Bullies: Be Warned.
It’s against the law. Find positive ways to channel your emotion: Journal. Turn off your computer/phone. Call a friend for support and talk it out.
Victims: Be Empowered.
Take Action. Save the evidence. Block the bully online. Tell an adult. If you’re threatened, notify the police.
Bystanders: Be A Hero.
Stand up to a bully. Be a friend to the victim. Take screenshots of the abuse. Report it. Don’t pass it on.
I had the privilege of addressing middle school and high school students this on the topic of cyberbullying, sexting and protecting themselves online. Congratulations to Zeta Phi Beta Sorority – Epsilon Epsilon Zeta Chapter and thanks for the hard work you put into your Zensational Youth Conference, Empowering Youth To Achieve Great Potential.
One of the things I learned in preparation for the event was the difference between:
Cyberbullying – involves the use of information and communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior by an individual or group, that is intended to harm others.” Refers to intentional and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices. (minors bullying minors).
Cyberstalking – is the use of the Internet or other electronic means to stalk or harass an individual, a group of individuals, or an organization. It may include false accusations, monitoring, making threats, identity theft, damage to data or equipment, the solicitation of minors for sex, or gathering information in order to harass. (adults involved)
Cyber-harassing – pertains to threatening or harassing email messages, instant messages, or to blog entries or websites dedicated solely to tormenting an individual (adults involved)
I knew I could give them head knowledge about the laws and make sure that when they left that day, they would know exactly what was considered cyberbullying, sexting and sharing too much information online. I also knew that I wanted to talk to their hearts. Sadly the statistics and real life stories of teens who took their own lives after being subjected to cyberbullying weren’t hard to find.
In preparation for my presentation, I found many resources that I know will be helpful to students, educators and parents alike. They can be found by following this Cyberbullying Resource link.
