Cyberbullying

Contents

1. What Is

2. The Dangers Of Cyberbullying

3. How Is Cyberbullying Different From Regular

4. How To Tell If Your Child Is Being Cyberbullied

5. How To Tell If Your Child Is Cyberbullying Someone Else

6. Why Do Children Cyberbully

7. What To Do If Your Child Is Cyberbullying

8. What To Do If Your Child Is Being Cyberbullied

9. Parents Top 10 Questions About Cyberbullying

10. Statistics Of Cyberbullying 2015

Page 2 www.keepchildrensafeonline.com 1. What Is Cyberbullying?

The definition of Cyberbullying is ‘the use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending 1 messages of an intimidating or threatening nature’.

As the definition suggests, Cyberbullying can take many forms. Just about any type of electronic communication can be used to bully or intimidate somebody, whether it’s via texting, email, instant messengers, chat rooms, multiplayer games and so forth. Here is a list of some (but by no means all) of the possible sources of Cyberbullying:

• Texting • Phone Calls • Social Media • Chatrooms • Forums • Messaging & Photo Apps like WhatsApp and Snapchat • Online Multiplayer

1 Oxford English Dictionary

Page 3 www.keepchildrensafeonline.com Of course, it can be tricky to know what is and isn’t Cyberbullying, as sometimes children say mean things to each other online, but one wouldn’t consider it any more than childish name-calling. The key distinction to make is that Cyberbullying is generally characterised by repeatedly causing harm, whether that is through repeated incidents or a single malicious incident that has lasting repercussions. Some examples of Cyberbullying include:

Cyberstalking Cyberstalking is where somebody ‘stalks’ the victim online, usually sending multiple messages or just making it clear that they are watching the victim’s online life. The aim is to make the victim fear for their safety, both online and in real life.

Harming reputation Cyberbullying is often used to spread rumours or damaging designed to ruin somebody’s reputation. Since most children don’t care about the truth of any rumours it is often very effective at ruining the victim’s reputation and can lead to them becoming ostracized or bullied further.

Harassment , similarly to Cyberstalking involves the Cyberbully relentlessly sending , threats and cruel messages to a victim. Harassment is usually constituted by the relentless and tireless nature of the messaging.

Impersonating Another example of Cyberbullying is where somebody impersonates somebody else as a means of causing them anguish or damaging their reputation. They may also impersonate the victim for the same reasons, and this sort of tactic has become much easier for bullies who have access to social media, as all of the victim’s information is often available to see.

Provocation Sometimes called ‘flaming’, this is where a Cyberbully purposefully harasses or aggravates the victim in order to start a fight. It can be particularly hostile and harmful, as the victim may be drawn into responding which could lead to them getting in trouble or bullied further.

Password theft A common type of Cyberbullying is the bully gaining access to the victim’s online accounts by learning their password. The bully then changes the victim’s passwords, effectively locking them out of their accounts. This is particularly common with online gaming accounts.

Bullying websites or pages Sometimes, a Cyberbully may create a page on social media or even an entire webpage dedicated to causing harm to a victim. Such sites and pages may contain anything from pictures to videos to hurtful comments.

Page 4 www.keepchildrensafeonline.com Use of images Cyberbullies often post embarrassing or offensive images of their victims in order to humiliate them. They are often fake, but the damage is done nonetheless. Explicit photos sent either willingly or unwillingly by teenagers are often circulated as well, which is especially harmful to the victim.

Attacks on computers Even a few years ago this method of Cyberbullying would have been unthinkable, but a more and more common choice for bullies is to send their victims emails or messages with Trojan Horse viruses or spyware, thus infecting the victim’s computer. Increased computer literacy amongst children and teenagers means that attacks like this are becoming much easier.

Swatting A relatively recent type of Cyberbullying and one of the most dangerous, Swatting consists of the Cyberbully discovering the victim’s home address and calling the local police force, claiming to be in the victim’s address with weapons, hostages or similar. The intention is to have armed police storm the victim’s house which can lead to serious injury or even death for the victim and their family, not to mention the emotional trauma suffered.

