Prevention Tips
"The long-term outcomes of any kind of bullying, are going to be detrimental. When we see the long-term outcomes of verbal outcomes, ya know calling kids retarded or gay or anything like that, and the long term outcomes of violent bullying, or bullying through technology, is just as detrimental as this digital type of bullying" (Rose, 2011).
For Parents
Are you a parent with no technology skills? No problem. The key to preventing cyber bullying is just good old fashioned communication and common sense parenting.
· Teach your children that the same moral and behavior rules apply for their online life too. For example, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”
· Teach your children to adhere to the phrase “Think before you click!” Have your children question how they would feel if they were the recipient of the message being sent. This is the cyber age equivalent of the golden rule, “treat others how you would want to be treated.”
· Tell your children to save, print, and inform you of any bullying messages they may receive. Make sure that you communicate to your child that you won’t take away their computer privileges if they were cyber bullied. Fear of losing computer access is the main reason kids don’t tell adults when they are having an issue.
· Decide how much privacy you want to afford your teen online by choosing one of the following parenting methods below:
o Designate a family computer that will be located in a highly trafficked, non-private room in the house like a living room or kitchen. Limit the amount of time your child can be online.
o Have your child write their usernames and passwords for their online accounts down and put them in a sealed envelope. Place the envelope in a locked filing cabinet and promise only to break the seal if they are acting suspicious, their grades are suffering, there is a change in their mood or some other unexplained issue that cannot be reasonably explained without access to the online accounts.
o Allow your child to have a social networking account, like Facebook, if and only if they add you as a friend. Children are less likely to cyberbully others, write inappropriate posts, display suggestive photos, or respond aggressively to attacks by other children when they know their parent might hear about it on their Facebook news feed.
o Every two months, sit with your child at the computer and go through their friend list so you can know who they are communicating with online.
o Demand that your child share their usernames and passwords when they set up online accounts with social networking sites, chat rooms, and online gaming communities. Go online once a month and scan the conversations they are having.
· Teach your children that the same moral and behavior rules apply for their online life too. For example, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”
· Teach your children to adhere to the phrase “Think before you click!” Have your children question how they would feel if they were the recipient of the message being sent. This is the cyber age equivalent of the golden rule, “treat others how you would want to be treated.”
· Tell your children to save, print, and inform you of any bullying messages they may receive. Make sure that you communicate to your child that you won’t take away their computer privileges if they were cyber bullied. Fear of losing computer access is the main reason kids don’t tell adults when they are having an issue.
· Decide how much privacy you want to afford your teen online by choosing one of the following parenting methods below:
o Designate a family computer that will be located in a highly trafficked, non-private room in the house like a living room or kitchen. Limit the amount of time your child can be online.
o Have your child write their usernames and passwords for their online accounts down and put them in a sealed envelope. Place the envelope in a locked filing cabinet and promise only to break the seal if they are acting suspicious, their grades are suffering, there is a change in their mood or some other unexplained issue that cannot be reasonably explained without access to the online accounts.
o Allow your child to have a social networking account, like Facebook, if and only if they add you as a friend. Children are less likely to cyberbully others, write inappropriate posts, display suggestive photos, or respond aggressively to attacks by other children when they know their parent might hear about it on their Facebook news feed.
o Every two months, sit with your child at the computer and go through their friend list so you can know who they are communicating with online.
o Demand that your child share their usernames and passwords when they set up online accounts with social networking sites, chat rooms, and online gaming communities. Go online once a month and scan the conversations they are having.
For Teachers
Are you a teacher with too many kids to supervise in the classroom from 8 to 3, let alone trying to notice if cyberbullying is an issue for your students outside of class? No problem. The key to preventing cyberbullying is to keep the lines of communication open between you and your students. Letting your students know that they can come to you whether they are the victim or just a concerned bystander is the first step to dealing with cyberbullying and its effects in your classroom.
Advice from Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s site: Stop Cyberbullying http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/cyberbullying/for_educators.html
· Engage your students in a conversation about how to behave online (Netiquette).
· Monitor computer use and look for children minimizing the screen or laughing a lot while on the computer.
· Create a classroom or school policy that addresses inappropriate computer and cell phone use.
· Keep an anonymous comment box in your classroom where children can report incidents of cyberbullying.
· Complete a Respect Contract with your students.
· Involve children in preventing Cyberbullying through the use of peer counseling.
· Emphasize that silence is not acceptable – encourage children to report Cyberbullying.
· Provide counseling services at school for children involved in Cyberbullying.
· Teach children how to “Take 5” and think before they post.
Advice from Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s site: Stop Cyberbullying http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/cyberbullying/for_educators.html
· Engage your students in a conversation about how to behave online (Netiquette).
· Monitor computer use and look for children minimizing the screen or laughing a lot while on the computer.
· Create a classroom or school policy that addresses inappropriate computer and cell phone use.
· Keep an anonymous comment box in your classroom where children can report incidents of cyberbullying.
· Complete a Respect Contract with your students.
· Involve children in preventing Cyberbullying through the use of peer counseling.
· Emphasize that silence is not acceptable – encourage children to report Cyberbullying.
· Provide counseling services at school for children involved in Cyberbullying.
· Teach children how to “Take 5” and think before they post.
For Students
Are you a student that wants to have a full and fun online life, but are unsure of how to navigate tense situations with your peers? The key to preventing cyberbullying is to block the people making rude comments and ignore the content of their messages instead of trying to "fight back" by responding to their comments. Sometimes you can even become the cyberbully yourself without even realizing it by hurling retaliatory insults. The best response is no response at all to the cyberbully, followed by informing your parents or a teacher to protect yourself from additional attacks.
From the National Crime Prevention Council website http://www.ncpc.org/cyberbullying:
How Can I Prevent Cyber Bullying to Happen to Me to Begin With?
What Can I Do to Prevent Further Cyberbullying?
From the National Crime Prevention Council website http://www.ncpc.org/cyberbullying:
How Can I Prevent Cyber Bullying to Happen to Me to Begin With?
- Refuse to pass around hurtful cyber bullying messages --> even though you may not be the source, forwarding or spreading these messages are just as hurtful, if not more hurtful.
- Block known cyber bullies from your friend lists or any forms of communication.
- Report known instances of cyber bullying to an adult you trust or an authority figure.
- Raise awareness of this issue in your school and with your friends.
- Do not share personal information online, including your full name, address, phone number, social security number, passwords, or your school's information.
- Never meet anybody in person that you met online. If you do, do not go alone!
What Can I Do to Prevent Further Cyberbullying?
- After an issue of cyberbullying has occurred, block that person from your friend list or instant messenger service.
- Make the decision to delete messages from known cyberbullies without reading them.
- Share your experiences with a close friend so you know you are not alone.
- Report the problem to your internet service provider or an authority figure.