11 Stories, 3.21.14
This week’s episode is focused on cyber bullying. Of late, cyber bullying has been highlighted in the Buckhead community, and the producers of 11 Stories wanted to dedicate an episode to the prevention of cyber bullying.
A simple Google search will reveal the shocking statistics of cyber bullying: 50% of teens have been victims of cyber bullying, and 10% of teens are frequently cyber bullied. Yet only 10% of those bullied speak out to trusted adults, and only 20% of cyber bullying cases are reported to law enforcement.
Cyber bullying is a serious offense, and participants often face consequences ranging from mandatory community service to registration as a sex offender.
If you or someone you know is victimized by cyber bullying, speak up! Anti-bullying organizations suggest telling a school counselor, teacher, or parent about your situation and seeking help immediately. There are also valuable resources online for students affected by cyber bullying, such as: internetsafety101.org, bullyingstatistics.org, and cyberbullying.us.
In an increasingly-digital age, cyber bullying has continued to grow, and it will take student activism to change the course of respect online. Dr. Sameer Hinduja and Dr. Justin Patchin from cyberbullying.us list the ten most affective ways to help prevent and reverse cyber bullying:
1. Educate yourself
To prevent cyberbullying from occurring you must under- stand exactly what it is. Research what constitutes cyber- bullying, as well as how and where it is most likely to oc- cur. Talk to your friends about what they are seeing and experiencing.
2. Protect your password
Safeguard your password and other private information from prying eyes. Never leave passwords or other identify- ing information where others can see it. Also, never give out this information to anyone, even your best friend. If others know it, take the time to change it now!
3. Keep photos “PG”
Before posting or sending that sexy image of yourself, consider if it’s something you would want your parents, grandparents, and the rest of the world to see. Bullies can use this picture as ammunition to make life miserable for you.
4. Never open unidentified or unsolicited messages
Never open messages (emails, text messages, Facebook messages, etc.) from people you don’t know, or from known bullies. Delete them without reading. They could contain viruses that automatically infect your device if opened. Also never click on links to pages that are sent from someone you don’t know. These too could contain a virus designed to collect your personal or private infor- mation.
5. Log out of online accounts
Don’t save passwords in form fields within web sites or your web browser for convenience, and don’t stay logged in when you walk away from the computer or cell phone. Don’t give anyone even the slightest chance to pose as you online through your device. If you forget to log out of Fa- cebook when using the computer at the library, the next person who uses that computer could get into your ac- count and cause significant problems for you.
6. Pause before you post
Do not post anything that may compromise your reputa- tion. People will judge you based on how you appear to them online. They will also give or deny you opportuni- ties (jobs, scholarships, internships) based on this.
7. Raise awareness
Start a movement, create a club, build a campaign, or host an event to bring awareness to cyberbullying. While you may understand what it is, it’s not until others are aware of it too that we can truly prevent it from occurring.
8. Setup privacy controls
Restrict access of your online profile to trusted friends only. Most social networking sites like Facebook and Google + offer you the ability to share certain information with friends only, but these settings must be configured in ordered to ensure maximum protection.
9. “Google” yourself
Regularly search your name in every major search engine (e.g., Google, Bing, Yahoo). If any personal information or photo comes up which may be used by cyberbullies to target you, take action to have it removed before it be- comes a problem.
10. Don’t be a cyberbully yourself
Treat others how you would want to be treated. By being a jerk to others online, you are reinforcing the idea that the behavior is acceptable.
(Sources: internetsafety101.org, bullyingstatistics.org, cyberbullying.us, “Preventing Cyberbullying:Top Ten Tips for Teens”)
