Cyberbullying is the use of information and communication technology (ICT), particularly mobile phones and the internet, deliberately to upset someone else. It is a form of bullying, but instead of the perpetrator carrying out the bullying in person, they use technology to do it.

Cyberbullying can include a wide range of unacceptable behaviours, including harassment, threats and insults and, as with face-to-face bullying, it is designed to cause distress and harm. Cyberbullying can also cause physical harm, as it includes ‘happy slapping’, in which the perpetrators take photographs or videos of a victim being assaulted.

 

Cyberbullying takes place between children and between adults, but also across different age groups.

Research conducted as part of the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) cyberbullying information campaign found that 34% of 12 to 15 year olds reported having been cyberbullied.

 

 

Cyberbullying can take place on a mobile phone (for example, through text or photos), the web, chatrooms, social networking sites (like Bebo), email or online messaging (like MSN).

 

 

There are two main areas you will probably be concerned about as a parent: cyberbullying (between children or young people of a similar age) and inappropriate contact (for example, ‘grooming’ where an older adult pretends on-line to be a similar aged child)

 

1. The best advice for computers is to have the computer in a family room, where you can monitor what is going on – but that isn’t always practical!

 

2. Talk to your child. For example, do you know if they have a Bebo, Facebook or MySpace site? These are blocked at school but many pupils have their own sites which they access at home. These sites in themselves are not necessarily a problem, but young people shouldn’t post personal details or photos on these sites.

 

3. If your child receives any offensive or abusive messages (email, MSN, text, photos) – keep them. They do not have to read them but keep a copy in case they are needed as evidence. If it is a one-off event from a known friend that they have fallen out with, you may wish to ignore this.

 

4. Contact the school if you are concerned. The Head of Key Stage or Head of Year is probably the best initial contact.

 

Direct.gov offers parents tips on what they might do if their child is targeted by cyberbullies. It says that, as with other types of bullying, parents should listen to their child and react with sympathy. The child should know that bullying is always wrong and that seeking help is the right thing to do.

 

The site advises parents to take these actions to keep their child safe from abuse by cyberbullies:

 

Encourage your child to talk to you about anything that’s upsetting them

 

Make sure they only use moderated chat rooms

 

Get them to show you any abusive or offensive messages they’ve received and keep a record of them

 

Tell them never to respond to any abusive messages or calls – this is frequently what the abuser wants

 

Tell them to avoid giving their name, email address or mobile phone number to people outside their circle of friends and family

 

Change email address or telephone number if the abuse continues

 

Report any abuse to the police, school, the internet service provider, the website manager/moderator or the mobile phone company

 

Install computer software to ensure that you only receive emails from people you have chosen, and to block unwanted images

 

There is a detailed section on the school website for pupils with advice on how to deal with cyberbullying.

 

Further information for parents is available at:

 

http://www.childnet.com/kia/parents/CD/ An on-line video resource with a section for parents with a short presentation on helping to keep your child safe on line.

 

 

A really useful summary of the phenomenon of social networking sites (like ‘Bebo’) with guidance for parents.

 

 

 

 

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