CYBER BULLYING 16 – 20 November 2009 ANTI-BULLYING WEEK CYBER BULLYING 16 – 20 November 2009

What is cyber-bullying? Cyberbullying is when one person or a group of people aim to threaten, tease or embarrass someone else by using a mobile phone, the internet or other technologies.

What forms does it take? Email Sending emails that can be threatening or upsetting. Emails can be sent directly to a single target, or to a group of people to encourage them to become part of the bullying. These messages or ‘hate mails’ can include examples of racism, sexism and other types of prejudice. If someone sends you a message and you forward or laugh at it, you’re actually adding to the problem.

What forms does it take? Instant messenger and chatrooms Sending instant messenger and chatroom messages to friends or direct to a victim. Others can be invited into the bullying conversation, who then become part of it by laughing.

Social networking sites What forms does it take? Social networking sites Abusing personal information Setting up profiles on social networking sites to make fun of someone. By visiting these pages or contributing to them, you become part of the problem and add to the feelings of unhappiness felt by the victim. Many victims of cyberbullying have complained that they have seen personal photos, emails or blog postings posted where others could see it without their permission. Social networking sites make it a lot easier for web users to get hold of personal information and photos of people. They can also get hold of someone else’s messaging accounts and chat to people pretending to be the victim

"you can have 60 people bullying you on the internet, but in real life there wouldn’t be 60 people beating you up"

What forms does it take? Interactive gaming Games consoles allow players to chat online with anyone they find themselves matched with in a multi-player game. Sometimes cyber bullies abuse other players and use threats. They can also lock victims out of games, spread false rumours about someone or hack into someone’s account.

What forms does it take? Mobile phone Sending humiliating and abusive text or video messages, as well as photo messages and phone calls over a mobile phone. This includes anonymous text messages over short distances using Bluetooth technology and sharing videos of physical attacks on individuals (happy slapping). Remind students in Years 8 – 11 re. video seen in assemblies last two years – boy being bullied by mobile phone, which led to picture online etc. Also story of You Tube Luke Skywalker who ended up taking his own life.

The effects? Even though cyberbullying cannot physically hurt you, it can still leave you feeling mentally vulnerable and very upset. You can also feel scared, lonely and stressed and that there’s no way out. Escaping cyberbullying can be very difficult. Because anyone can get access to a mobile phone or the internet almost anywhere, it can be tough for those on the receiving end to avoid it, even in the safety of their own home.

Why? it can be simply a case of someone being in the wrong place at the wrong time and allowing themselves to be easily intimidated some people who cyberbully think that they won’t get caught if they do it on a mobile phone or on the internet the people who cyberbully are jealous, angry or want to have revenge on someone, often for no reason at all cyberbullies often think that getting their group of friends to laugh at someone makes them look cool or more popular some people also bully others as a form of entertainment or because they are bored and have too much time on their hands many do it for laughs or just to get a reaction No simple reason for why – here are some common ones

Cyberbullying can be difficult to deal with, both for those who are bullied and other people who unwittingly add to someone’s misery. But there are things you can do to avoid getting involved and to stop the spread of cyberbullying.

Think how it would make you feel Don't get involved Be smart Think how it would make you feel . Even if you’re not a ringleader and targeting someone specifically, you can easily be part of the problem by adding abusive comments to an online messageboard or sending a photo you’ve received on your phone to your mates. You can also be dragged into cyberbullying without realising. Be smart. If you’re sent or come across anything that is hurtful, offensive or threatening to someone else, don’t laugh at it or encourage it. Think how it would make you feel if it was aimed at you, a friend or a member of your family

What you can do about it! Bullies on line are not anonymous. Don’t take them on yourself Report bullying on a social networking site report it. Mobile phone – report it to the mobile service provider If you think the content of anything is not suitable – tell your parents, teachers the police Even though those that use the web to target and bully others think that they can remain anonymous, this isn’t the case. Even someone using a false name or email address can be traced and banned by social networks and email providers if they’re found to be bullying others. Don’t be tempted to take on the person who’s carrying out the bullying yourself by responding to them in a way that’s just as threatening. You may become guilty of bullying yourself, or make yourself another target for someone to threaten. If you do notice bullying taking place on instant messenger, in a chatroom or on a social networking site, report it to the website administrators or internet service provider. You should be able to do this easily through the site itself. If you notice bullying happening on a mobile phone, contact your mobile service provider. If you encounter any other forms of cyberbullying, especially those that use racism, religious hate, homophobia or threats of actual violence, tell your parents, a teacher or – if you think that the content is illegal – the police.

You’re not alone… The Anti-Bullying Alliance recently found that one in five schoolchildren in the UK had been the victim of some form of online and mobile abuse. You're not alone The Anti-Bullying Alliance recently found that one in five schoolchildren in the UK had been the victim of some form of online and mobile abuse. If you are having problems with mobile or online bullying, here’s a few ideas about what you can do to help you deal with it and stop it happening completely: talk to someone you trust about it, like a friend, a teacher or an older relative keep and save any bullying emails, text messages or images you receive make a note of the time and date that messages or images were sent, along with any details you have about the sender try changing your online user ID or nickname change your mobile phone number and only give it out to close friends mobile phone companies and internet service providers can trace bullies, so don’t be afraid of reporting it to them block instant messages from certain people or use mail filters to block emails from specific email addresses don't reply to bullying or threatening text messages or emails – this could make matters worse and lets those carrying out the bullying know that they've found a 'live' phone number or email address report serious bullying, like threats of a physical or sexual nature, to the police

Stay safe on line Never give out personal details In a chatroom watch what you say about where you live, what school you go to, or your email address Posting personal information about yourself can attract those people who are pretending to be teenagers Years 8-11 have seen a video re. dangers of grooming online.

If you forget, remember this… It’s not just harmless fun http://www.digizen.org/cyberbullying/fullFilm.aspx