002+Cyberbullying

 **Cyber Bullying** Heather Briner Jennifer Fox Monique Kimble **Frostburg State University** **Spring 2011**

** Introduction **  With technology constantly advancing in today's society social networking and other means of communication are becoming more common with the younger generations. Kids and teens are often posting their "lives" on websites, like Facebook and MySpace, leaving themselves open to others comments; this is where cyber bullying is becoming a problem. Children are falling victims to this ever-increasing trend in children and teens.

** What is Cyber Bullying? **  “Cyber bullying is when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones” (WiredKids, Inc., n.d.). Based on a 2004 i-SAFE survey of 1,500 students in grades 4th through 8th, 42 percent admitted that they had been bullied while online. One out of every four students also admitted that they had been bullied while online more than once. Statistics have proved that children have killed each other and have attempted or committed suicide due to cyber bullying incidents. According to a study involving approximately 2,000 middle-schoolers from one of the most populous school districts in the U.S., Sameer Hinduja and Justin Patchin (2009) discovered that 20 percent of the students reported that they seriously thought about attempting suicide after being cyber bullied. In the cyber bullying world, children often change roles, meaning that they go from victim to bully and back again.

** Two Kinds of Cyber Bullying **  There are two kinds of cyber bullying: direct attacks and cyber bullying by proxy. Direct attacks are messages sent directly to children. Direct attacks include: “instant messaging/text messaging harassment, stealing passwords, blogs, websites, sending pictures through e-mail and cell phones, internet polling, interactive gaming, sending malicious code, sending porn and other junk e-mail and IMs, and impersonation” (How To Stop Bullying, 2009). Cyber bullying by proxy is where the cyber bully receives the help of others to help cyber bully the victim. The cyber bully will try to get as many people involved as he or she can. This kind of cyber bullying is extremely dangerous because it often gets adults involved in the cyber bullying. The most common way a cyber bullying by proxy attack occurs “is when the cyber bully gets control of the victim’s account and sends out hateful or rude messages to everyone on their buddy list pretending to be the victim” (National Crime Prevention, 2009). This common way of cyber bullying by proxy can become very serious, very fast. Once a cyber bully gets control of the victim’s account, the cyber bully will post personal information about the victim in hate group chat rooms and even in child molester chat rooms too. The cyber bully will also pose as the victim in these particular settings in order to watch the members attack the victim online.

** Threats and Cyber Bullying **  There are several kinds of threats pertaining to cyber bullying. The kinds of threats are “the communication uses lewd language, the communication insults a child directly (“You are stupid!”), the communication threatens a child vaguely (“I’m going to get you!”), the communication threatens your child with bodily harm or death (“I’m going to beat you up!” or “I’m going to kill you!”), and there is a general serious threat (“There is a bomb in the school!”)” (WiredKids, Inc., n.d.). There are certain frequencies of the threats. The frequencies of the threats are as followed “it is a one-time communication, the communication is repeated in the same or different ways, the communications are increasing, third-parties are joining in and communications are now being received from additional people” (WiredKids, Inc., n.d.). There are several sources of the threats. The sources of threats are “a child knows who is doing this, a child thinks they know who is doing this, a child has no idea who is doing this, and the messages appear to be from several different people” (WiredKids, Inc., n.d.). If the communications are repeated over and over again, there is a possibility that the threats will most likely increase and the methods will get more dangerous, allowing law enforcement to step in.

** How the Victims Feels ** <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> There are some positive ways to react to being bullied. Here are some examples of the good ways to deal with being the victims of cyber bullying; "Blocking communication with the cyber bully. Deleting messages without reading them. Talking to a friend about the bullying. Reporting the problem to an Internet service provider or website moderator" There are other ways that are negative. This happens when the victims are hurt and gets very upset and angry. They release it in unhealthy ways; "Seeking revenge on the bully. Avoiding friends and activities. Cyber bullying back" They might not always know who their bully is, this makes it all the more difficult and makes them feel even more scared and threatened. Other sources said the children become sad and don't want to do activities that have to do with school. Studies have shown that those who have never been a victim or bully have the best grades bad health in the schools.

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">** Why People Cyber Bully ** <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> "When it comes to cyber bullying, they are often motivated by anger, revenge or frustration." They are hurt or don't have self esteem so they fight back the only way they know how. Some have said that others do it for entertainment purposes because they don't know what to do with themselves and are pretty much bored with their own life. Other like attention and will do anything to get people reactions. They just want to be noticed. Accidents can be a cause also. They are not meaning to send that message to that certain person. Some just don't care because they feel they are doing right because they were wronged. "The Power-hungry do it to torment others and for their ego. Revenge of the Nerd may start out defending themselves from traditional bullying only to find that they enjoy being the tough guy or gal. Mean girls do it to help bolster or remind people of their own social standing."

