Cyber Safe – Identifying and Combatting Cyber Bullies

2. Bullying exists because it is the actions in how we treat each other. The term bullying is the process of one individual going out of their way to hurt another. Bullies often target people that they think can’t stand up for themselves.

3. Although anyone can become a bully, bullies are usually people with low self-esteem that physically or emotionally hurt someone to make themselves feel good. Often bullies have grown up in abusive and or dangerous environments. Also some bullies had often been bullied themselves.

4. If you were being bullied, whether the bullying be cyber or in person, there are many actions you can take. The most effective way to stop bullying in person would be to tell a trusted adult who could help you. With cyber bullying it is easier to make the bullying stop; you should always tell someone trusted and always save the evidence. You also should never reply to cyber bullies as they are seeking a reaction from you. If you don’t react to bullies it makes you less of a target.

6. An experience I have had on the internet where my early warning signals kicked in was when I was going to upload a photo with me and my friend. Before uploading I realised I didn’t have her permission to upload it. Having permission is really important because once the photo is uploaded it will never completely be removed and it may still be on everyone’s newsfeed even after you press delete.

7. Teenagers Communicate | Keep current | Keep checking | * Tell adults problems or troubles you may be having with technology * Keep your passwords to yourself | * Call 1831 to set your number to private * Set all your security levels to the highest | * Every now and then Google your name to see what comes up * Be aware of what is being posted online about you. Once something is online it stays there forever |

Parents Communicate | Keep current | Keep checking | * Make a Facebook * Make sure your child does homework and school work before going online | * Watch your child’s internet use * Be aware of all the social networking sites your child uses | * Ensure that all technology has the latest anti viruses * Block all sites you don’t want your children to have access to |

School principals Communicate | Keep current | Keep checking | * Have a special class to educate students on how to be safe online * Set up special rules to prevent teens from posting photos from school | * Ban phones and other technology from school * Block Facebook, tumblr, twitter and other main social networking sites | * Ensure that every student knows how to be safe on the net * Have a contract for students to sign |

8. Although online you aren’t face to face with anyone, you have to be very cautious of what you say and do. If you say something over the internet, a person’s feelings are going to get hurt just as much or more than if it’s to your face.
Some short term consequences of cyber bullying include a damaged reputation, loss of friends, sitting alone at lunch. Also the cyber bully would lose a lot of trust from parents and may be grounded and or banned from the internet. The school may give a detention or suspend the student which would affect the bully when going for leader ship positions in the school. If the cyber bullying is really severe a cyber-bully can be charged and sent to a