young person being bullied not to retaliate
in any way or reply to any of the messages or emails. Responding,
particularly by showing anger, is probably what the bully would
expect and by refusing to do this, the bully is thrown off guard
and may discontinue his actions. Be sure to let the young person
know that keeping evidence of the bullying is important and they
would need to pass this information on to their parents or
carers.
Preventing cyberbullying from re-occurring:
Depending on the method the bully is using, there are steps that
can be taken to prevent it from happening in the future. It is
important to express to the young person the need for careful
management of the information they share online and with whom. Most
online networking and email sites allow the user to set their own
level of privacy and security. This can hinder the amount of
external emails and messages that come through and can also prevent
additional emails to come through once the user has indicated he
does not want them too. This ability to block, delete and filter
within networks and email is something all users should be made
aware of when using online technology.
For additional information related to
cyberbullying
ReachOut.com
Bullying No Way
Net Alert
Australia