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">** Student’s and Parent’s Role in Prevention: ** <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> As a student at one time or another cyber bullying will be experienced, whether it being from a text message circulating about you or a friend, passing the text message along, or on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. Students can take many precautions to prevent from being the bully, an aide to the bully, or even the victim. Students can do the following to begin to end the cyber bullying by, refusing to pass along the message, tell your friends to stop, block communications, and report what is going on to a trusted adult (National Crime Prevention Council, 2011). Parents too can also aide in stopping cyber bullying. As a parent, you should be the one person that your child can confide in no matter what the circumstances, but most especially when it comes to cyber bullying. Children who put themselves out there on the internet are vulnerable to being cyber bullied and your child will need to tell an adult so the situation can be handled and the adult is most likely the parent. Parents are often found to be the last person a child will tell for the fear of their “overreaction” to the matter and for the fear of making things worse (WiredKids, n.d.).

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">** Teachers and School’s Role in Prevention: ** <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> As a teacher there are 10 tips provided by Hinduja and Patchin (2009), which gives advice to teachers in preventing and dealing with cyber bullying which are:

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> 1. Formally assess the extent and scope of the problem within your school district by collecting survey and/or interview data from your students. <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> 2. Teach students that all forms of bullying are unacceptable, and that cyber bullying behaviors are potentially subject to discipline. <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> 3. Specify clear rules regarding the use of the Internet, computers, and other electronic devices. <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> 4. Use peer mentoring. <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> 5. Consult your school attorney before incidents occur. <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> 6. Create a comprehensive formal contract specific to cyber bullying in the school’s policy manual. <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> 7. Implement blocking/filtering software. <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> 8. Cultivate a positive school climate. <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> 9. Educate your community. <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> 10. Designate a “Cyber bullying Expert” (Hinduia & Patchin, 2009).

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Although school’s generally should not become involved in situations where cyber bullying has taken place out of school because the school is often sued for exceeding their authority and violating the student's free speech right (WiredKids, n.d.) The school can however educate students and teachers about cyber bullying and how to prevent it and also what happens if you fall to being a victim.

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">** Laws/Conclusion: ** <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> In the United States 45 of the 50 states have bullying laws, some of which do include cyber bullying, others which do not (Bully Police, 2010). There are 25 of 50 states which have specific laws directly related to cyber bullying (Olweus, 2010). That’s only 50% of the United States! With the technology always increasing cyber bullying will always be an issue, but with further action being taken by the 25 states that do not have cyber bullying laws, cyber bullying can be further prevented in the months or years to come.

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">** List of References: ** <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Bullying Statistics, (2009). //Cyber bullying statistics//. Retrieved January 31, 2011 from <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; url(http: //www.wikispaces.com/i/a.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[]

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Hazelden Foundation, (2011). //State and federal bullying information//. Retrieved January 31, 2011 from <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; url(http: //www.wikispaces.com/i/a.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[]

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> High, B., (2010). Bully Police USA. Retrieved January 31, 2011 from <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; url(http: //www.wikispaces.com/i/a.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[]

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Hinduja, S., Patchin J.W., (2009). //Cyberbully research center//. Retrieved January 31, 2011 from <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; url(http: //www.wikispaces.com/i/a.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[]

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> How To Stop Bullying, (2009). // Cyber Bullying. // Retrieved January 31, 2011 from <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; url(http: //www.wikispaces.com/i/a.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[]

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> i-SAFE America Inc., (n.d.). //Cyber Bullying//. Retrieved January 31, 2011 from <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; url(http: //www.wikispaces.com/i/a.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[]

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> National Crime Prevention Council, (2011). //Cyberbullying//. Retrieved January 31, 2011 from <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; url(http: //www.wikispaces.com/i/a.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[]

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, (2009, Mar. 23). In //What adults can do//. (sect. Cyberbullying). Retrieved January 31, 2011 from <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; url(http: //www.wikispaces.com/i/a.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[]

WiredKids, Inc., (n.d.). //Stop cyberbullying//. Retrieved January 31, 2011 from <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; url(http: //www.wikispaces.com/i/a.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[]

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Note from Dr. Ladores: I thought you might like to take a look at this one, although it's not substantial enough for your report.

http://www.pinkshirtday.ca/2011/01/15/teens-arrested-for-facebook-bullying/

(WOW, HEATHER! I see your assignment 2 is done!)

Heather's notes "58% of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online · 53% of kids admit havin said something mean or hurtful things to another online · 42% of kids have been bullied while online The tradition of home as a refuge from bullies on the school playground is over. Even worse, i-SAFE found out 58 percent of kids have not told their parents or any adult about something mean or hurtful that had happened to them online.

· Tell a trusted adult and keep telling them until they take action. · Do not erase the messages. They may be needed to take action. · If bullied through chat or IM, the bully can often be blocked.

