Although little research has been conducted on cyberbullying, recent studies have found that:
- 18% of students in grades 6-8 said they had been cyberbullied at least once in the last couple of months; and 6% said it had happened to them 2 or more times (Kowalski et al., 2005).
- 11% of students in grades 6-8 said they had cyberbullied another person at least once in the last couple of months, and 2% said they had done it two or more times (Kowalski et al., 2005).
- 19% of regular Internet users between the ages of 10 and 17 reported being involved in online aggression; 15% had been aggressors, and 7% had been targets (3% were both aggressors and targets) (Ybarra & Mitchell, 2004).
- 17% of 6-11 year-olds and 36% of 12-17-year-olds reported that someone said threatening or embarrassing things about them through email, instant messages, web sites, chat rooms, or text messages (Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2006).
- Cyberbullying has increased in recent years. In nationally representative surveys of 10-17 year-olds, twice as many children and youth indicated that they had been victims and perpetrators of online harassment in 2005 compared with 1999/2000 (Wolak, Mitchell, & Finkelhor, 2006).
Source: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
When it comes to public insults and harassment there is supposed to be no freedom of speech. Unfortunately, right now, Cyberbullying is a big loophole; it needs to be classified as slander and libel. The problem is that the Internet is a safe haven for bullies because of the anonymity. There is not a more cowardly way to bully someone then from behind a curtain. But parents are the key. Parents need to get involved in helping solve the cyberbullying problem. If parents cared enough about their child being the bully or passing along the material as much as they care when their child is a victim, it would be a huge step forward. But then, of course, how do you know if your child is involved in cyberbullying? You need to monitor their Internet activity. Monitoring software like our PC Pandora records everything that happens on the PC. If your child is a victim, you will know; if they are a bully, you will know. Whatever the case may be with your child (victim or bully), you need to intervene and teach them how to be a Responsible CyberCitizen. Check us out at pcpandora.com to see how you can be a part of the solution instead of a passive part of the problem.
Unfortunately, Cyber Bullying is becoming a huge problem, leading some kids to serious depression. One of the biggest issues with cyber bullying is that it invades the child’s home, disallowing them from having an escape like with traditional bullying. The anonymity involved also doesn’t help since it becomes harder to find the culprit. However, there are tons of great resources out there for parents and teachers that teach them how to deal with these types of situations. Check out kiwicommons.com and cybersmartcurriculum.org.