Maybe you’ve heard it called drama, gossip, trolling or just plain online hate. Whatever name it goes by, cyberbullying is a serious form of abuse and affects more people than you may think . In some cases, it has even led to tragedy. From sending or posting mean or threatening messages by email, text or through comments on a social networks, cyberbullying affects almost 1 in 10 online teens in Canada. Simply put, cyberbullying happens when people use computers, cellphones or other devices to embarrass, humiliate, torment, threaten or harass someone else. It seems to be most common among teenagers, though we are now starting to see incidences among much younger children as they become frequent users of phones and tablets. And so with that in mind, cyberbullying usually takes the form of continuous abuse over a period of time. But whether it’s the sharing of one humiliating photo or 1,000 hateful text messages, cyberbullying is toxic. It destroys the reputations, happiness, and feelings of too many teens. It’s so stressful, it can even affect the mental health of the person it’s targeting.
Make no mistake thought, a big problem with cyberbullying is that because it’s delivered through electronic devices, it can get to people anywhere and at anytime. Unlike face-to-face bullying, where the victim may at least be able to escape the physical situation, cyberbullying can reach them walking home from school, alone in their bedroom, or even on a family vacation. It can be hard to get away from it or ignore it. And so after a bit of research, it statistics are showing it is on the rise.
It looks like more than one-third (35 per cent) of Canadian teens with a profile on a social networking site have seen mean or inappropriate comments about someone they know with 18 per cent of Canadian parents say they have a child who has experienced cyberbullying and 31 per cent say they know a child in their community who has experienced cyberbullying and finally but most importantly, 90 per cent of Canadians would support a law that would make it illegal to use any electronic means to coerce, intimidate, harass or cause other substantial emotional distress.
Firstly, people getting bullied should not respond or lash back at the bully. If someone bullies you, remember that a reaction is usually exactly what the bully wants. It gives him or her power over you. Who wants to empower a bully? Next you want to try and 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. Finally, you want to 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.
I’d recommend going to the government of Canada website at www.getcybersafe.gc.ca. They have all kinds of resources for both parents and teens on how to deal with this dilemma. Also, you can visit the website at http://www.connectsafely.org/cyberbullying/ as they have all kinds of articles, reports, and tips on how to help put a stop to cyberbullying.
Reach Canada Webinar: Bullying and Cyberbullying
