Cyber-Bullying – Parents, Children, Social Networks, Technology Vendors – Everyone Has a Role to Play
A new article “Bullies in Cyberspace” http://www.sheknows.com/articles/5846.htm by internationally renowned educational consultant, Michele Borba, EdD, adds to the growing number of voices calling for action on Cyber-Bullying.
According to a study by the Pew Internet Project – released last year, some 39% of social networking users have reported being bullied in one way or another, as opposed to just 22% of teens who do not use such social networks.
Dr. Borba’s focus is on steps that parents can take to both protect and educate their children about the dangers and damage possible from cyber-bullying and the basic lesson that cyber-bullying is hurtful and unacceptable.
“Mom and Dad, wake up: If you assume your child is using that fancy home computer to stimulate his brain, think again. The hottest new trend has kids using these keyboards to send vile, hateful and highly slanderous messages about their peers through the Internet. Once confined to playgrounds, bullying has hit cyberspace, cell phones and pagers, and it’s both serious and sophisticated…”
“Parents today need a closer “electronic leash” on their kids and need to be more tuned into the cyberspace trend. This isn’t about being controlling – this is good parenting.”
At CyberPatrol we believe there are three steps to keeping children safe from cyber-bullying: Education, government policies, and technology.
Children and parents have to be aware of what constitutes cyber-bullying, and what the ramifications can be. Sending mean or threatening e-mails or tricking someone into revealing personal or embarrassing information and sending it to others are just two examples. The fact that the person doing the bullying can remain anonymous if they choose and that they can use technology such as social networks or IM to spread their hurtful handiwork far and wide, is what makes bullying in cyberspace especially dangerous and long-lasting.
Government bodies, including increasing numbers of schools and school systems also have a positive role to play in limiting cyber-bullying. Many are actively creating policies to deal with cyber-bullying.
Finally, technology companies, both those like CyberPatrol http://www.cyberpatrol.com/family.asp that develop online safety software, and social networking companies like MySpace and FaceBook have a role in controlling Cyber-Bullying.
Today’s online safety software (often referred to as internet parental controls software) not only blocks unacceptable or even dangerous web sites. It can also block words or phrases commonly associated with cyber-bullying.
How parents and children choose to use such software is of course a personal family decision, and as children mature and gain experience, as in the real world, they gain or are granted more freedom online. Participating in a social network is almost inevitably part of that process.
Internationally recognized Internet safety expert, educator and author, Linda Criddle of LookBothWays http://look-both-ways.com/ (and spokesperson for CyberPatrol internet safety videos http://www.cyberpatrol.com/safetyseries.asp ) commented on the responsibility of social networks in the in the current tragic case concerning MySpace and a teen girl’s suicide. Missouri teen Megan Meier, a 13 year old, committed suicide following “cyber-bullying” by a class-mate’s mother – 49 year old Lori Drew. Drew is charged with setting up a MySpace account with a false identity – a young man called Josh Evans, who befriended and then ultimately turned against the teenager girl (diagnosed with depression), using the MySpace account.
http://www.efluxmedia.com/news_MySpace_Verdict_And_Social_Networks_Responsibility_30292.html.
Regardless of whether the final verdict is cyber-bullying or computer fraud and whether Drew serves jail time and must pay a substantial fine, the tragic case demonstrates the danger the Internet can present when people can hide behind fake names and personas to anonymously inflict pain and damage to others.
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Update: Administrators and parents can now use the free Threat Detector service to discover which risky places employees, students, patrons or children have been visiting.
