Cyberbullying is another topic that is flooding my RSS reader. Though not as actively mentioned as sexting, the two are often cast into the same conversations on teens and technology, even though the only thing they have in common is the “cyber” aspect.

Like sexting, cyberbullying is often portrayed as a problem that is exaggerated by the media, which latches on to extreme cases to make the problem seem bigger than it is. But the cases we do see are so extreme, such as Jaheem Herrera in Atlanta who recently committed suicide because of bullying, that they send a chill through most parents.

Cyberbullying.us is a great resource for parents who are trying to get some solid facts about cyberbullying from trustworthy sources. The site is run by Justin W. Patchin, Ph.D., and Sameer Hinduja, Ph.D., who both got their doctorates in Criminal Justice at Michigan State University and are frequently published in academic journals on adolescents and criminal behavior.

According to their fact sheet, less than 20 percent of children surveyed in 2007 reported being either a victim or a perpetrator of cyberbullying in their lifetime, and less than 10 percent reported being either a victim or a perpetrator of cyberbullying recently. They define cyberbullying as “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices.”

They also published a guide to common warning signs that your child might be either a victim or perpetrator of cyberbullying (pdf):

Victim: unexpectedly stops using the computer appears nervous or jumpy when an Instant Message, text message, or Email appears appears uneasy about going to school or outside in general appears to be angry, depressed, or frustrated after using the computer avoids discussions about what they are doing on the computer becomes abnormally withdrawn from usual family and friends

Perpetrator: quickly switches screens or closes programs when you walk by uses the computer at all hours of the night gets unusually upset if he/she cannot use the computer laughs excessively while using the computer avoids discussions about what they are doing on the computer uses multiple online accounts or using an account that is not their own

As always, the key is to pay attention to how your kids are acting, and talk to them, even if you have to be insistent. Our monitoring software can help parents stay ahead of the problem by compiling usage reports that can record IM conversations and profile information, that will help parents learn of the problem early, hopefully before serious psychological damage can occur.

Filed under: Internet Safety News, Uncategorized