Page 5 www.keepchildrensafeonline.com 2. The Dangers Of Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying can have a very serious toll on the mental wellbeing of the victim, especially if the victim is young. Here are some of the main consequences of cyberbullying:

Hurt feelings Hurt feelings may not seem serious, but young children especially are susceptible to far more negative side effects as a result of having their feelings hurt.

Sadness Cyberbullying can easily wear down a child, causing them to become constantly miserable. A general sadness is not the same as .

Anxiety Anxiety is a very serious and often overlooked issue in children and adults, and a major cause of it can be bullying as a child. Cyberbullying makes the problem even worse, because it isolates the victim even more than conventional bullying, which can lead to the victim withdrawing and avoiding social situations.

Depression or other more serious mental health problems Like anxiety, depression is often overlooked in children, but it is absolutely possible for children, especially victims of bullying and Cyberbullying, to become depressed. The fact that a cyberbully can continue to bully a child through their phone or their computer means that neither home nor being with friends is a ‘safe’ space for a child. Children who feel as though they cannot escape their bullies, especially at home can very easily become depressed.

Anger In some cases, a bullied child can turn to bullying others as a means of coping. Bullying others can help a victim of bullying feel in control, thus causing the cycle of bullying to keep going.

Shame Cyberbullying can cause a child to feel ashamed of themselves or something in their lives such as appearance, sexual orientation, race or money.

Fear A child who is being cyberbullied may very well fear for their safety or the safety of their family, especially if threatened with violence, which is more common through cyberbullying than regular bullying due to the separation between bully and victim.

Page 6 www.keepchildrensafeonline.com Low self-esteem As with all types of bullying, cyberbullying can lead to serious self-esteem issues in children, some of which can persist well into adulthood. Children are extremely impressionable, so being told hurtful things about themselves can have a very serious, detrimental effect on a child’s self-esteem.

Inability to trust in others A bullied child can end up with a serious issue in trusting others, as they learn to become defensive and withdrawn when dealing with others. Like self-esteem issues, these can last well into adult life and seriously impact a child’s development. The withdrawal that can happen as a result of difficulty in trusting others can in turn lead to anxiety and depression.

Page 7 www.keepchildrensafeonline.com 3. How Is Cyberbullying Different From Regular Bullying?

Cyberbullying often happens between school age children, just like regular bullying, but unlike regular bullying, it can continue well into adulthood and further. One of the main issues with cyberbullying is that a combination of anonymity and the divide between the bully and the victim mean that a cyberbully is much less likely to stop when their victim is becoming upset.

Some of the main differences between cyberbullying and regular bullying are also what make cyberbullying so dangerous. These include:

VS

Permanence Any material used to bully, whether it is written insults, comments or images can be preserved by anyone, including the bully, the victim or simply a stranger who has seen the . This means that the victim can be repeatedly subjected to and reminded of the bullying.

Audience size The sheer number of people who can view and witness cyberbullying is far higher than the number who could witness it in real life. Whereas in real life bullying might be witnessed by a playground or a class, online it may be witnessed and shared by hundreds or thousands of people.

Unfamiliarity The surge of young people using social media, as well as more conventional chat rooms, means that children can often be cyberbullied by a complete stranger. There have been numerous examples of anonymous cyberbullying campaigns targeted at individuals.

Page 8 www.keepchildrensafeonline.com Social networking Social networks such as Facebook and allow people to cyberbully either in public or in private messaging and the public nature of them means that friends and other people the victim knows can easily become involved and aware of the bullying.

Speed Cyberbullying can have a far faster impact than regular bulling. In the same way that the internet vastly increases the size of the audience who witness the of the victim, the speed at which the victim’s humiliation travels is much faster than in real life, which is traditionally through word of mouth.

Page 9 www.keepchildrensafeonline.com 4. How To Tell If Your Child Is Being Cyberbullied

Here are some of the common signs that your child may be experiencing cyberbullying:

Change in online usage If your child starts to avoid using their mobile device or computer, it may be because they are afraid of being bullied on them. Or, conversely, they might even begin to spend more time on social networks or online games as a way of trying to retaliate against the bully.

Visible distress If your child becomes distressed or withdrawn after receiving texts, emails or messages, it may well be because they are being cyberbullied.

Being secretive If your child starts avoiding conversations and discussions about their computer or mobile device or becomes more secretive in general about their online activities, it could be as a result of cyberbullying.

