Cyber Bullying

Whilst looking into the world of Cyber Bullying, I came across a really interesting report conducted by 'The Cybersurvey Essex. 2010 Youthworks Consulting Ltd.'  

I've posted an abstract below which oulines how new technology today is helping to contribute to the ever growing number of people admitting to have fallen victim to cyber bullying.

Abstract: 

‘Cyberbullying is an aggressive, intentional act carried out by a group or individual, using electronic forms of contact, repeatedly over time against a victim who cannot easily defend him or herself.’

Although bullying has been around for generations, Cyberbullying is relatively new, constantly changing and poorly understood by many adults.

Young people have swiftly taken advantage of new technology. They use it to keep in constant touch with friends, share jokes and images, download music, TV and video clips. They try out identities and reflect their personalities in a public space. They search for information, learn and play games. As one girl put it, ‘If I lose my BB, it’s my life’. She was referring to her Black Berry. But young people might also send and receive hurtful or dangerous messages and images. They may be targeted by others with ill intent.

Technology opens up exciting new opportunities, but just as in driving a car - another freedom which technology offers – there are risks. Adults impart road rules to children, but a large proportion of adults do not understand the online or mobile phone world of young people – and a few do not understand any aspect of the digital world. This makes them ill equipped to teach children about e-safety or Cyberbullying. This is a form of bullying that no parent or teacher can have experienced when they were young, unlike real world bullying.

One of the challenges we face therefore, is not only to educate young people in e-safety but also to educate their parents and often, their teachers too. In a 2009 poll by the Anti- Bullying Alliance (ABA) 54% of parents of 8-14 year olds had not talked to their child about how they could protect themselves or deal with Cyberbullying. Indeed 45% of these parents did not know about the ‘report abuse’ button on social networking sites. Despite this, 23% allowed their children aged 10 or under, unsupervised Internet access at home and 38% allowed children aged 10 or under to have their own mobile phone.

If parents believe Cyberbullying does not happen to their young children, they might be distressed to find that one in five of year 6 primary school pupils surveyed by the ABA in 2009 had been cyberbullied in the last twelve months. This excludes other dangers such as solicitation, harassment and problematic content which their child might inadvertently access.

While new technology has revolutionised young people’s social networks - being fun, cheap, convenient, instant and above all desirable – there is much to learn about the less positive ways it might be used and how we might help them protect themselves.

What type of Cyberbullying is seen?

There are a number of methods of Cyberbullying another person and these methods change and become more sophisticated each time there are new models, games or sites launched. A few are outlined below:

+ Text message bullying - messages via text that contain threats, harassment, insults or hurtful content including photos. Texts can also be used to spread rumours, set up victims for humiliation and to share information about someone.

+ Picture/video clip bullying via mobile phone cameras

Using photos taken on a phone to hurt or humiliate someone, with the images usually sent to several other people. ‘Happy slapping’ involves filming and sharing physical attacks. Intimate photos from a relationship are often misused after friends fall out.

+ Phone call bullying via mobile phone – silent calls or abusive messages are often used, with the caller disguising their number or using someone else’s phone. The bullied person’s phone may be stolen and used to harass others, who then think the phone owner is responsible.

+ Email bullying - bullying or threatening emails, with or without images, but often with an invented pseudonym or using someone else’s name and email account to avoid discovery.

+ Chat room bullying – when children or young people are in a web-based chat room they may feel they are among friends. It is especially hurtful and embarrassing to receive menacing or upsetting responses in this public forum.

+ Bullying through Instant Messaging (IM) - unpleasant or threatening messages sent in real time, online conversations. Some games also permit messaging.

+ Bullying via websites includes – defamatory blogs, websites set up to humiliate someone (may use images) and online personal polling sites.

+ Social Networking sites – The Essex Cybersurvey carried out with 1452 respondents in the spring of 2010 found that 76% of young people aged 10 -16+ had a Facebook page or used another social networking site. Age 12-13 is the largest age group in the sample and Facebook is meant to be for 13 year olds upwards. These sites allow users to seek, admit and reject friends in the glare of public view. Blocking someone on a social networking site is a common form of bullying. Rumour spreading via friends or posting malicious comments are frequently used.

+ Using someone else’s account or phone – disguising identity by using a computer at a friend’s house, stealing a phone or simply using it for a few minutes to send a bullying message that may get someone else into trouble.

+ Via electronic games – Hacking into someone’s account or score to alter it or using a game box to send messages.

Link to report - http://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/PDF/Essex_cybersurvey_final%20report.pdf