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Cyberbullying | Facts & Figures | For Parents and Educators | Resources

What can adults do about cyberbullying?
Suggestions for parents.
What if your child has been a victim?
What can educators do to help their students fight cyberbullying?
When should a school contact, or assist a parent in contacting, law enforcement officials?
Are there educational programs that can be introduced in our schools?

What can adults do about cyberbullying?
Education, awareness and communication are essential. Parents and teachers need to understand the problem and the technology involved and maintain an open line of communication with children. Parents have to actively engage their children in dialog about bullying and make them feel comfortable about discussing it.

It all starts with paying close attention to children’s use of the Internet and cell phones without making them feel embarrassed or overtly supervised.

Suggestions for parents
Keep your home computer in plain view — in the family room or kitchen, for example.

• Talk regularly with your children about their online activities.
• Talk specifically about cyberbullying and encourage your children to tell you immediately when they are victims of illegal or troublesome behavior.
• Encourage your children to tell you if they are aware of others who may be the victims of such behavior.
• Explain that cyberbullying is harmful, unacceptable behavior. Outline your expectations for responsible online behavior and make it clear there will be consequences for inappropriate behavior.
• Adults must respect the privacy of children and youth, but safety concerns will at times have to override privacy issues. Tell your children you may review their online communications when you think it is necessary to do so.
• Consider installing parental control software and tracking programs, but don’t rely solely on these tools.

What if your child has been a victim?
There are many forms of cyberbullying—rude comments, mockery, taunts, threats. Your response may vary according to the nature and severity of the cyberbullying. Here are some actions you may want to take:

• Strongly encourage your child not to respond to the cyberbullying.
• Save the messages and pictures as evidence.
• Try to identify the cyberbully. Even if the bully is using a fake name or someone else’s identity, there may be a way to track your child’s tormentor through your Internet service provider. If the bullying is criminal, or if you suspect it may be, contact the police and ask them to do the tracking.
• The use of inappropriate language may violate the terms and conditions of contracts with cell phone companies, e-mail services, Internet service providers or websites. Consider contacting these companies and filing a complaint.
• If the cyberbullying is done via e-mail or cell phone from a particular account, it may be possible to block future messages from that account. The bully may assume a different identity, however, and continue the bullying using a different account.
• Contact your school if the cyberbullying is occurring through your school district’s Internet system. School administrators have an obligation to intervene in such cases, even if the bullying is occurring off school grounds. Make your school administrators aware of the problem. They may be able to help resolve the problem and watch out for face-to-face bullying.
• Consider contacting the cyberbully’s parents, as they may be upset by their child’s behavior and put a stop to it. Proceed cautiously, however, as they may react badly. If you decide to contact a cyberbully’s parents, communicate with them in writing—not face-to-face. Present proof of the bullying, such as copies of an e-mail message and ask them to ensure the bullying stops.
• Consider contacting an attorney in cases of severe cyberbullying. In some circumstances, civil law permits victims to sue bullies and their parents in order to recover damages.
• Contact the police if cyberbullying involves acts such as:
  o Threats of violence
  o Extortion
  o Obscene or harassing phone calls or text messages
  o Harassment, stalking, or hate crimes
  o Child pornography

If you are uncertain if the cyberbullying is criminal, contact the police for guidance.

What can educators to help their students fight Cyberbullying?
Educators can play a vital role in fighting this growing social menace. Children spend a great deal of time at school and teachers see them interacting with other children in ways parents cannot, providing a unique perspective on a child’s social life. Here are a few tips for teachers to proactively help protect students against cyberbullies:

• Educate students and other school staff about cyberbullying, its dangers and what to do if someone is bullied.
• Be sure that your school’s anti-bullying rules and policies address cyberbullying.
• Closely monitor students’ use of computers at school.
• Use filtering and tracking software on all computers, but don’t rely solely on this software to screen cyberbullying and other problematic online behavior.
• Investigate reports of cyberbullying immediately. If cyberbullying occurs through the school district’s Internet system, you are obligated to take action.
  
  If the cyberbullying occurs off school grounds, consider these steps to help address the problem:
  o Notify the parents of victims and aggressors of confirmed and suspected incidents of bullying.
  o Notify the police if the known or suspected cyberbullying involves a threat.
  o Closely monitor the behavior at school of the affected students for signs of potential bullying.
  o Speak to students about the harm caused by cyberbullying. Remember: Cyberbullying that occurs away from school can affect how students behave and relate to each other at school.
  o Investigate to see if the victim(s) of cyberbullying could use support from a school counselor or school-based mental health professional.

When should a school contact, or assist a parent in contacting, law enforcement officials?
According to Dr. Kimberly Mason, Ph.D., NCC Cleveland State University, extremely harmful online speech can violate criminal laws. The following behaviors can lead to arrest and prosecution:

• Threats of violence to people or their property.
• Coercion—trying to force someone to do something he or she doesn’t want to do.
• Obscene or harassing telephone calls, text messages or e-mails.
• Harassment or stalking. Hate or bias crimes.
• Sexually explicit images of teens (child pornography).
• Sexual exploitation.
• Taking a photo of someone in a place where privacy is expected, such as a locker room.

Are there educational programs that can be introduced in our schools?
The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program is a comprehensive, school-wide program designed for use in elementary, middle or junior high schools. The program has been found to reduce bullying among children, improve the social climate of classrooms and reduce related antisocial behaviors, such as vandalism and truancy. The Olweus Program has been employed in more than a dozen countries around the world.

For more information, see the factsheet on Olweaus program.

 

Cyberbullying | Facts & Figures | For Parents and Educators | Resources