·Cyber Bullying can take many forms. These are a few: · A threatening e-mail · Nasty instant messaging session · Repeated notes sent to the cell phone · A website set up to mock others · “Borrowing” someone’s screen name and pretending to be them while posting a message. · Forwarding supposedly private messages, pictures, or video to others."

sited from: http://www.isafe.org/imgs/pdf/education/CyberBullying.pdf

"Cyberbullying" is when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phone. Adult cyber-harassment or cyberstalking is NEVER called cyberbullying.The kids often change roles, going from victim to bully and back again. Children have killed each other and committed suicide after having been involved in a cyberbullying incident."

sited from: http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/what_is_cyberbullying_exactly.html

"How Are Teens Cyberbullied?
Being a victim of cyberbullying can be a common and painful experience. Some youth who cyberbully Contrary to what cyberbullies may believe, cyberbullying is a big deal, and can cause a variety of reactions in teens. Some teens have reacted in positive ways to try to prevent cyberbullying by Many youth experience a variety of emotions when they are cyberbullied. Youth who are cyberbullied report feeling angry, hurt, embarrassed, or scared. These emotions can cause victims to react in ways such as Some teens feel threatened because they may not know who is cyberbullying them. Although cyberbullies may think they are anonymous, they can be found. If you are cyberbullied or harassed and need help, save all communication with the cyberbully and talk to a parent, teacher, law enforcement officer, or other adult you trust. Teens have figured out ways to prevent cyberbullying. Follow in the footsteps of other quick-thinking teens and You can also help prevent cyberbullying by Don’t forget that even though you can’t see a cyberbully or the bully’s victim, cyberbullying causes real problems. If you wouldn’t say it in person, don’t say it online. Delete cyberbullying. Don’t write it. Don’t forward it." sited from: []
 * Pretend they are other people online to trick others
 * Spread lies and rumors about victims
 * Trick people into revealing personal information
 * Send or forward mean text messages
 * Post pictures of victims without their consent
 * ==How Do Victims React?==
 * Blocking communication with the cyberbully
 * Deleting messages without reading them
 * Talking to a friend about the bullying
 * Reporting the problem to an Internet service provider or website moderator
 * Seeking revenge on the bully
 * Avoiding friends and activities
 * Cyberbullying back
 * ==How Can I Prevent Cyberbullying?==
 * Refuse to pass along cyberbullying messages
 * Tell friends to stop cyberbullying
 * Block communication with cyberbullies
 * Report cyberbullying to a trusted adult
 * Speaking with other students, as well as teachers and school administrators, to develop rules against cyberbullying
 * Raising awareness of the cyberbullying problem in your community by holding an assembly and creating fliers to give to younger kids or parents
 * Sharing NCPC’s anti-cyberbullying message with friends


 * Monique's Notes:**
 * What is cyberbullying, exactly?**

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">"Cyberbullying" is when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones. It has to have a minor on both sides, or at least have been instigated by a minor against another minor. Once adults become involved, it is plain and simple cyber-harassment or cyberstalking. Adult cyber-harassment or cyberstalking is NEVER called cyberbullying.

It isn't when adult are trying to lure children into offline meetings, that is called sexual exploitation or luring by a sexual predator. But sometimes when a minor starts a cyberbullying campaign it involves sexual predators who are intrigued by the sexual harassment or even ads posted by the cyberbullying offering up the victim for sex.

The methods used are limited only by the child's imagination and access to technology. And the cyberbully one moment may become the victim the next. The kids often change roles, going from victim to bully and back again.

Children have killed each other and committed suicide after having been involved in a cyberbullying incident.

Cyberbullying is usually not a one time communication, unless it involves a death threat or a credible threat of serious bodily harm. Kids usually know it when they see it, while parents may be more worried about the lewd language used by the kids than the hurtful effect of rude and embarrassing posts.

Cyberbullying may arise to the level of a misdemeanor cyberharassment charge, or if the child is young enough may result in the charge of juvenile delinquency. Most of the time the cyberbullying does not go that far, although parents often try and pursue criminal charges. It typically can result in a child losing their ISP or IM accounts as a terms of service violation. And in some cases, if hacking or password and identity theft is involved, can be a serious criminal matter under state and federal law.

When schools try and get involved by disciplining the student for cyberbullying actions that took place off-campus and outside of school hours, they are often sued for exceeding their authority and violating the student's free speech right. They also, often lose. Schools can be very effective brokers in working with the parents to stop and remedy cyberbullying situations. They can also educate the students on cyberethics and the law. If schools are creative, they can sometimes avoid the claim that their actions exceeded their legal authority for off-campus cyberbullying actions. We recommend that a provision is added to the school's acceptable use policy reserving the right to discipline the student for actions taken off-campus if they are intended to have an effect on a student or they adversely affect the safety and well-being of student while in school. This makes it a contractual, not a constitutional, issue.

**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 150%;">How cyberbullying works **

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 150%; margin: auto 0in;">There are two kinds of cyberbullying, direct attacks (messages sent to your kids directly) and cyberbullying by proxy (using others to help cyberbully the victim, either with or without the accomplice's knowledge). Because cyberbullying by proxy often gets adults involved in the harassment, it is much more dangerous.

