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Cyber-bullying may be emotional,racist or sexual forms of abuse and it happens through emails,phone calls or text messages also by taking some information about someone including photos and send it on to social network without

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Reports are circulating in the media of vulnerable people being encouraged to take their own lives by following a series of online challenges.

In Russia, the deaths of some teenagers have been linked to the 'Blue Whale' challenge - though these reports have not been confirmed.

The idea is that individuals are invited to complete a number of tasks within a 50-day period. The tasks become increasingly harmful and end with the individual being challenged to take their own life.

There is concern that the idea is spreading around the world on social media networks.

With questions over whether or not the Blue Whale challenge actually exists, and with no confirmed link between the deaths in Russia and Blue Whale, how concerned should you be?

What is Blue Whale?

There is some confusion about the origin of Blue Whale, but the title is believed to be a reference to an act carried out by some blue whales, who appear to beach themselves on purpose, causing them to die.

The name is apparently being used by an alleged online pressure group, which is said to assign a curator to individual participants who then encourages them to complete tests over the course of 50 days.

These assigned tasks reportedly escalate from straightforward demands such as watching a macabre video or horror film to something more sinister - even leading to suicide.

Unfortunately it is not unusual for teenagers to be drawn to social media groups that ultimately have a detrimental effect on their mental health.

The online group associated with the Blue Whale reports is said to have thousands of members and subscribers on Facebook and YouTube.

The name has cropped up in countries including Russia, Ukraine, Spain, Portugal, France and the UK.

How worried should I be?

Although authorities in Russia are reportedly investigating links between the suicides of a number of teenagers and online pressure groups, there have been no confirmed reports of links to Blue Whale.

What police are looking for in these criminal investigations are previous conversations between the deceased and social media users that may have had an influence on any actions taken.

There are also reports of suicide cases being investigated in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Russia and Kyrgyzstan, with a focus on links to internet groups.

How can I spot the signs?

Children's advice groups such as the NSPCC can offer guidance on how to detect signs of online grooming - the building of an emotional connection to gain trust - and how to protect your child and prevent the situation from escalating.

There are a number of possible signs, but they are not always obvious because offenders exercise discretion in order to avoid being detected or identified.

Among the most common signs to watch out for include children who:

become very secretive, especially about what they are doing online

are spending a lot of time on the internet and social media

are switching screens on their device when approached

are withdrawn or angry after using the internet or sending text messages

have lots of new phone numbers or email addresses on their device

What should I do?

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop), a UK government agency, points out that sometimes change in a child's behaviour is completely normal and it is important not to overreact.

Having a calm and open conversation, Ceop says, is an effective way of determining the cause of any behavioural change, tackling any concerns head-on and offering support and reassurance.

An education programme set up by the organisation, ThinkUKnow, also says that it should be made clear to the individual when approached that any discussion is not going to result in punishment.

Children, it says, often avoid reporting their own concerns if they believe that their internet access will be revoked, for example.

Another UK-based advice group, Get Safe Online, told the BBC that it was aware of the "horrific" Blue Whale reports and said that it was unfortunate that groups were "willing to abuse these platforms".

The chief executive, Tony Neate, said dialogue was essential for addressing issues of peer pressure if a child is "acting strangely".

"It will allow them to take a step back, away from the pressures," he said, adding that this will help them to realise that it is "not something they have to, or should, be taking part in".

Mr Neate also advised against "blanket bans" on internet use and said that the importance of privacy settings should be explained to all users.

He said that speaking openly to other parents and teachers can help raise awareness of potential online threats and "open the path for other instances to be reported".

"Never shy away from reporting something that has occurred online to the police if you think your child, or someone else's child is in danger," Mr Neate said.

"This is how we can warn others and make sure teenagers don't get caught up in horrific games like this."

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Should you be worried about 'Blue Whale'?

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Reports are circulating in the media of vulnerable people being encouraged to take their own lives by following a series of online challenges. In Russia, the deaths of some teenagers have been linked to the 'Blue Whale' challenge - though these reports have not been confirmed.

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Groomi

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Grooming is when someone builds an emotional connection with a child to gain their trust for the purposes of sexual abuse or exploitation.

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Cyber bullying

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Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through SMS, Text, and apps, or online in social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior.

The most common places where cyberbullying occurs are:

Social Media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Tik Tok

Text messaging and messaging apps on mobile or tablet devices

Instant messaging, direct messaging, and online chatting over the internet

Online forums, chat rooms, and message boards, such as Reddit

Email

Online gaming communities

Special Concerns

With the prevalence of social media and digital forums, comments, photos, posts, and content shared by individuals can often be viewed by strangers as well as acquaintances. The content an individual shares online - both their personal content as well as any negative, mean, or hurtful content - creates a kind of permanent public record of their views, activities, and behavior. This public record can be thought of as an online reputation, which may be accessible to schools, employers, colleges, clubs, and others who may be researching an individual now or in the future. Cyberbullying can harm the online reputations of everyone involved - not just the person being bullied, but those doing the bullying or participating in it. Cyberbullying has unique concerns in that it can be:

Persistent - Digital devices offer an ability to immediately and continuously communicate 24 hours a day, so it can be difficult for children experiencing cyberbullying to find relief.

