Cracking down on the cyberbullies

It’s not only in the playground that children can experience bulling – the internet can be just as threatening

Do your children regularly use the internet? Do you feel concerned that you don’t understand how they spend their time online? As a parent, it’s only natural to want to make sure your children get the most out of the internet in the safest way possible. Teens are increasingly turning to Instant Messaging, e-mail and blogging (online public diaries) as their primary ways of communicating, and, despite the fact that the vast majority use these online communication tools for positive reasons, (for example to stay in touch with friends and do their homework), as with any communications service, a small minority misuse them.

To highlight the most common misuses, MSN commissioned some research amongst parents and children. Amazingly, 48% of parents were unaware of the growing problem of cyberbullying, while 11% of children said they had experienced it. Clearly more needed to be done to raise awareness and to show parents and children the steps they can take to be safer online.

Natalie Mead, Head of Citizenship at MSN UK, said: “As a mother of two I know all too well the worry for parents with children using the internet. However, I believe that with the right education online and through effective campaigns – that not only highlight the dangers, but also the solutions to safety – my children and others like them will be safer online. “We want everyone to be able to use our instant messaging and blogging services positively and without fear. The same rules apply to protecting yourself in the online and real world environments: Protect your identity and any information you regard as personal and don’t let bullies get away with it by suffering in silence. Our report shows you’re not alone.”

What is cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying differs from regular physical and verbal bullying in that it takes place online and on mobile phones and is therefore 24/7 in nature, often happening outside of classrooms. The most common form is the spreading of unpleasant rumours by e-mail or Instant Messenger conversations. Instant Messenger is a communications tool that allows users to type or talk online to contacts on a “buddy list” in real time, as though they are having a normal conversation. As up to 10 contacts can be in any one conversation, there is scope for group bullying.

Like physical and verbal bullying, cyberbullying ranges from relatively petty, but hurtful, activities to more serious threats. It can vary from deliberately excluding others from Instant Messenger conversations (38% of UK’s young teens admit to this) and sending threats (one in eight admit to this) to fabricating information or doctoring photos of someone and posting it online without their consent (one in 12 have done this).

Despite happening in the “virtual” world, it can be every bit as devastating as “real” world bullying. In fact, out of the 500 teenagers questioned, one in 20 said the hardest thing about this type of bullying was its 24/7 nature.

The anonymity of the internet also makes cyberbullying more difficult to deal with than real-world bullying, with 11% of victims finding that not being sure of their bully’s identity was the most difficult part of the experience.

As information on the internet can be easily shared with many people, the network of people accessing the often embarrassing or hateful information can quickly become large, something teens seem painfully aware of.

The children most likely to be victims

So, how can you tell if your child is experiencing bullying online? It’s difficult as the report found that children and young people are often too afraid to tell their parents about online bullying in case they have their mobile confiscated or their internet access restricted. These tools have become a daily lifeline for teens, forming an integral part of their social networking and assisting with their educational development and homework. However, research shows:

• 13-year-olds are the group most likely to be victims of cyberbullying and in this age group over a quarter (28%) know someone who’s been a victim, while one in seven (14%) have directly experienced it.
• Amongst 12-15 year olds in the UK, over one in 10 (11%) have been victims themselves and a quarter (24%) know someone who’s been a victim.
• Girls are twice as likely as boys to know someone who’s been cyberbullied (34% opposed to 17%).

As such, it is important that you chat to your child about their experiences online and look out for any changes in their behaviour, just as you would with bullying in the playground.

John Carr, Chairman, CHIS (Children’s Charities’ Coalition for Internet Safety): “We have to wake up and recognise cyberbullying for the serious issue it is. It can impact on everything, from morale to school work and friendships, as teens end up isolated from or even afraid of the communication tools they use daily.”

The perpetrators

What if your child is bullying others online? The MSN study reveals that a growing number of young people are caught up with cyberbullying not only as victims, but as perpetrators too. One in 20 teens admits to being involved in bullying someone else online. Again, as with playground bullying, watch for your child’s behaviour and create an environment where you can speak openly with one another.

Preventing and tackling the problem

MSN’s Cyberbullying campaign is about raising awareness of the issue and educating and empowering you – parents, teachers and young people – to tackle and prevent online bullying.

Top tips for parents

• Take time to discuss the possible dangers of sharing personal information online.
• Make it clear from the moment you give your teen online access that it won’t be taken away if they report bullying or abusive behaviour.
• Team up with your child to source websites and helplines they can turn to for advice so help is readily available.
• In extreme cases, alert the police to the activity and make sure the abuse is saved, documented and diarised so it’s easier to report.

Tips to tell your teens

• Don’t give out your password to anyone and make sure it’s not easy to guess.
• Don’t use your name or age as part of your online alias.
• Never send or post messages or images you wouldn’t want to be seen in public.
• Don’t respond to offensive messages or material, it’s likely to encourage bullies.
• Make sure you’re familiar with the blocking and filtering settings on your computer – they’re there to protect you.

You can download the future of msn messenger, Windows Live Messenger, at www.msn.co.uk/livemessenger.

For further information and advice visit: www.msn.co.uk/cyberbullying

 

 

All pages are copyright © of Roxby Media Limited. Childsafe is a Roxby Media publication.