Who knows why kids do anything? When it comes to cyberbullying, they are often motivated by anger, revenge or frustration. Sometimes they do it for entertainment or because they are bored and have too much time on their hands and too many tech toys available to them. Many do it for laughs or to get a reaction. Some do it by accident, and either send a message to the wrong recipient or didn't think before they did something. The Power-hungry do it to torment others and for their ego. Revenge of the Nerd may start out defending themselves from traditional bullying only to find that they enjoy being the tough guy or gal. Mean girls do it to help bolster or remind people of their own social standing. And some think they are righting wrong and standing up for others.
 * Why do kids cyberbully each other?**

Because their motives differ, the solutions and responses to each type of cyberbullying incident has to differ too. Unfortunately, there is no "one size fits all" when cyberbullying is concerned. Only two of the types of cyberbullies have something in common with the traditional schoolyard bully. Experts who understand schoolyard bullying often misunderstand cyberbullying, thinking it is just another method of bullying. But the motives and the nature of cybercommunications, as well as the demographic and profile of a cyberbully differ from their offline counterpart.

**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 150%;">Preventing cyberbullying ** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 150%;">Educating the kids about the consequences (losing their ISP or IM accounts) helps. Teaching them to respect others and to take a stand against bullying of all kinds helps too.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 150%;">**<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">How can you stop it once it starts? ** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 150%;">Because their motives differ, the solutions and responses to each type of cyberbullying incident has to differ too. Unfortunately, there is no "one size fits all" when cyberbullying is concerned. Only two of the types of cyberbullies have something in common with the traditional schoolyard bully. Experts who understand schoolyard bullying often misunderstand cyberbullying, thinking it is just another method of bullying. But the motives and the nature of cybercommunications, as well as the demographic and profile of a cyberbully differ from their offline counterpart.

When schools try and get involved by disciplining the student for cyberbullying actions that took place off-campus and outside of school hours, they are often sued for exceeding their authority and violating the student's free speech right. They also, often lose. Schools can be very effective brokers in working with the parents to stop and remedy cyberbullying situations. They can also educate the students on cyberethics and the law. If schools are creative, they can sometimes avoid the claim that their actions exceeded their legal authority for off-campus cyberbullying actions. We recommend that a provision is added to the school's acceptable use policy reserving the right to discipline the student for actions taken off-campus if they are intended to have an effect on a student or they adversely affect the safety and well-being of student while in school. This makes it a contractual, not a constitutional, issue. Parents need to be the one trusted place kids can go when things go wrong online and offline. Yet they often are the one place kids avoid when things go wrong online. Why? Parents tend to overreact. Most children will avoid telling their parents about a cyberbullying incident fearing they will only make things worse. (Calling the other parents, the school, blaming the victim or taking away Internet privileges.)Unfortunately, they also sometimes under react, and rarely get it "just right."(You can read more about this in "Not Too Hot, Not Too Cold! Goldilocks and the CyberParents")
 * What is the school's role in this?**
 * What's the Parents' Role in This?**

Parents need to be supportive of your child during this time. You may be tempted to give the "stick and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you" lecture, but words and cyberattacks can wound a child easily and have a lasting effect. These attacks follow them into your otherwise safe home and wherever they go online. And when up to 700 million accomplices can be recruited to help target or humiliate your child, the risk of emotional pain is very real, and very serious. Don't brush it off.

Let the school know so the guidance counselor can keep an eye out for in-school bullying and for how your child is handling things. You may want to notify your pediatrician, family counselor or clergy for support if things progress. It is crucial that you are there to provide the necessary support and love. Make them feel secure. Children have committed suicide after having been cyberbullied, and in Japan one young girl killed another after a cyberbullying incident. Take it seriously.

Parents also need to understand that a child is just as likely to be a cyberbully as a victim of cyberbullying and often go back and forth between the two roles during one incident. They may not even realize that they are seen as a cyberbully. (You can learn more about this under the "Inadvertent Cyberbully" profile of a cyberbully.)

We have a quick guide to what to do if your child is being cyberbullied: Your actions have to escalate as the threat and hurt to your child does. But there are two things you must consider before anything else. Is your child at risk of physical harm or assault? And how are they handling the attacks emotionally?

If there is any indication that personal contact information has been posted online, or any threats are made to your child, you must run.do not walk, to your local law enforcement agency (not the FBI). Take a print-out of all instances of cyberbullying to show them, but note that a print-out is not sufficient to prove a case of cyber-harassment or cyberbullying. You'll need electronic evidence and live data for that. (You may want to answer the questions on our checklist for helping spot the difference between annoying communications and potentially dangerous ones. But remember, if in doubt, report it.)

