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10 Cyberbullying Prevention Tips for Students

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10 Cyberbullying Prevention Tips for Students

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Online bullying and types of online abuse come in many different forms. Types of online abuse to be aware of includes threatening messages, insults, and abusive comments.

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Out of the 1,500 4th through 8th grade students, 42% admitted to have been bullied while online. This is frightening and we need to be aware of the prevention strategies for cyberbullying.

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The charity Childline says it has seen a rise in the number of children contacting it with concerns about online bullying.

It saw 4,507 cases of cyberbullying in 2012-13, up from 2,410 in 2011-12.

The charity also saw a rise in concerns about self-harming, while depression and difficult family relationships were the top reasons for seeking help.

For the first time in the charity's history, more counselling took place online (59%) than by telephone (41%).

Peter Wanless, chief executive of the NSPCC charity which runs Childline, said: "The issues facing children today are very different from those that faced us as children.

"Stranger danger, for example, rarely comes up in contacts to Childline but depression, self-harm, online bullying and even suicide contacts are increasing exponentially.

"If we are to help young people we need to listen to what they are telling us about the issues they are facing."

Tips for staying safe online

Don't post personal information online, like your address, your email address or mobile number. Keep personal information as general as possible.

Never let anyone have access to your passwords. Check the privacy settings on accounts like Facebook/Twitter and make sure you know how to keep your personal information private.

Change passwords regularly.

Think very carefully before posting photos of yourself online. Once your picture is online, anyone can download it and share it or even change it.

Never respond or retaliate to negative posts.

Block any users that send you nasty messages on social media sites.

Never reveal your real name, your friends' names, where you go to school or your place of work.

Don't open emails, downloads or attachments from people you don't know or trust as they could contain a computer virus or unwanted messages.

Block spam emails and delete them.

Some ways of dealing with cyberbullying

Block the bully's email address, phone number and delete them from social media contacts. Report their activities to their internet service provider (ISP) or to any websites they use to target you.

Never respond or retaliate, this can just make things worse. It might be difficult, but try to ignore the bullies.

Get help. Talk to a parent, teacher, counsellor or other trusted adult.

Make a note of the dates and times of bullying messages, along with any details you have about the sender's ID and the URL.

Don't pass on cyberbullying videos or messages.

If you're being bullied repeatedly, think about changing your user ID, nickname or profile.

Don't ignore it. If you see cyberbullying going on, report it and offer your support.

Childline can be contacted on 0800 1111 or online at ChildLine

Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter

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Cyberbullying: How to keep safe online and deal with it

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The charity Childline says it has seen a rise in the number of children contacting it with concerns about online bullying. It saw 4,507 cases of cyberbullying in 2012-13, up from 2,410 in 2011-12. The charity also saw a rise in concerns about self-harming, while depression and difficult family relationships were the top reasons for seeking help.

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Monkey Business Images/shutterstock.com
It's hard to protect your child if you don't understand the problem with cyberbullying or see it happen. Parents need to be the ones their kids go to when something is wrong. However, parents are often the last ones to know about problems because their kids fear getting into more trouble. Here are practical tips to help parents, children, and schools prevent and stop cyberbullying.
WHAT CAN PARENTS DO?
1. Keep the computer in a common area of the home. Do not allow it in your children's bedrooms. Monitor their online usage.

2. Learn how various social networking websites work. Become familiar with Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. Ask your children if they will show you their profile pages.

3. Talk regularly and specifically with your children about online issues. Let them know they can come to you for help if anything is inappropriate, upsetting, or dangerous.

4. Build trust with your children. Set time limits, explain your reasons for them, and discuss rules for online safety and Internet use. Ask your children to contribute to establishing the rules; then they'll be more inclined to follow them.

5. Tell your children not to respond to any cyberbullying threats or comments online. However, do not delete any of the messages. Instead, print out all the messages, including the e-mail addresses or online screen names of the cyberbully. You will need the messages to verify and prove there is cyberbullying.

6. Don't overreact by blaming your children. If they are being bullied, be supportive and understanding. Find out how long the bullying has been going on and ensure that you'll work together to find a solution. Let your children know they are not to blame for being bullied.

7. Don't underreact by telling your children to "shrug it off" or just deal with the bullying. The emotional pain of being bullied is very real and can have long-lasting effects. Don't tease them about it or respond with a "kids will be kids" attitude.