Social isolation A strong possible sign of Cyberbullying is if your child becomes reluctant to leave the house and begins to avoid social situations, especially those they used to enjoy, or they withdraw from family and friends. Social isolation is a very serious consequence as it can lead to depression, anxiety and can seriously impact a child’s development.

Poor performance in school If your child begins falling behind in school or their marks start to go down drastically, it may be due to cyberbullying. Remember that a cyberbully is often somebody from school, thus making school much less appealing for a victim.

Reluctance to go to school This is very much the same as above, but taken to an even greater extreme. This is more commonly seen as a consequence of face-to-face bullying, but cyberbullying can seriously exacerbate it.

Unexplained emotional extremes If your child appears much sadder, more frustrated, impatient or angry than usual, especially during or after time spent with online devices, this can be a sign that they’re being cyberbullied.

Having trouble sleeping, or less interest in eating. Sleeping and eating disorders can be brought about by cyberbullying; the anxiety and misery of being bullied causes bad sleep and insults about appearance can cause children to decline food.

Page 10 www.keepchildrensafeonline.com Sudden removal of online presence If your child suddenly deletes their social network accounts or other online accounts, it may well be because they’re being cyberbullied through them.

Sudden influx of messages If your child suddenly starts receiving a lot of new texts, email or online messages, it is possible that they may be being cyberbullied, especially if they seem reluctant to read them.

Blocking This one may be harder to find out without asking, but if your child has blocked a number of phone numbers, emails or social network accounts then they may be trying to protect themselves from cyberbullying.

Page 11 www.keepchildrensafeonline.com 5. How To Tell If Your Child Is Cyberbullying Someone Else

While it is very important to identify when a child is being bullied, it’s also important to identify when a child might be cyberbullying somebody else. Some possible warning signs that your child might be cyberbullying someone include:

Multiple social network accounts If your child has multiple accounts on the same social network, this may be a sign that they’re using the accounts to harass others.

Offline observation You might hear your child making sarcastic or insulting remarks when using their phone or the internet. Of course, while kids can often talk like this, it can be a possible indicator that they may be cyberbullying someone.

Keeping secrets If your child becomes secretive about their online activity; if they quickly change the screen or hide their mobile device when you interrupt them and/or they may become annoyed when you walk in on them, they may be Cyberbullying someone else.

Excessive time spent online If your child begins to spend long hours online, or you’re concerned that they are becoming obsessed with being online, it may be because they are continually harassing somebody. This is especially relevant if you suspect that they’re attempting to access the internet when the rest of the family is asleep or not present.

Page 12 www.keepchildrensafeonline.com Unpleasant peer group One of the most common reasons that a child will cyberbully is if they are trying to fit into a new group of friends who find it funny. If your child is spending time with friends who behave cruelly or unkindly, you should be on the lookout for signs that they might be cyberbullying.

Uncaring attitude If your child doesn’t seem to care if their words or actions hurt others, they may be happy to cyberbully somebody. Of course, it’s important to take into account that older children and teenagers especially will often fall into this description, so it isn’t necessarily an indicator of cyberbullying itself.

Of course, it is important to be aware of other characteristics of children who bully, and these are Here are some of the common traits found in children who bully.

Frustration & aggression Children who are likely to Cyberbully may do so as a result of frustration, which may manifest in aggression, either physical or verbal.

Trouble with authority Frustration with authority and resistance to following rules are two very common traits in bullies. Of course, it’s worth noting that they are common traits in older children and teenagers as well, so this might just be normal teenage resistance to authority.

Overly critical behaviour Somebody who cyberbullies may be overly judgemental or critical of others, both online and face to face.

Page 13 www.keepchildrensafeonline.com 6. Why Do Children Cyberbully?

It’s important to understand why a child might choose to cyberbully someone else, whether the victim is another child or an adult (celebrities are often targeted by large mobs of harassers, many of whom are older children or teenagers). Of course, there is no single reason why a child may cyberbully, but some of the most common reasons are:

Entertainment Cyberbullying is often a way for children to relieve boredom. In the bully’s mind, it can be a method of creating excitement and drama in their lives.