Let the law enforcement agency know that the trained cyber-harassment volunteers at WiredSafety.org will work with them (without charge) to help them find the cyberbully offline and to evaluate the case. It is crucial that all electronic evidence is preserved to allow the person to be traced and to take whatever action needs to be taken. The electronic evidence is at risk for being deleted by the Internet service providers unless you reach out and notify them that you need those records preserved. The police or volunteers at WiredSafety.org can advise you how to do that quickly. Using a monitoring product, like Spectorsoft, collects all electronic data necessary to report, investigate and prosecute your case (if necessary). While hopefully you will never need it, the evidence is automatically saved by the software in a form useable by law enforcement when you need it without you having to learn to log or copy header and IP information.

It’s not always easy to tell these apart, except for serious cases of cyberstalking, when you “know it when you see it.” And the only difference between “cyberbullying” and cyber-harassment is the age of both the victim and the perpetrator. They both have to be under-age.
 * Telling the difference between flaming, cyber-bullying and harassment and cyberstalking (A guide for law enforcement)**

When you get a call, your first response people must be able to quickly determine if you need to get involved or whether it may not be a matter for law enforcement. It might help to start by running through this checklist. If the communication is only a flame, you may not be able to do much about it. (Sometimes ISPs will consider this a terms of service violation.) But the closer it comes to real life threats the more likely you have to get involved as law enforcement. We recommend that law enforcement agents ask parents the following questions. Their answers will help guide you when to get involved and when to recommend another course of action.


 * The kind of threat:**
 * 1) The communication uses lewd language
 * 2) The communication insults your child directly (“You are stupid!”)
 * 3) The communication threatens your child vaguely (“I’m going to get you!”)
 * 4) The communication threatens your child with bodily harm. (“I’m going to beat you up!”)
 * 5) There is a general serious threat. (“There is a bomb in the school!” or “Don’t take the school bus today!”)
 * 6) The communication threatens your child with serious bodily harm or death (“I am going to break your legs!” or “I am going to kill you!”)
 * The frequency of the threats:**
 * 1) It is a one-time communication
 * 2) The communication is repeated in the same or different ways
 * 3) The communications are increasing
 * 4) Third-parties are joining in and communications are now being received from (what
 * 5) appears to be) additional people
 * The source of the threats:**
 * 1) Your child knows who is doing this
 * 2) Your child thinks they know who is doing this
 * 3) Your child has no idea who is doing this
 * 4) The messages appear to be from several different people
 * The nature of the threats:**
 * 1) Repeated e-mails or IMs
 * 2) Following the child around online, into chat rooms, favorite Web sites, etc.
 * 3) Building fake profiles, Web sites or posing as your child’s e-mail or IM
 * 4) Planting statements to provoke third-party stalking and harassment
 * 5) Signing your child up for porn sites and e-mailing lists and junk e-mail and IM.
 * 6) Breaking in to their accounts online
 * 7) Stealing or otherwise accessing their passwords
 * 8) Posting images of the child online (taken from any source, including video and photo phones)
 * 9) Posting real or doctored sexual images of the child online
 * 10) Sharing personal information about the child
 * 11) Sharing intimate information about the child (sexual, special problems, etc.)
 * 12) Sharing contact information about the child coupled with a sexual solicitation (“for a good time call …” or “I am interested in [fill in the blank] sex…”)
 * 13) Reporting the child for real or provoked terms of service violations (“notify wars” or “warning wars”)
 * 14) Encouraging that others share their top ten “hit lists,” or ugly lists, or slut lists online and including your child on that list.
 * 15) Posting and encouraging others to post nasty comments on your child’s blog.
 * 16) Hacking your child’s computer and sending your child malicious codes.
 * 17) Sending threats to others (like the president of the United States) or attacking others while posing as your child.
 * 18) Copying others on your child’s private e-mail and IM communications.
 * 19) Posting bad reviews or feedback on your child without cause.
 * 20) Registering your child’s name and setting up a bash Web site or profile.
 * 21) Posting rude or provocative comments while posing as your child (such as insulting racial minorities at a Web site devoted to that racial minority).
 * 22) Sending spam or malware to others while posing as your child.
 * 23) Breaking the rules of a Web site or service while posing as your child.
 * 24) Setting up a vote for site (like “hot or not?”) designed to embarrass or humiliate your child.
 * 25) Masquerading as your child for any purpose.
 * 26) Posting your child’s text-messaging address or cell phone number online to encourage abuse and increase your child’s text-messaging or cell phone charges.
 * 27) Launching a denial of service attack on your child’s Web site
 * 28) Sending “jokes” about your child to others or mailing lists.

The more repeated the communications are, the greater the threats (or enlarging this to include third-parties) and the more dangerous the methods, the more likely law enforcement or legal process needs to be used. If personal contact information is being shared online, this must be treated very seriously.

If the child thinks they know who is doing this, that may either make this more serious, or less. But once third-parties are involved (hate groups, sexually-deviant groups, etc.) it makes no difference if the person who started this is a young seven year old doing it for a laugh. It escalates quickly and can be dangerous.