8. Don't threaten to take away your children's computers if they come to you with a problem. This only forces kids to be more secretive.

9. Talk to your school's guidance counselors so they can keep an eye out for bullying during the school day.

10. If there are threats of physical violence or the bullying continues to escalate, get law enforcement involved.

More Safety Tips for Parents, Kids, and Schools
WHAT CAN KIDS DO?
1. Don't respond to any online or text messages sent by cyberbullies.

2. Don't be an accomplice by forwarding any of the messages to others kids.

3. Save and print out all the messages as proof and evidence of cyberbullying.

4. If you are being bullied, tell an adult immediately to get help solving the problem.
WHAT CAN SCHOOLS DO?
1. Adopt a zero-tolerance policy for all types of bullying. Make it clear that any intimidation, harassment, or threatening behavior will be dealt with swiftly and seriously.

2. School districts should have antibullying policies in place and everyone (school administrators, teachers parents, and students) should be aware of the policies at the start of every school year.

3. Incorporate Internet Safety Awareness classes into the curriculum.

4. Engage students, parents, and teachers in discussions about bullying prevention. Have student councils or student panels address the issue to their peers at school-wide assemblies, PTA meetings, and other school-wide events. Get everyone involved!

Pattie Fitzgerald is the founder of Safely Ever After, Inc. and a leading expert in the field of childhood sexual abuse prevention education. A children's advocate for more than 10 years, she is a published author who has been featured on Good Morning America and Headline News. For more information, please visit safelyeverafter.com.

Adapted and reprinted from SafelyEverAfter.com, with permission of Pattie Fitzgerald.

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It's hard to protect your child if you don't understand the problem with cyberbullying or see it happen. Parents need to be the ones their kids go to when something is wrong. However, parents are often the last ones to know about problems because their kids fear getting into more trouble.

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High school students fighting against bullying and underage drinking can earn money for college.

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Parents and students CAN help prevent cyberbullying!

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Parents and students CAN help prevent cyberbullying!

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Learn about safe ways for parents and kids to use technology.

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Don’t respond. If someone bullies you, remember that your reaction is usually exactly what the bully wants. It gives him or her power over you. Who wants to empower a bully?

http://www.safeteens.com/tips-to-stop-cyberbullying/

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Don’t retaliate. Getting back at the bully turns you into one and reinforces the bully’s behavior. Help avoid a whole cycle of aggression.

http://www.safeteens.com/tips-to-stop-cyberbullying/

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Save the evidence. The only good news about digital bullying is that the harassing messages can usually be captured, saved, and shown to someone who can help. You need to do this even if it’s minor stuff, in case things escalate.

http://www.safeteens.com/tips-to-stop-cyberbullying/

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Talk to a trusted adult. You deserve backup. It’s always good to involve a parent but – if you can’t – a school counselor usually knows how to help. Sometimes both are needed. If you’re really nervous about saying something, see if there’s a way to report the incident anonymously at school.

http://www.safeteens.com/tips-to-stop-cyberbullying/

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Block the bully. If the harassment’s coming in the form of instant messages, texts, or profile comments, do yourself a favor: Use preferences or privacy tools to block the person. If it’s in chat, leave the “room.”

http://www.safeteens.com/tips-to-stop-cyberbullying/

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Be civil. Even if you don’t like someone, it’s a good idea to be decent and not sink to the other person’s level. Also, research shows that gossiping about and trash talking others increases your risk of being bullied. Treat people the way you want to be treated.

http://www.safeteens.com/tips-to-stop-cyberbullying/

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Don’t be a bully. How would you feel if someone harassed you? You know the old saying about walking a mile in someone’s shoes; even a few seconds of thinking about how another person might feel can put a big damper on aggression. That’s needed in this world.

http://www.safeteens.com/tips-to-stop-cyberbullying/

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Be a friend, not a bystander. Watching or forwarding mean messages empowers bullies and hurts victims even more. If you can, tell bullies to stop or let them know harassment makes people look stupid and mean. It’s time to let bullies know their behavior is unacceptable – cruel abuse of fellow human beings. If you can’t stop the bully, at least try to help the victim and report the behavior.

http://www.safeteens.com/tips-to-stop-cyberbullying/