According to StopCyberbullying.org, 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." The organization notes that there has to be involvement of a minor on both sides, or at least have been instigated by a minor against another minor. When adults are involved, then it can become simple cyber-harassment or cyberstalking. Just as in real life, face-to-face bullying occurs over a period of time.

To realize just how damaging cyberbullying can be, the case of 13-year-old victim Megan Meier stands as an example. Details.

Statistics

• 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.

Based on 2004 i-SAFE survey of 1,500 students grades 4-8

• The primary cyberbullying location where victimizing occurs is in chat rooms (56 percent). 49 percent are victimized via instant messages and 28 percent via email.
• 41 percent of victims do not tell anyone in their off-screen lives about their abuse, but 38 percent did tell an online friend.
• The situation only improved for 19 percent of victims when they did tell someone about the bullying.
• More than half of study participants feel that cyberbullying is as bad, or worse, as bullying in real life.

Adapted from youth research compiled at CyberBullying.us.

Resources

For videos that illustrate experiences of teens being harassed online, go to the NetSmartz.org website. (Note: These videos are geared toward the middle school age group.)

Stopcyberbullying.org gives you the escalating levels of response to cyberbullying.

An Educator's Guide to Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats

A cautionary article on teen "sexting" ("A Girl's Nude Photo, and Altered Lives, by Jan Hoffman, New York Times, March 26, 2011)

Definitions of terms related to social media can be found by clicking on the following link

 

 

ikeepsafe.org Parent Resource Center

NetSmartz Site affiliated with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

http://www.commonsensemedia.org (This is a very good resource!)

www.onguardonline.gov OnGuard Online.org

https://www.fcc.gov/general/parents Get information about how to improve your children's safety in today's complex media landscape, and what the FCC is doing to help.

www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/ Click to watch the complete Frontline video and discover how radically the Internet is transforming childhood. (Note: This is more appropriate for parents of middle school-age children than elementary.)

CyberSmart! This is an online resource for teachers with helpful information in the "Home Connection" area for each topic--Safety & Security, Cyberbullying, etc.

Onguardonline.gov offers an excellent overview of many topics associated with social networking in an online publication for parents called Net Cetera: Chatting With Kids About Being Online

Federal and District Policies:

Article on the importance of Internet Safety education and proposed legislation | Track the progress of the SAFE Internet Act

Simsbury Public Schools Board Policies

Computer operating systems come with controls so that parents can block websites or track history of use:

• Set up controls on a Windows 10 computer
• Set up controls on an Apple device

For parents who want to know if their child is being bullied online, there is monitoring software available. A comparison of the available monitoring software is offered on the PC Magazine website. Top Ten Reviews also reviews monitoring software.

What Should You Know?

Forums for online communications have grown and changed so quickly, and so have safety concerns. There is a lot that a parent has to think about when considering online safety: how a child's postings on the Internet today will affect his or her future tomorrow; how a child can be accidentally exposed to hate speech; how too much time spent online compromises the development of "real" social skills; and more. Here are some facts and accompanying resources to increase your awareness:

• ANY page from ANY time can be viewed, even if your child thinks they have deleted it. (Yes, this means college admissions personnel can dig up compromising photos or find unflattering material written by or about a prospective candidate--and they are looking!) The proof can be found at http://www.archive.org/web/web.php.
• Youth online can be exposed to solicitation, inappropriate material, and harassment. NetSmartzKids provides videos on proper online use at http://www.netsmartz.org/NetSmartzKids (resource no longer available)
• CommonSense Media provides a number of articles that are useful to parents looking for the latest research around online use by children.

What Parents Can Do

It is important to know what you're dealing with when it comes to the technology that your child is using. A great way to understand his or her digital world and open the lines of communication with your child is to sit down and have him or her teach you. Ask lots of questions about phone apps they may use or online gaming sites even if you think your question makes you sound ignorant. Your child will likely enjoy his or her role as the "expert" and you'll probably learn a lot! You can also use this opportunity to ask specific questions about your child's phone or computer usage, particularly who their "friends" or contacts might be (and if they can't or won't tell you, a red flag should go up).

Some basic ground rules to set with your child before he or she logs on to set up any kind of a social networking account:

1. Your Internet use will be monitored.

A child's computer should be located in a "high traffic" area where you can monitor their Internet use, such as a hallway or family room. Your child knowing that a parent could come upon them and view their screen is a great deterrent. Children should not list personal information that gives people a clue as to where they live or go to school. Some sites do share or sell information, so a parent should examine the privacy policy before a child creates an account. Additionally, many social networking sites do have age limits--for good reason. Parents should be well informed about the sites that their child is interested in.

2. You will never give out important information.

Children should never give out important information like a real name, address, telephone number, or email address. Teach a child that talking to a screen name in a chat room is the same as talking with a stranger. Sometimes even when a child takes steps to protect personal information, he or she can leave "clues." The NetSmartz website and offers videos illustrating how easy it is to obtain this personal information.

3. You should know what will get you into trouble.

Parents and students should have a conversation about what will "get them into trouble" not just with parents but with their school and ultimately the law. For example, many children do not know that an inappropriate photo of a child under 16 can be considered child pornography. It is illegal just to be in possession (via "sexting" through a cellphone) of such a photo.

4. You will come to me when things go wrong.

If someone tries to coerce your child into doing something they know is wrong or if they receive inappropriate pictures or messages, they should feel comfortable coming to you. Fear of what a parent might say or do can prevent children from being open and honest when they are in too deep in a social networking situation. Reassure your child that he or she will not be judged and that you will be there to take care of the problem. Your child should feel comfortable coming to you.