It’s best to work out relationships with the big ISPs in your area well before you need them. Find their offline contact information, including off hours. Learn how to track an IP address and preserve evidence. And make sure that you issue your subpoenas in the form they need, using your time zone for tracking the dynamic IP addresses of record. Many ISPs discard the subscriber/IP data after a week to thirty day period. So time is crucial. If you need to get your paperwork together, send them a quick note asking them to preserve the records pending your formal subpoena. They will usually do this on a less formal request on law enforcement letterhead.

Sited From: []


 * Cyber bullying can take many forms:**
 * Sending mean messages or threats to a person's email account or cell phone
 * Spreading rumors online or through texts
 * Posting hurtful or threatening messages on social networking sites or web pages
 * Stealing a person's account information to break into their account and send damaging messages
 * Pretending to be someone else online to hurt another person
 * Taking unflattering pictures of a person and spreading them through cell phones or the Internet
 * Sexting, or circulating sexually suggestive pictures or messages about a person

Cyber bullying can be very damaging to adolescents and teens. It can lead to anxiety, depression, and even suicide. Also, once things are circulated on the Internet, they may never disappear, resurfacing at later times to renew the pain of cyber bullying.

Many cyber bullies think that bullying others online is funny. Cyber bullies may not realize the consequences for themselves of cyber bullying. The things teens post online now may reflect badly on them later when they apply for college or a job. Cyber bullies can lose their cell phone or online accounts for cyber bullying. Also, cyber bullies and their parents may face legal charges for cyber bullying, and if the cyber bullying was sexual in nature or involved sexting, the results can include being registered as a sex offender. Teens may think that if they use a fake name they won't get caught, but there are many ways to track some one who is cyber bullying.
 * Despite the potential damage of cyber bullying, it is alarmingly common among adolescents and teens. According to statistics from the i-SAFE foundation**:
 * Over half of adolescents and teens have been bullied online, and about the same number have engaged in cyber bullying.
 * More than 1 in 3 young people have been threatened online.
 * Over 25 percent of adolescents and teens have been bullied repeatedly through their cell phones or the Internet.
 * Well over half of young people do not tell their parents when cyber bullying occurs.
 * The Harford County Examiner reported similarly concerning statistics on cyber bullying:**
 * Around half of teens have been the victims of cyber bullying
 * Only 1 in 10 teens tells a parent if they have been a cyber bully victim
 * Fewer than 1 in 5 cyber bullying incidents are reported to law enforcement
 * 1 in 10 adolescents or teens have had embarrassing or damaging pictures taken of themselves without their permission, often using cell phone cameras
 * About 1 in 5 teens have posted or sent sexually suggestive or nude pictures of themselves to others
 * Girls are somewhat more likely than boys to be involved in cyber bullying
 * The Cyberbullying Research Center also did a series of surveys that found that:**
 * Over 80 percent of teens use a cell phone regularly, making it the most popular form of technology and a common medium for cyber bullying
 * About half of young people have experienced some form of cyber bullying, and 10 to 20 percent experience it regularly
 * Mean, hurtful comments and spreading rumors are the most common type of cyber bullying
 * Girls are at least as likely as boys to be cyber bullies or their victims
 * Boys are more likely to be threatened by cyber bullies than girls
 * Cyber bullying affects all races
 * Cyber bullying victims are more likely to have low self esteem and to consider suicide
 * Parents and teens can do some things that help reduce the occurrence of cyber bullying:**
 * Talks to teens about cyber bullying, explaining that it is wrong and can have serious consequences. Make a rule that teens may not send mean or damaging messages, even if someone else started it, or suggestive pictures or messages or they will lose their cell phone and computer privileges for a time.
 * Encourage teens to tell an adult if cyber bullying is occurring. Tell them if they are the victims they will not be punished, and reassure them that being bullied is not their fault.
 * Teens should keep cyber bullying messages as proof that the cyber bullying is occurring. The teens' parents may want to talk to the parents of the cyber bully, to the bully's Internet or cell phone provider, and/or to the police about the messages, especially if they are threatening or sexual in nature.
 * Try blocking the person sending the messages. It may be necessary to get a new phone number or email address and to be more cautious about giving out the new number or address.
 * Teens should never tell their password to anyone except a parent, and should not write it down in a place where it could be found by others.
 * Teens should not share anything through text or instant messaging on their cell phone or the Internet that they would not want to be made public - remind teens that the person they are talking to in messages or online may not be who they think they are, and that things posted electronically may not be secure.
 * Encourage teens never to share personal information online or to meet someone they only know online.
 * Keep the computer in a shared space like the family room, and do not allow teens to have Internet access in their own rooms.
 * Encourage teens to have times when they turn off the technology, such as at family meals or after a certain time at night.
 * Parents may want to wait until high school to allow their teens to have their own email and cell phone accounts, and even then parents should still have access to the accounts.

If teens have been the victims or perpetuators of cyber bullying they may need to talk to a counselor or therapist to overcome depression or other harmful effects of cyber bullying.