Permanent - Most information communicated electronically is permanent and public, if not reported and removed. A negative online reputation, including for those who bully, can impact college admissions, employment, and other areas of life.

Hard to Notice - Because teachers and parents may not overhear or see cyberbullying taking place, it is harder to recognize.

Laws and Sanctions

All states have laws requiring schools to respond to bullying. As cyberbullying has become more prevalent with the use of technology, many states now include cyberbullying, or mention cyberbullying offenses, under these laws. Schools may take action either as required by law, or with local or school policies that allow them to discipline or take other action. Some states also have provisions to address bullying if it affects school performance. You can learn about the laws and policies in each state, including if they cover cyberbullying.

Frequency of Cyberbullying

There are two sources of federally collected data on youth bullying:

The 2017 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey (National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Justice) indicates that, among students ages 12-18 who reported being bullied at school during the school year, 15% were bullied online or by text.

The 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) indicates that an estimated 15.7% of high school students were electronically bullied in the 12 months prior to the survey.

See also " Frequency of Bullying."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through SMS, Text, and apps, or online in social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else.

# data[].attributes.body
Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through SMS, Text, and apps, or online in social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior.
Special Concerns
With the prevalence of social media and digital forums, comments, photos, posts, and content shared by individuals can often be viewed by strangers as well as acquaintances. The content an individual shares online – both their personal content as well as any negative, mean, or hurtful content – creates a kind of permanent public record of their views, activities, and behavior. This public record can be thought of as an online reputation, which may be accessible to schools, employers, colleges, clubs, and others who may be researching an individual now or in the future. Cyberbullying can harm the online reputations of everyone involved – not just the person being bullied, but those doing the bullying or participating in it. Cyberbullying has unique concerns in that it can be:

Persistent – Digital devices offer an ability to immediately and continuously communicate 24 hours a day, so it can be difficult for children experiencing cyberbullying to find relief.

Permanent – Most information communicated electronically is permanent and public, if not reported and removed. A negative online reputation, including for those who bully, can impact college admissions, employment, and other areas of life.

Hard to Notice – Because teachers and parents may not overhear or see cyberbullying taking place, it is harder t

stopbullying.gov
A federal government website managed by the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20201

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through SMS, Text, and apps, or online in social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior.

The most common places where cyberbullying occurs are:

Social Media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Tik Tok

Text messaging and messaging apps on mobile or tablet devices

Instant messaging, direct messaging, and online chatting over the internet

Online forums, chat rooms, and message boards, such as Reddit

Email

Online gaming communities

Special Concerns

With the prevalence of social media and digital forums, comments, photos, posts, and content shared by individuals can often be viewed by strangers as well as acquaintances. The content an individual shares online - both their personal content as well as any negative, mean, or hurtful content - creates a kind of permanent public record of their views, activities, and behavior. This public record can be thought of as an online reputation, which may be accessible to schools, employers, colleges, clubs, and others who may be researching an individual now or in the future. Cyberbullying can harm the online reputations of everyone involved - not just the person being bullied, but those doing the bullying or participating in it. Cyberbullying has unique concerns in that it can be:

Persistent - Digital devices offer an ability to immediately and continuously communicate 24 hours a day, so it can be difficult for children experiencing cyberbullying to find relief.

Permanent - Most information communicated electronically is permanent and public, if not reported and removed. A negative online reputation, including for those who bully, can impact college admissions, employment, and other areas of life.

Hard to Notice - Because teachers and parents may not overhear or see cyberbullying taking place, it is harder to recognize.

Laws and Sanctions

All states have laws requiring schools to respond to bullying. As cyberbullying has become more prevalent with the use of technology, many states now include cyberbullying, or mention cyberbullying offenses, under these laws. Schools may take action either as required by law, or with local or school policies that allow them to discipline or take other action. Some states also have provisions to address bullying if it affects school performance. You can learn about the laws and policies in each state, including if they cover cyberbullying.

Frequency of Cyberbullying

There are two sources of federally collected data on youth bullying:

The 2017 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey (National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Justice) indicates that, among students ages 12-18 who reported being bullied at school during the school year, 15% were bullied online or by text.

The 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) indicates that an estimated 15.7% of high school students were electronically bullied in the 12 months prior to the survey.

