Dangers of Cyberbullying

What is Cyberbullying

• On the Internet
• Cyberbullying takes various forms
• Cyberbullying includes...

What is Cyberbullying Cont.

• 42% of children are cyber bullied, and 58% of children do not tell their parents when they are cyber bullied.
• Vicious, embarrassing, and hurtful messages from an anonymous attacker can be incredibly damaging to children.

What is Cyberbullying Cont.

• Extreme cases can lead to murder or suicide.
• Despite the prevalence and seriousness of this danger, many parents are unaware of the situation until the problem has spiraled out of control.

Cyberbulling includes...

• Sending hateful messages or even death threats to children
• Spreading lies about them online
• Making nasty comments on their social networking profiles
• Creating a website to bash their looks or reputation.

Cyberbullying vs. Schoolyard Bullying

• Cyberbullying differs from schoolyard bullying
• Teachers can't intervene on the Internet.
• "When it happens online, there's no one to filter it," she says. And cyberbullies don't witness their victims' reactions, the way they might if they insulted others to their faces. "They don't see you crying," - Handy

What do Cyberbullies do?

• Some cyberbullies pose as their victims and send out harassing messages to others.
• "Recently, cyberbullies have also begun posting humiliating videos of other kids they dislike" - Parry Aftab
• Parry Aftab is a cyberspace security and privacy lawyer who also serves as executive director of WiredSafety.org, one of the largest Internet safety education groups in the world.

With Action Alert monitoring and real time alerts, parents are aware of cyber bullying as soon as it starts.

Solutions

• Parents can help guide their children through the situation
• Ensure the bullying does not lead to depression, retaliation, or more adverse effects.

Solutions Cont.

• Additionally, if the situation is dire enough to warrant police involvement (in cases of threats, extortion, continued harassment, or if an adult joins in on the bullying, which is legally cyber harassment)
• the video records kept by Action Alert serve as reliable evidence to end the cyber bullying, and ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.

Sources

• 4 dangers of the Internet. (2007, June 1). Retrieved November 29, 2016, from WebMD, http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/4-dangers-internet#1
• Inc, K. Internet dangers. Retrieved November 29, 2016, from http://www.myactionalert.com/dangers.aspx