Sited From: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[]

**Some Cyber Bullying Statistics :** > //Based on 2004 i-SAFE survey of 1,500 students grades 4-8//
 * 42% of kids have been bullied while online. 1 in 4 have had it happen more than once.
 * 35% of kids have been threatened online. Nearly 1 in 5 have had it happen more than once.
 * 21% of kids have received mean or threatening e-mail or other messages.
 * 58% of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online. More than 4 out of 10 say it has happened more than once.
 * 53% of kids admit having said something mean or hurtful to another person online. More than 1 in 3 have done it more than once.
 * 58% have not told their parents or an adult about something mean or hurtful that happened to them online.

Cyberbullying is the term used for the new, and growing, practice of using technology (internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones) to harass, or bully, someone else. Bullies used to be restricted to methods such as physical intimidation, postal mail, or the telephone. Now, developments in electronic media offer forums such as email, instant messaging, web pages, and digital photos to add to the arsenal. Computers, cell phones, and PDAs are new tools that can be applied to an old practice.

Forms of cyberbullying can range in severity from cruel or embarrassing rumors to threats, harassment, or stalking. It can affect any age group; however, teenagers and young adults are common victims, and cyberbullying is a growing problem in schools. Many cases of Cyber Bullying have lead to youth suicide.

There are two kinds of cyberbullying, direct attacks (messages sent to your kids directly) and cyberbullying by proxy (using others to help cyberbully the victim, either with or without the accomplice's knowledge). Because cyberbullying by proxy often gets adults involved in the harassment, it is much more dangerous. **Direct Attacks**
 * 1) Instant Messaging/Text Messaging Harassment
 * 2) Stealing Passwords
 * 3) Blogs
 * 4) Web Sites
 * 5) Sending Pictures through E-mail and Cell Phones
 * 6) Internet Polling
 * 7) Interactive Gaming
 * 8) Sending Malicious Code
 * 9) Sending Porn and Other Junk E-Mail and IMs
 * 10) Impersonation

**Cyberbullying by proxy**

Cyberbullying by proxy is when a cyberbully gets someone else to do their dirty work. Most of the time they are unwitting accomplices and don't know that they are being used by the cyberbully. Cyberbullying by proxy is the most dangerous kind of cyberbullying because it often gets adults involve in the harassment and people who don't know they are.

The most typical way a cyberbullying by proxy attack occurs is when the cyberbully gets control of the victim's account and sends out hateful or rude messages to everyone on their buddy list pretending to be the victim. They may also change the victim's password so they can't get into their own account. The victim's friends get angry with the victim, thinking they had sent the messages without knowing they have been used by the cyberbully. But it's not always this minor. Sometimes the cyberbully tries to get more people involved.

Sometimes it is much more serious than that. When cyberbullies want to get others to do their dirty work quickly, they often post information about, or pose as, their victim in hate group chat rooms and on their discussion boards. Cyberbullies have even posted this information in child molester chat rooms and discussion boards, advertising their victim for sex. They then sit back and wait for the members of that hate group or child molester group to attack or contact the victim online and, sometimes, offline.

Cyberbullying is extremely attractive to bullies because of the reltive anonymity it gives the perpetrator. It visibility and increased intimidation along with difficulty to trace make it an ideal forum to bully.

Sited From: []

Jennifer's Notes:

**How Does Cyberbullying Affect Children?**
Little research has explored the possible effects of cyberbullying on children. When students are asked how they believe cyberbullying affected them, they indicate that it made them sad and unwilling to attend school (Raskauskas & Stoltz, 2007). A survey of middle and high school students found that children who were cyber "bully/victims" (had cyberbullied others and also had been cyberbullied) had the highest rates of anxiety, depression and school absences compared to cyber "bullies", cyber "victims" and children who weren't involved in cyberbullying. By contrast, children not at all involved in cyberbullying had the highest self-esteem and grades and the fewest symptoms of health problems (Kowalski & Limber, under review).

How Does Cyberbullying Differ From Other Traditional Forms of Bullying?
Research and experience suggest that cyberbullying may differ from more "traditional" forms of bullying in a number of ways (Kowalski et al., 2008; Slonje & Smith, 2008;, 2005), including:


 * Children and youth can be anonymous when cyberbullying, which makes it difficult (and sometimes impossible) to trace.
 * Cyber messages and images can be distributed quickly to a very wide audience.
 * Cyberbullying can occur any time of the day or night.

Cited from: [] Preventing Cyberbullying: Top 10 Tips for Educators:

1. Formally assess the extent and scope of the problem within your school district by collecting survey and/or interview data from your students. Once you have a baseline measure of what is going on in your school, specific strategies can be  implemented to educate students and staff about online safety and Internet use in creative and powerful ways.

2. Teach students that ** all forms of bullying are **

unacceptable , and that cyberbullying behaviors are potentially subject to discipline. Have a conversation with students about what “substantial disruption” means. They need to know that even a behavior that occurs miles away from the school could be subject to school sanction if it substantially disrupts the school environment.