See also " Frequency of Bullying."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through SMS, Text, and apps, or online in social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else.

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WHAT'S ONLINE GROOMING?

Online grooming is when someone uses the internet to trick, force or pressure a young person into doing something sexual - like sending a naked video or image of themselves. This is wrong.

6 places where grooming can happen:

1. social networking websites

2. instant messaging apps

3. photo sharing apps and sites, like Instagram

4. chat rooms

5. dating apps

6. online gaming sites.

Anyone can groom someone. A 'groomer' is someone who makes an emotional connection with someone to try and make you do things like:

have sexual conversations online or by text messages

send naked images of yourself, which is sometimes called sexting

send sexual videos of yourself

do something sexual live on webcam

meet up with them in person.

They might be old, or young. And they can be male or female.

https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/bullying-abuse-safety/online-mobile-safety/online-grooming/

Key statistics from the Safer Internet Day 2017 report.

https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/blog/key-statistics-safer-internet-day-2017-report

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-hampshire-42891555/addicted-video-gamer-used-drugs-to-stay-awake-and-play?
intlink_from_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fnews%2Ftopics%2Fc008ql15vdxt%2Fgaming&link_location=live-reporting-map

Websites that Encourage Anorexia & Other Eating Disorders for Girls Popular ... and Controversial
by www.SixWise.com

http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/08/03/websites-that-encourage-anorexia--amp-other-eating-disorders-for-girls-popular--and-controversia.htm

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Grooming is when someone builds an emotional connection with a child to gain their trust for the purposes of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation or trafficking.

Children and young people can be groomed online or face-to-face, by a stranger or by someone they know - for example a family member, friend or professional.

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/search/?query=risks+of+grooming

How to prevent online grooming?

The best way to prevent online grooming is to engage in honest and frank conversations with children. Parents need to lay guidelines for what is and is not acceptable, and encourage their children to approach other web users with a healthy degree of scepticism and caution. Starting online chats with strangers from the position that they could be lying, should help your children be more wary of requests from online predators.

Parents also need to watch their children’s behaviour carefully, particularly for significant changes in attitude for example; if young people become more secretive about their web use, or hide their phone and delete messages.

Keep your children safe online

Teach your children the five key Childnet SMART rules which remind young people to be SMART online. You should go through these tips with your children.

S – SAFE; Keep safe by being careful not to give out personal information – such as your name, email, phone number, home address, or school name – to people who you don’t know online.

M – MEETING someone you have only been in touch with online can be dangerous. Only do so with your parents’/carers’ permissions & when they can be present.

A – ACCEPTING e-mails, IM messages or opening files from people you don’t know or trust can be dangerous – they may contain viruses or nasty messages.

R – RELIABLE; someone online may be lying about who they are, and information you find on the internet may not be reliable.

T – TELL your parent, carer or a trusted adult if someone or something makes you feel uncomfortable or worried.
https://www.earlybreak.co.uk/2015/02/online-grooming-a-guide-for-young-people-parents-carers/
E.D

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Online gaming refers to websites where people can communicate with others, share and have access to information.  Some of these sites, such as 'Blue Whale' promote things such as self harm, eating disorders and suicide.

# data[].attributes.subject
Online gaming refers to websites where people can communicate with others, share and have access to information.  Some of these sites, such as 'Blue Whale' promote things such as self harm, eating disorders and suicide.

# data[].attributes.headline
Grooming is when someone "befriends" another person, usually a vulnerable youngster and furtively puts pressure on them to commit an indecent act such as send naked photos of themselves or to send texts with sexual content or to meet in person for similar sinister purposes. 

# data[].attributes.subject
Grooming is when someone "befriends" another person, usually a vulnerable youngster and furtively puts pressure on them to commit an indecent act such as send naked photos of themselves or to send texts with sexual content or to meet in person for similar sinister purposes. 

# data[].attributes.headline
Cyber bullying is when abuse takes place via different forms of technology such as text messages, emails, phone calls or when images of someone are shared on social media without the consent of the person concerned.  Abuse could mean anything from threatening or nasty messages or words, to racist or inappropriate sexual comments.

# data[].attributes.subject
Cyber bullying is when abuse takes place via different forms of technology such as text messages, emails, phone calls or when images of someone are shared on social media without the consent of the person concerned.  Abuse could mean anything from threatening or nasty messages or words, to racist or inappropriate sexual comments.

# data[].attributes.body
Cyber bullying is the misuse of digital technologies or communications to bully a person or a group, typically through messages or actions that are threatening and/or intended to cause offence, anxiety or humiliation. It comes in many different forms, and is particularly damaging as the abuse in inescapable - it follows the target everywhere.
https://www.kidscape.org.uk/advice/advice-for-parents-and-carers/internet-safety-and-addressing-online-risk
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