A PARENT’S GUIDE TO CYBER BULLYING

BY: SHIRLEY JONES

OJECTIVESIDENTIFY AND UNDERSTAND• WHAT IS CYBERBULLYING• WARNING SIGNS THAT YOUR

CHILD IS CYBER BULLIED OR CYBER BULLYING!

• PREVENTION STRATEGIES• INTERVENION STRATEGIES• RESOURCES• REVIEW JCBOE AUP

WHAT IS CYBER BULLYING?

•CYBER BULLYING IS USING COMPUTERS, CELL PHONES, AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES TO HARASS OR INTIMIDATE SOMEONE.

EXAMPLES OF CYBER BULLYING ARE:•POSTING NEGATIVE COMMENTS OR SPREADING RUMORS ABOUT SOMEONE ON-LINE.•POSTING EMBARRASSING PHOTOS ON WEB SITES, OR SENDING THEM BY E-MAIL OR CELL PHONE.•SENDING THREATENING OR ABUSIVE MESSAGES•MAKING FAKE PROFILES ON WEBSITES, SUCH AS FACEBOOK, MYSPACE, TWITTER, ETC•NAME CALLING IN CHAT ROOMS•FORWARDING PRIVATE MESSAGES TO OTHERS

EMOTIONAL SIGNS OF CYBER BULLYING!• WITHDRAWAL OR SHYNESS• DEPRESSION• MOODINESS• IRRITABILITY• ANXIETY• AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR• SUICIDAL IDEATIONS• LOW SELF-ESTEEM

SOCIAL/ BEHAVIORAL SIGNS OF CYBER BULLYING

• SUDDENLY STOPS USING COMPUTER• UPSET AFTER USING COMPUTER OR CELL

PHONE• CHANGES IN EATING OR SLEEPING HABITS• NO LONGER WANTING TO PARTICIPATE IN

ACTIVITES ONCE ENJOYED• HURTING SELF, ATTEMPTING OR

THREATENING SUICIDE• SUDDENLY CHANGING OR AVOIDING

FRIENDS

ACADEMIC WARNING SIGNS OF CYBER BULLYING

•NOT WANTING TO GO TO SCHOOL

•SKIPPING SCHOOL•LOST INTEREST IN SCHOOL•DROP IN GRADES

RED FLAG!!!!!!!•THE BIGGEST RED FLAG THAT A

CHILD IS BEING CYBER BULLIED IS A WITHDRAWAL FROM TECHNOLOGY. IF YOU NOTICE A SUDDEN CHANGE IN COMPUTER OR PHONE USAGE TALK TO YOUR CHILD, THEY MAY BE A VICTIM OF CYBER BULLYING!

WARNING SIGNS THAT YOUR CHILD MAYBE CYBER BULLYING OTHERS

• SPENDS LARGE AMOUNTS OF TIME ON COMPUTER

• HIDES OR TURNS OFF MONITOR WHEN YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE APPROACHES

• APPEARS ANXIOUS WHILE USING THE COMPUTER

• ESPECIALLY UPSET WHEN TECHNOLOGICAL PRIVILEGES ARE REVOKED

STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO PREVENT AND ADDRESS CYBER BULLYING• LEARN WHAT YOUR CHILDIS DOING

ONLINE AND KEEP TRACK OF HIS/HER ONLINE BEHAVIOR.

• USE INTERNET WITH YOUR CHILDREN.• TALK WITH YOUR CHILD(REN) ABOUT

CYBER BULLYING-THE CONSEQUENCES AND HARMFUL EFFECTS.

• COMMUNICATE ONLINE RULES AND RESPONSIBILITIES TO YOUR CHILDREN.

• KEEP COMPUTERS IN A HIGHLY TRAFFICKED ROOM WHERE ONLINE ACTIVITIES ARE HARD TO HIDE.

LEARN THE LANGUAGE!!!!1. 143: I LOVE YOU

2. 182: I HATE YOU

3. 420: REFERS TO MARIJUANA

4. CD9: CODE 9= PARENTS ARE AROUND

5. MorF: MALE OR FEMALE

6. MOS: MOM OVER SHOULDER

7. P911: PARENT ALERT

8. PAL: PARENTS ARE LISTENING

9. PAW: PARENTS ARE WATCHING

10. PIR: PARENT IN ROOM

11. POS: PARENT OVER SHOULDER

12. F2F: FACE TO FACE

13. LOL: LAUGH OUT LOUD

14. GNOC: GET NAKED ON CAM (WEBCAM)

15. KPC: KEEPING PARENTS CLUELESS

16. LMIRL: LET’S MEET IN REAL LIFE

WHAT TO DO IF YOU THINK YOUR CHILD IS BEING CYBER BULLIED.

• ASK YOUR CHILD FOR THE SPECIFICS!

• SAVE THE EVIDENCE!• AVOID CONFRONTING THE

STUDENT OR HIS OR HER PARENT!• CONTACT THE SCHOOL AS SOON

AS POSSIBLE!• CONTACT LAW ENFORCEMENT IF

NECESSARY!

RESOURCES• www.netsmartz.org • http://

www.cyberbullyingprevention.com/ • http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/• http://www.cyberbullying.us/ • http://www.ncpc.org/cyberbullying • http://abcfamily.go.com/movies/

cyberbully • http://www.isafe.org/