Identifying & Preventing Cyber-Bullying
What Is Cyber-Bullying?
- Pretending to be someone else online with a malicious intent to “prank” someone else.
- Spreading lies or rumors about someone.
- Tricking someone into revealing personal information or sending personal photos.
- Sending or forwarding malicious texts or emails.
- Posting pictures of someone without their permission.
- Threatening to physically harm someone or their family.
Know what Cyber-Bullying Looks Like
Ways Parents & Children Can Prevent and Stop Cyber-Bullying While Staying Safe Online
- Block all communication from the bully.
- Delete messages without opening and reading.
- Talk with a friend or a trusted adult about the bullying taking place.
- Report the bullying communication to the Internet Service Provider or email provider.
- Refuse to forward or pass on bullying texts or emails.
- Tell the bully to stop.
- Talk to parents.
- Never share your passwords with anyone except your parents.
- Never meet someone from online face-to-face.
- Never post personal information about yourself online (i.e. – birthday, phone number, the school you attend, etc.).
Tips for Parents
- Be aware of what children are doing online. Keep the computer screen where you can see it while your child is on it.
- Know about the social networking sites that your child uses. If your teen is on Facebook, make sure you show him how to report abuse, block a user, and set privacy controls.
- Know your child’s password to all social networking sites.
- Establish clear guidelines about what you expect of your child while he is online.