Feeling of power Ultimately, all types of bullying are about power and having power over somebody else. The size of a cyberbully’s audience makes this feeling of power even bigger and awards a certain status to the bully in the eyes of others. This is especially true when the audience are people who find the bullying funny or exciting, often other bullies.

Peer pressure One of the most common reasons for bullying is peer pressure. Often, a child may not want to bully somebody else, but feels as though they have to in order to fit in with a peer group.

Inability to see anything wrong with their actions Sometimes, cyberbullies don’t see anything wrong with what they’re doing and may see it simply as a harmless joke that everybody does. This is especially prevalent in children and teenagers, who often lack a fully formed moral compass or sense of empathy.

Believe the victim deserves it A child who bullies may attempt to justify it to themselves by insisting that the victim deserves it. They may see their bullying as punishment for some perceived slight, believing that the victim is arrogant, dismissive or who ‘stole’ something or someone.

As a result of being bullied themselves If a child or teenager has been bullied themselves, they may well respond by bullying someone else in order to regain a feeling of control. If they have been bullied from a young age, either at home or in school, they might not know any other ways of releasing their emotions.

Anonymity Being online affords children a huge amount of anonymity, which in turn makes them feel as though they can’t be caught. This is compounded when cyberbullies attack in groups, as the combination of anonymity and deindividuation means that they are spurred on by one another and are unlikely to stop as they can’t witness the victim’s misery.

Page 14 www.keepchildrensafeonline.com 7. What To Do If Your Child Is Cyberbullying

It can be difficult for parents to admit that their child might be Cyberbullying someone, but if you discover this to be the case, then these are some steps you can take:

Don’t get angry Naturally, if you discover that you child is cyberbullying, you might feel angry or hurt. What’s important is that you control these feelings and don’t vent them on your child. You’ll be much more successful in getting through to them if you calmly and reasonably talk through the problem.

Find out more Calmly explain to your child that you’re aware of their cyberbullying. Ask them to tell you exactly what they’ve done, and how much of it they’ve done. If they won’t admit to what they’ve done and acknowledge it, you should share any evidence of their cyberbullying so that they’re forced to confront it.

Tell them what they’re doing isn’t acceptable This is one of the most important things to do. If your child just thinks they’re getting in trouble they might become defensive and then just repeat their behaviour in the future. Teenagers especially believe that they’re just joking around or that their actions won’t have any real consequences. It’s incredibly important that they understand that it can be absolutely devastating to the victim.

Try and get them to empathise Teaching your children why their actions aren’t acceptable is one good step, but in order for them to truly understand why, it’s important for them to empathise with the victims. Ask them how they would feel if someone was doing the same thing to them or someone they care about like a friend or family member.

Tell them how badly things can go Sadly, there are too many examples of cases where Cyberbullying has led to self-harm or suicide. Give your children examples, such as the cases of Amanda Todd and Tyler Clementi. Discuss with them how their actions could lead to terrible, life-ending consequences.

Understand why they’re bullying It will be significantly easier for you to work through the problem with your child if you understand the reasons behind it. Are they trying to fit into a peer group? Are they trying to be more popular and be liked by others? Are they angry about something at home, for example, a divorce, or a move? Or have they been bullied themselves and are trying to get revenge?

Page 15 www.keepchildrensafeonline.com Make sure they know how serious their actions are Explain to them that what they’re doing may be criminal. Ask them how they think their actions would be received by their school or the police. It isn’t pleasant, but if your child understands that what they’re doing has serious consequences, they may be driven to stop.

Monitor your child’s online activity It may be necessary to keep an eye on your child’s online activities if they’re cyberbullying. Something that should be considered is moving a child’s computer or mobile devices from a bedroom to a public room and consider installing monitoring software on their computer or mobile devices.

Remove the offending material Try to persuade your child to remove the Cyberbullying messages, videos, photos, or other content they have posted or sent, if they still have control of it.

Teach them to use social media responsibly Social media is often used to cyberbully others. It isn’t likely that you’ll be able to completely stop your child from being on social media, but you can at least teach them to use it responsibly. Teach them to wait a length of time between writing a post or message and sending it, and to think about how they would feel if they received such a message.

Identify bad influence If your child is cyberbullying as a way of impressing their friends, or because their friends are doing it, then it might be best to encourage them to spend less time with (or completely cut out) certain people, both in person and online.

