Positive Changes for Cyber Bullying in the Future

In the future, there will be many changes in the way technology is used. These changes, however, are unknown to whether they will be positive or negative. As technology has progressed, there have been many negative changes in the way people use it. Children and teenagers have progressively started to abuse the way that they use technology, whether it is communicating with people or whether it is viewing inappropriate websites and chat rooms; the problem has progressed into a matter of severity. But there is now a chance for these problems to go away, and it is possible to safeguarding and protecting teenagers and children in a way that the cyber bullying stops now.

As the information age progresses, there becomes more and more ways to protect your computer from hazards like hackers or impersonators. That means that in the near future, with the right amount of information on how to protect yourself from cyber bullies, the problem might be able to dissipate. First, all children, teenagers, parents and teachers should understand that it is easy to guess a password if the password is obvious and over used. This means that if you have multiple e-mail, messenger or chat room accounts, it is crucial that you do not over use your password, and repeat it for numerous accounts. Also, in coming up with a password, it is important that you use both letters and numbers, as well as coming up with a password that is easy to remember, but is not so obvious to someone who is interested in hacking onto your account.

On applications that allow you to include personal information, it is very important that you do not include any phone numbers, addresses, or last names. This is so crucial so that no one can find your personal information. Many programs today have safety features that allows you to accept or decline friends who you are able to talk to. In programs like this, it is important to choose carefully whom you decide can see your information, and whom you would like to communicate with. So if you are having problems with people in school or at work, then it is a good idea to avoid them on the Internet, so that they do not take advantage of the computer to emotionally hurt you or your peers. Also, if someone requests to add you and you do not know them or you do not know them very well, then it will be a very good idea to not add them at all, and to avoid making contact with strangers at all costs.

These few steps are easy to follow, and will allow you to make small changes to prevent the occurrence of cyber bullying. It is important that you are able to talk to your peers or parents when cyber bullying occurs, or when you are feeling threatened while on the Internet. Cyber bullying is a solvable problem, and although serious, we have the availability to make it go away.

Preventing Cyber Bullying

There are many ways to now prevent cyber bullying. There are ways specific ways for teachers, for parents and for peers as well. The internet is a big and scary place, and it would seem as there is no way to stop this from happening, but there is. What people must remember, however, is that victims of cyber bullying almost always don’t want to admit that the internet is not a safe and enjoyable place for them. This is because many children and teenagers are afraid of having their computer privelages revoked, forcing them to stop spending their time talking with their friends. Although this seems rather strange, because why would someone want to continue to put themselves in a position where they are being bullied and hurt, it is understandable that many people will want to continue talking to their other friends, the ones who aren’t being bullies or bystanders to the victim. The computer can be an enjoyable thing to spend time on, as long as it is being done safely.

For teachers, there are many ways to safeguard classrooms and schools from cyber bullying. The first and most effective way is to create an anti-bullying program within the school. This would include student-created pledges to prevent bullying, and school assemblies based around stopping bullying and cyber bullying around the school. It is important to make this program as student based as possible, as peers are the easiest way to get the message through to a friend. Other ways teaches could prevent cyber bullying within the school is to provide staff members and parents with information on what is going on and how to make sure that it is not going on at home or in the classroom. A peer report system could also be created; anonymous students may come up and say, “this is my friend and this is what she is going through right now”.

For parents, making sure that your child is not participating or becoming a victim is hard, as you do not want to be invading a child’s privacy. This is okay, but it is important that you are looking out for your child’s safety, so glancing over their shoulder and asking them who they are talking to and what they are talking about is an alright thing to do. By putting the computer in a place where it is easy to monitor is a good idea, because it allows you to be active with their conversations. It is also important that you understand what is going on, so by contacting the school or someplace in the community where you can learn more about cyber bullying is also very important. Remember that if your child is a victim, you need to support them. It is important that you do not blame the child or freak out, as it will make the child want to discontinue with elaborating on their situation.

For students, your job is simple; be a friend. If you know that your friend is being cyber bullied, talk to them and be there for them. Because places like chat rooms and MSN is very individualized, it is hard for victims to look for help outside of those places, so make sure that your friends are know that you are ready to be there for them when they need you.

Perils of Cyber Bullying

The are many perils of cyber bullying, each of them having many negative emotional effects on both the victim and the bully. These effects are hard to recognize, and for parents and peers to be able to recognize this form of bullying among children and friends is important. Many children have committed suicide because of cyber bullying, so it is crucial for society to be able to connect certain behaviors with the possibility of online-problems.

There are many different types of cyber bullying, and to be able to learn about what they are is important. This is because many people do not realize that even the smallest action could be cyber bullying, and could possibily lead the victim into a form of emotional pain. The first type of cyber bullying is called Flaming. Flaming is when two or more people participate in online fights using rude and vulgar words to hurt one another. Harassment is when one person repeatedly sends upsetting and offensive messages to a victim. Denigration is when someone will “diss” another by spreading rumors or false information about someone using the internet. A victim may be Outed or Tricked when a bully will disperse private information about the victim, or may trick the victim into revealing private information, then revealing it to peers in a harmful way. Impersonation is the most common way of cyber bullying. It is when a bully will pretend to be someone else by stealing a peer’s e-mail or MSN password and posting material to damage a person’s reputation. The last form of cyber bullying is called Cyberstalking. This very serious meathod of bullying involves repeated and intense harassment where the bully will threaten the victim, ultimately creating fear within the victim.

So what are the perils of all these types of bullying? If a victim is being cyber bullied, they will begin to show a series of change in behavior or personality, which could possibly, if the case is serious enough, send the victim into a state where they are hurting themselves, or may even want to commit suicide. If a child or teenager is being bullied, they will probably start to go into a state of depression, anxiety and anger towards themselves and others around them. This is a way for the victim to push themselves away from others, so that their parents, teachers and peers may not see what they actually are feeling. The victim’s grades could drop, and they may be getting less sleep at night. The victim may in turn also start to bully others who are younger than them or who are believed to be a “lesser” of theirs. This would, eventually, cause more and more cyber bullying within elementary schools all the way up to universities.