Cyber BullyingPresented by Detective Toth

A Guide For Parents, Students and Teachers

Tonawanda Middle School

Cyber Bullying Defined

• When one minor is tormented, harassed, threatened, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise made uncomfortable by another minor using the Internet or other form of digital communication

• Once an adult engages in this behavior against a child or another adult – it is cyber harassment or stalking

More Info…

• 42% of teens polled reported saying mean things to others in the last month

• Of those kids who are bullied either on line or face to face, 58% of them NEVER report it to their parents!

• If you are bullied, you MUST tell someone – The FIRST time it happens!

More Information…

• Who get’s bullied more boys or girls?

• Right! More girls reported being cyber bullied than boys.

• 21% of girls reported being bullied, while 10% of boys reported being bullied…

Methods of Cyber Bullying

• Cyber Bullying is not limited to the Internet

• It can occur through ANY means of digital communication that kids use

• These methods may include…

Digital Methods of Bullying

• Text Messages on Cell Phones

• Any Instant Messenger Software

• MySpace Pages

• E-Mail

• Blogs

• Wiki’s

• Personal Web Sites

Cell Phone Bullying

• This can be done by either one person or a group of people who send many text messages at once to another single person

• Kids can be bombarded with hundreds of unwanted messages at one time

• Bullying no longer stops when kids go home from school

The “Good” News…

• When bullying is verbal, the record of what is said usually ends up being a he said/she said situation

• With cyber bullying, there is usually a written record of who, what, and when the bullying takes place

• Victims can now have written proof of the actions

What Should You Do If You Are Being Bullied?

• First and most important - Tell someone!

• You can contact your guidance counselor, teacher, friend, parents…it doesn’t matter WHO – just tell someone!

• Keep a record of your e-mails, instant messages, texts, etc. This will give you proof!

Solutions Continued…

• You can also – – Ignore the bully (many times if you don’t

give a reaction, they will stop)– Ask the bully to stop, tell them that you are

saving a record of what they are doing– Your school has procedures in place to

deal with this behavior! Tell someone what is going on and get the problem resolved.