Take away computers or mobile devices If the bullying continues, the most effective punishment and deterrent is to remove your child’s computer or mobile devices for a while. Tell them that if they can’t be trusted with it, then they don’t get to use it.

Learn about social media and other sites Make sure that you educate yourself on the popular social media sites and any forums or message boards that your child frequents so that you can better understand how and where your child has been cyberbullying.

Seek an apology Try to encourage your child to offer a sincere apology to the person or people they’ve hurt. However, the apology must be sincere, otherwise your child may simply become more resentful, and the victim could become distressed. Also, be aware that in some situations, such as those where the victim has gone to lengths to avoid any contact by the bully, that it might be better to not attempt to contact the victim in any way as this may cause them further distress.

Page 16 www.keepchildrensafeonline.com Cooperate with authorities If school authorities get involved after reports of Cyberbullying, make sure that your child cooperates with them, and be an example to them by fully cooperating yourself. In rare cases, if the Cyberbullying is particularly bad (such as sending threats of serious harm or death), the police may become involved. In these situations you should remember that you are there to support your child as well as help them deal with the consequences of their actions. Work with all parties involved to try to reach a solution that helps your own child learn from their mistakes, as well as supporting the victims.

Seek outside help if necessary Remember that bullying behaviour can indicate underlying emotional issues. If your child appears to be depressed, angry or withdrawn, showing signs that they themselves are struggling emotionally, seek professional help to support them.

Page 17 www.keepchildrensafeonline.com 8. What To Do If Your Child Is Being Cyberbullied

It’s a terrible thing to find out that your child is being cyberbullied, and naturally cases can vary so much that there is no single guide for how to deal with it. Some situations may need just a little parental involvement, while others might need to get police involved. However, here are some general pieces of advice for how to deal with a cyberbullying situation:

Bring it up If you suspect that your child might be being bullied, try to find a way to bring it up with them. Since they may well be reluctant to talk about it, you may have to broach the subject directly, but be careful not to be too direct. Try bringing up a news story or article about Cyberbullying that you’ve read. Ask questions on the subject, but leave them open-ended questions like “what do you know about Cyberbullying?” or “have you ever seen someone being cyberbullied?” It’s extremely important to allow them to take the lead in the conversation if need be.

React appropriately If your child tells you that they’ve been cyberbullied, it’s incredibly important that you don’t over-react. You need to listen and support your child without making things seem worse for them. Learn about the extent of the problem as it might not actually be cyberbullying. It’s true that sometimes kids simply say nasty things to each other and not every harsh word or text is necessarily cyberbullying. But it’s just as important to not dismiss or minimise your child’s experience. You can support your child by explaining that cyberbullying is unacceptable and you’ll help them deal with it.

Reassure and support Make sure that your child knows that you’re there to help, and that by working together you can resolve the situation. You should also avoid blaming your child for being bullied or judging how they’ve handled things. It seems obvious, but a natural reaction for many people is to say “you shouldn’t have done that” or “why didn’t you?” and so on. You want to help your child feel better about themselves and raise their self-esteem.

Stop and block Make sure that your child doesn’t respond to any of the cyberbullying messages that they’ve received. Cyberbullies, like all bullies, want a reaction from their victims and denying them this is the first step to resolving the problem. Secondly, if possible, have your child block the cyberbully from all accounts that they might be contacted through. This includes social media, email, phone contacts and even online gaming accounts like Xbox Live, the PlayStation Network and Steam. It may even be necessary for your child to change their phone number or email address.

Keep evidence Make sure that you keep evidence of the cyberbullying as a record to show. Consider creating an evidence file. Tell your child to your child give you a record of all the cyberbullying messages, emails, text, social media posts, phone messages, photos, and so on. Anything where they’ve been cyberbullied. Record the dates and times of all incidents and take screenshots where possible.

Page 18 www.keepchildrensafeonline.com There are a number of different organisations you can report cyberbullying to if it becomes a serious problem. These include:

Your internet service provider (ISP) This is the company who provides your internet service, such as Virgin or BT. Most have various policies in place designed to stop harassment and cyberbullying. If the bully is one of their users then they should issue warnings over the bully’s online behaviour, and it might even lead to the bully’s contract being suspended or cancelled.

Your child’s mobile phone provider This is much the same as your ISP and may even be the same company in some cases. If your child is being bullied through their mobile phone or device, then their mobile contract provider may be able to help.

Social network sites Almost all social media sites have policies on cyberbullying and harassment, with the ability to report offensive or bullying posts. Facebook even have a Cyberbullying Prevention Hub where users can report if they or a friend are being bullied. Make sure that you’re familiar with the reporting mechanisms on the sites your child visits.

Your child’s school Since online devices are more and more common in an educational environment, and the fact that kids take their mobile devices with them everywhere, it may well be necessary to report cyberbullying to your child’s school, especially given that the cyberbully may well be another pupil. Teachers should be especially alert for any face-to-face bullying between the relevant children. Teachers, head teachers and school support officers are the ideal people to approach regarding your bullying concerns. Just remember that the school can’t sort out the problem by themselves, and you will still have to work with them and your child to resolve the situation.

Police or other local authorities In the most extreme of cases, it may be necessary to report the cyberbullying or harassment to the police. You shouldn’t hesitate to contact the police if the cyberbullying involves should the bullying involves:

• Threats of physical harm or violence. • Sending and sharing sexually explicit or intimate photos of someone under the age of 18. By law, this is child pornography and is absolutely unacceptable. • . If a bully is persistently following or communicating with your child in a harassing way that has them fearing for their safety, then this is stalking and can lead to other, even more extreme behaviours. • Hacking into someone else’s computer or creating a false social media page in another persons’ name to facilitate the bullying or harassment. This may be identity fraud.

It is a good idea to talk to the police about the potential legal consequences of Cyberbullying and go over a full list of the kinds of offences that may be associated with it.

Page 19 www.keepchildrensafeonline.com There are no laws in the UK specifically regarding Cyberbullying, however Cyberbullying may fall under a number of other laws, namely the following:

• Protection from Harassment Act 1997 • Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 • Malicious Communications Act 1988 • Communications Act 2003 • Act 2013

There have been no cases in the UK of a child under 18 being prosecuted for Cyberbullying, and the Crown Prosecution Service have said that if appropriate laws were to be introduced, those under the age of 18 are unlikely to be prosecuted since children “may not appreciate the potential harm and seriousness of their communications”. The only exception may be in the case of somebody sharing or posting explicit images of an underage victim, which would be classed as child pornography and would be treated as such.

Remember, you can get other outside help with Cyberbullying if you need to. For example, if your child is showing signs of continued depression, isolation, anxiety, loss of interest in eating or sleeping, or showing any signs of self-harm or thoughts of self-harm, do not hesitate to seek support from a mental health professional.

Page 20 www.keepchildrensafeonline.com 9. Parents Top Ten Questions About Cyberbullying

1. What Is Cyberbullying? Cyberbullying is when somebody uses electronic communications, like a mobile phone or computer to harass or bully somebody else. For more information, see What is Cyberbullying section.

2. What’s the difference between bullying and Cyberbullying? The key difference between bullying and Cyberbullying is that while regular bullying takes place face-to-face, Cyberbullying takes place digitally and as a result, it can take place at any time. For more information, see How is Cyberbullying different from regular bullying section.

3. What Are Some Examples of Cyberbullying? Examples of Cyberbullying include things like: Saying cruel or hurtful things online to somebody, spreading rumours about somebody else or pretending to be them online. Of course, there are plenty more things which can be Cyberbullying. For more information, see What is Cyberbullying section.

4. What If My Child Is the Bully? It’s never easy to admit that your child might be bullying somebody, but it’s important to not get angry and try to find out why they’re doing it. Encourage empathy and explain clearly to them why their actions are wrong. For more information, see What to do if your child is Cyberbullying section.

5. What Should I Say to the Parent of a Cyberbully? If you’re talking to parents of a Cyberbully, it’s important to not seem to accusatory. Calmly and simply state facts, and provide evidence where you can. Always try to stay reasonable and work together for the best possible outcome. For more information, see What to do if your child is being Cyberbullied section.

6. Is It Cyberbullying, or Just Children Being Children? It can be difficult to tell if something is Cyberbullying or just normal child behaviour. Naturally, parents don’t want to overreact and label everything Cyberbullying when it may actually be harmless. The key is to find out if and how it affects your child. If they don’t like it or it is a commonly occurring thing, then it may well be Cyberbullying. For more information, see What is Cyberbullying section.

7. When Should Parents Get Involved? As a parent, it’s best to get involved if your child can’t handle the situation themselves. Ideally, wait until your child has asked for your support, but you may need to bring it up with them, especially if they seem to be becoming withdrawn. For more information, see What to do if your child is being Cyberbullied section.

Page 21 www.keepchildrensafeonline.com 8. How Can Parents Empower Children to Deal With Bullies Constructively? If your child doesn’t want you to get involved directly, then the best things you can do are be patient and be supportive. Reassure them that it isn’t their fault, show them how to block and unfriend people who are Cyberbullying them. Help them keep evidence of the Cyberbullying in case you need it. For more information, see What to do if your child is being Cyberbullied section.

9. What If My Child Is Bullied In an Online Game? Online games are a great way for kids to socialise with people all over the world, whilst improving problem solving skills, hand-eye coordination and teamwork. However, the world of online multiplayer games can still be open to Cyberbullying. Games like Minecraft are often targeted by ‘griefers’: individuals or groups who go out of their way to ruin others’ fun. The best way to del with Cyberbullying in online games is for your child to either report the bully to the game moderators, or move to a different server. For more information, see What to do if your child is being Cyberbullied section.

10. How Do I Monitor My Children Without Spying? It’s understandable to want to keep an eye on your child’s online activities, either to make sure that they’re not being Cyberbullied or Cyberbullying somebody themselves. With your child’s consent, you can install software on their computer that keeps a log of what sites they’ve been on. However the best way to know what your children are doing is to take an interest in their online activities and spend time with them while they’re online. For more information, see What to do if your child is Cyberbullying section.

Page 22 www.keepchildrensafeonline.com 10. Statistics About Cyberbullying

Here are some statistics and research findings from the Cyberbullying Research Centre in the US. All of the information is provided by www.cyberbullying.us.

Teen Technology Use “Mobile phones and other mobile devices continue to be the most popular technology utilized by adolescents with five of the top six reported weekly activities involving their use. A greater proportion of middle school students are now using Instagram compared to Facebook, while Twitter and Ask.fm remain largely unpopular among American 2 youth of this age group.”

2 http://cyberbullying.us/2015-data/

Page 23 www.keepchildrensafeonline.com Cyberbullying Victimization “Cyberbullying is when someone repeatedly harasses, mistreats, or makes fun of another person online or while using mobile phones or other electronic devices.” Approximately 34% of the students in our ample report experiencing cyberbullying in their lifetimes. When asked about specific types of cyberbullying in the previous 30 days, mean or hurtful comments (12.8%) and rumours spread (19.4%) online continue to be among the most commonly-cited. Twenty-one percent of the sample reported being cyberbullied in one or more of the nine specific types reported (only 6 of which are displayed in the chart above), two or more times over the course of the previous 3 30 days.”

3 http://cyberbullying.us/2015-data/

Page 24 www.keepchildrensafeonline.com Cyberbullying Offending “Cyberbullying is when someone repeatedly harasses, mistreats, or makes fun of another person online or while using cell phones or other electronic devices.” Approximately 15% of the students in our sample admitted to cyberbullying others in their lifetimes. Spreading rumours online was the most commonly reported type of cyberbullying they reported during the previous 30 days. About 6% of the sample reported cyberbullying using one or more of the nine types reported (only 6 of which are displayed in the chart above), two or more times over the 4 course of the previous 30 days.”

4 http://cyberbullying.us/2015-data/

Page 25 www.keepchildrensafeonline.com Cyberbullying by Gender “Adolescent girls are significantly more likely to have experienced cyberbullying in their lifetimes (40.6% vs. 28.2%). This gap narrows when reviewing experiences over the previous 30 days. In this sample, boys were slightly more likely to report cyberbullying others during their lifetime (15.5% vs. 14.0%), though this difference was not statistically significant. The type of cyberbullying tends to differ by gender; girls are more likely to post mean 5 comments online while boys are more likely to post hurtful pictures or videos.”

5 http://cyberbullying.us/2015-data/

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