Cyberbullying

     Bullies have tormented children since the inception of organized society.  To this day, children complain to parents and teachers about the bully down the street or in the school-yard.  Most of these incidents are resolved by teaching the child-victim to stand up for himself or through mediation techniques.  In the modern age, however, bullies have discovered new media to torment their victims: technology and the Internet.

Tales of cyberbullying crimes are cropping up around the country as more children and teenagers wage war with one another on computers and cell phones. Cyberbullies, as they're called, hide behind the relative anonymity of the Internet to intimidate, insult and harass others online, without much fear of consequence. More than half of American teens are affected by cyberbullying, according to the National Crime Prevention Council. Yet most parents are largely unaware of the problem, as very few teens report incidences of bullying to their parents or other adults. (Stop Child Predators, 2009).

     "Cyberbullying is willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices" (Hinduja and Patchin, 2009). Cyberbulling is more prevalent than some may have thought.  Respondents comprising 2000 middle-school students to a poll conducted by Hinduja and Patchin (2009) indicated that as many as 12% of middle-school students have been both the victim and perpertrator of cyberbullying at some time.  This widespread occurrence may be due to the ease of committing the offense and the relative annonymity of the Internet. "Cyberbullies do not have to deal with the immediate emotional, psychological, or physical effects of face-to-face bullying on their victim" (Hinduja and Patchin, 2009).

     Although the problem of cyberbullying seems to be quite prevelant, the instances are not as severe as those portrayed on the morning news shows.  Many of us are familiar with the story of the young girl who committed suicide after an episone of cyberbullying occurrences.  This type of case is rare and extreme, although many victims may face psychological scars for some time.

     Communication with your children is the best defense against cyberbullying.  Be aware of their online activities and promote their ability to discuss incidents with you freely.  Some security measures can help curtail incidents but the best defense is communication.  If recurring incidents occur then limit the child's access to Instant Messaging services, social networking sites, and e-mail, and cell-phones.  Remember rhat your child may be a victim of cyberbullying but could also be a perpetrator.