How to Prevent Cyberbullying?

Not many parents know what their kids are doing online, which isn't always a good thing. Parents realize that their children should have some freedom, but there are restrictions that need to happen when they are younger. It's unfortunate that the internet is not such a safe place anymore.


What should you do if you notice Cyberbullying is happening? There are several things you can do according to stopbulling.gov:

• Notice: recognize if there has been a change of mood or behavior. Try to notice if the child has been using a lot of his/her digital device. 
• Talk: Ask questions to learn what is happening, who is involved, and when it started. 
• Document: Keep record of what is happening. Take screenshots and make sure that you have evidence to identify it. 
• Report: Most social media platforms have clean policies. You can contact the app, or even the police if potential crime or illegal behavior is occurring. 
• Support: Make sure to get the correct support for the person who is getting cyberbullied. 

The image below shows the Top Ten Tips for Teens: 

Image from cyberbullying.org

Laws for Cyberbullying

According to StopBullying.gov, "although all states have laws requiring schools to respond to bullying, many states do not include cyberbullying under these laws or specify the role schools should lay in responding to bullying that takes place outside of school".

All 50 states address bullying differently. Some have establishes laws, policies, and regulations. Most states implement a bullying policy.

Criminal Sanction - Almost every state has laws that expressly criminalize electronic forms of harassment. The only states that don’t are Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and Wyoming.

School Sanction - In 45 states, bullying laws include provisions empowering schools to discipline students appropriately. The exceptions here are Alabama, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, and Nevada.

School Policy - In every state except Montana, the bullying law requires schools to have a formal policy to identify bullying and discuss the possible disciplinary responses.

Off-Campus Behavior - Federal law allows schools to discipline students for off-campus behavior that substantially disrupts the learning environment, and 16 states have statutes to that effect as well. 

According to rasmussen.edu, "many cyberbullying cases wind up getting prosecuted as harassment. Some cases result in civil court, while others might warrant criminal charges and prosecution for hate crimes, impersonation, harassment, cyberbullying and violations under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA).

In the end, there should always be a consequence from cyberbullying.  

Cyberbullying - Statistics

What is cyberbullying? It's been on the rise since new emerging technologies and the lack of consequences that have been involved with it. The different forms is spreading hurtful messages, spreading rumors online, pretending to be someone to be hurtful and stealing information from someone else's account in order to hurt them. The most commons places where cyberbullying takes place is over text message, social media, and email. The picture below shows where cyberbullying takes place the most:

https://www.broadbandsearch.net/blog/cyber-bullying-statistics

It shows that most people are bullied through instagram, which can make sense as people post pictures and can comment on any public profiles. 69% of people admitted they done something abusive to someone online.

Sadly, not many of the bullies themselves realize what they are doing wrong. Many of times, cyberbullying can lead to depression, anxiety, and even suicide. 

Some statistics on cyberbullying:

https://www.broadbandsearch.net/blog/cyber-bullying-statistics
The biggest effect is social anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts leading behind.