Cyberbullying
"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" is no longer the case. A poll, commissioned by Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, shows that one in three teens and one in six preteens have been victims of cyber bullying. Estimating that more than 13 million children aged six to 17 were victims of cyber bullying, the poll also revealed that more than two million of those victims told no one about being attacked.
There many different reasons that someone might cyber bully someone else. One reason that some people might cyber bully is revenge. In this case, people who bully feel they are righting wrongs or protecting other people. Usually these people do not see themselves as bullies. They can be trying to protect a friend or attempting to get back at someone who was mean to them. Becoming a bully, even when you have been bullied is not the solution. Why would you ever want to be like the person who hurt you? Another reason is that they want power. These people are trying to show how powerful they are, they want to feel a sense of control. Often this is because they are bullied themselves in real life. The more you let their words affect you, the more power you give them over you. Some people find some sort of sick entertainment at other's pain. They think embarrassing others is funny. Usually these people cyber bully in groups, such as at a slumber party, or on a sports team outing. Having an audience is part of what makes this type of cyber bully fun. Sometimes people aren't even aware that they are bullying. Often people think they are being funny and don't realize how cruel they are, or think it's obvious that they're joking. They write whatever comes to their mind without thinking or don't even realize that they are being mean. They don't stop to think that maybe what they're writing is insulting. They click before they think. Do you think before you hit send?
If you are being cyberbullied, remember, don't blame yourself. It's not your fault. The cyberbully is the problem, not you. The bully is an unhappy, frustrated person who wants to have control over your feelings so that you feel as bad as they do. Don't give them the satisfaction. Don't beat yourself up and don't make the situation worse for yourself by retaliating or thinking too much about it. Delete the message and focus on more positive things.
- One-third of all teens (ages 12-17) and one-sixth of children (ages 6-11) have had mean, threatening or embarrassing things said about them online.
- 10% of teens and 4% of children were threatened online with physical harm.
- 16 percent of teens and preteens who were victims told no one about it. About half of children ages 6-11 told their parents.
- Preteens were as likely to receive harmful messages at school as at home. Teens received 30 percent of harmful messages at school and 70 percent at home.
- One million children were harassed, threatened or subjected to other forms of cyberbullying on Facebook during the past year.
- More girls are cyberbullys than boys (59% girls and 41% boys).
- Over 80 percent of teens use a cell phone regularly, making it the most popular form of technology and a common medium for cyber bullying.
- Only 1 in 10 teens tells a parent if they have been a cyber bully victim.
- 160,000 kids stay home from school every day because of fear of bullying.
- Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people.
- Children and teens are overweight, or have disabilities are up to 63% more likely to be bullied that other kids.
There many different reasons that someone might cyber bully someone else. One reason that some people might cyber bully is revenge. In this case, people who bully feel they are righting wrongs or protecting other people. Usually these people do not see themselves as bullies. They can be trying to protect a friend or attempting to get back at someone who was mean to them. Becoming a bully, even when you have been bullied is not the solution. Why would you ever want to be like the person who hurt you? Another reason is that they want power. These people are trying to show how powerful they are, they want to feel a sense of control. Often this is because they are bullied themselves in real life. The more you let their words affect you, the more power you give them over you. Some people find some sort of sick entertainment at other's pain. They think embarrassing others is funny. Usually these people cyber bully in groups, such as at a slumber party, or on a sports team outing. Having an audience is part of what makes this type of cyber bully fun. Sometimes people aren't even aware that they are bullying. Often people think they are being funny and don't realize how cruel they are, or think it's obvious that they're joking. They write whatever comes to their mind without thinking or don't even realize that they are being mean. They don't stop to think that maybe what they're writing is insulting. They click before they think. Do you think before you hit send?
If you are being cyberbullied, remember, don't blame yourself. It's not your fault. The cyberbully is the problem, not you. The bully is an unhappy, frustrated person who wants to have control over your feelings so that you feel as bad as they do. Don't give them the satisfaction. Don't beat yourself up and don't make the situation worse for yourself by retaliating or thinking too much about it. Delete the message and focus on more positive things.