3. Specify clear rules regarding the use of the Internet, computers, and other electronic devices. Acceptable Use Policies tend to be commonplace in school districts, but these must be updated to cover

online harassment. in school computer labs, hallways, and classrooms to remind students to responsibly use technology.
 * Post signs or posters **

4. Use peer mentoring – where older students informally teach lessons and share learning experiences with younger students – to promote positive online interactions.

5. Consult with your school attorney BEFORE incidents occur to find out what actions you can or must take in varying situations.

6. Create a comprehensive formal contract

specific to cyberbullying in the school's policy manual, or introduce clauses within the formal “honor code” which identify cyberbullying as an example of inappropriate behavior.

7. Implement blocking/filtering software on your computer network to prevent access to certain Web sites and software. Just remember that a techsavvy student can often find ways around these programs.

8. Cultivate a positive school climate , as research has shown a link between a perceived "negative" environment on campus and an increased prevalence of cyberbullying offending and victimization among students. In general, it is crucial to establish and maintain a school climate of respect and integrity where violations result in informal or formal sanction.

9. Educate your community. Utilize speciallycreated cyberbullying curricula, or general information sessions such as assemblies and in‐class discussions to raise awareness among youth. Invite specialists to come talk to staff and students. Send information out to parents. Sponsor a community education event. Invite parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and any other relevant adult. Bribe if necessary.

10. Designate a "Cyberbullying Expert" at your school who is responsible for educating him/herself about the issues and then passing on important points to other youth‐serving adults on campus.

Cited from: []

State Bullying Laws:

__ .. __ || ** __[|AK]__ (A)** || **[|AL] (B+)** || ** __[|AR]__ (A-)** || ** __[|AZ]__ (B-)** || ** __[|CA]__ (B)** || ** __[|CO]__ (B)** || ** __[|CT]__ (B-)** || ** __[|DE]__ (A++)** || ** __[|FL]__ (A++)** || ** __[|GA]__ (A++)** ||
 * ** 45 States HAVE anti bullying laws  **
 * 5 States have NO anti bullying laws ** . ||
 * __ The GRADES __
 * **HI (F)** || ** __[|IA]__ (A-)** || ** __[|ID]__ (A-)** || ** __[|IL]__ (A-)** || ** __[|IN]__ (B+)** || ** __[|KS]__ (B)** || ** __[|KY]__ (A++)** || ** __[|LA]__ (C)** || **[|MA] (A++)** || ** __[|MD]__ (A++)** ||
 * ** __[|ME]__ (A-)** || **MI __[|(F)]__ ** || ** __[|MN]__ (C-)** || **[|MO] (A-)** || ** __[|MS]__ (C)** || **MT __[|(F)]__ ** || ** __[|NC]__ (B+)** || **ND (F)** || ** __[|NE]__ (C+)** || ** __[|NH]__ (A++)** ||
 * ** __[|NJ]__ (A++)** || ** __[|NM]__ (B+)** || ** __[|NV]__ (B+)** || **[|NY] (B+)** || ** __[|OH]__ (A)** || ** __[|OK]__ (A)** || ** __[|OR]__ (A+)** || ** __[|PA]__ (B+)** || ** __[|RI]__ (A + )** || ** __[|SC]__ (A-)** ||
 * **SD (F)** || ** __[|TN]__ (A-)** || ** __[|TX]__ (C-)** || ** __[|UT]__ (A-)** || ** __[|VA]__ (A++)** || ** __[|VT]__ (A-)** || ** __[|WA]__ (A+)** || **[|WI](B+)** || ** __[|WV]__ (A+)** || ** __[|WY]__ (A++ ) ** ||  ||

.. . . . . . . . . . . // Note - Some states have updated and improved their anti bullying laws. // // This is the initial passage date. The states in red have perfect ** A++ ** ratings. //
 * Anti Bullying Law Passage Calendar**
 * ** 1999 **
 * GA ** || ** 2000 **
 * NH ** || ** 2001 **
 * CO**
 * LA**
 * MS**
 * OR**
 * WV** || ** 2002 **
 * CT**
 * NJ **
 * OK**
 * WA** || ** 2003 **
 * AR**
 * CA**
 * RI** || ** 2004 **
 * VT** ||
 * ** 2005 **.
 * AZ**
 * IN**
 * MD **
 * VA **
 * TX**
 * TN**
 * ME**
 * NV** || ** 2006 **
 * ID**
 * SC**
 * AK**
 * NM** || ** 2007 **.
 * DE **
 * IA**
 * IL**
 * KS**
 * MN**
 * OH****PA** || ** 2008 **
 * NE**
 * KY **
 * UT**
 * FL ** || ** 2009 **
 * NC**
 * WY **
 * AL ** || ** 2010 **
 * MA **
 * WI **
 * NY **
 * MO** ||

Cited from: []

Citations in APA: