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.