Transcript Slide 1
Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Online Safety
Melanie L. Bruchet Assistant District Attorney Macon Judicial Circuit
Bullying
• • What is bullying?
• A repeated aggressive behavior that is used to control or harm someone.
• • • • What does bullying look like?
• Teasing someone or making fun of them because of the way they look, dress, or talk Spreading rumors about someone at school Calling someone a name or publicly humiliating them Kicking, shoving, or punching someone at school without provocation Spreading nasty rumors, humiliating someone, or posting negative photos about them through email, instant messaging, • text, or internet posts Intentionally and for no reason excluding someone lunch, play, or a group activity
Types of Bullying
• • • Verbal bullying: saying or writing mean things • Teasing • • Name-calling Threatening to cause harm Social bullying: hurting someone’s reputation or relationships • Leaving someone out on purpose • • • Telling other kids not to be friends with someone Spreading rumors about someone Embarrassing someone in public Physical bullying: hurting a person’s body or possessions • Hitting/kicking/pinching • • • • Spitting Tripping/pushing Taking or breaking someone’s things Making mean or rude hand gestures
Cyberbullying
• Cyberbullying is any type of harassment or bullying that occurs through: • email • • • • a chat room instant messages a website (including blogs, Facebook, Twitter) or text messages
Examples of Cyberbullying
• Disclosing someone else’s personal information to cause embarrassment.
• Posting rumors or lies about someone on a website.
• Distributing embarrassing pictures of someone by posting them or sending them via email or text.
• Assuming another person’s identity to post or send messages about others with the intent of causing another person harm.
• Sending mean, embarrassing, or threatening texts, instant messages, or emails.
Why is bullying a big deal?
• • • • • 1 in 3 kids has been bullied by the time they reach high school.
43% of kids report having been harassed by digital media.
Victims of cyberbullying are twice as likely to attempt suicide than youth who have never experienced cyberbullying.
Victims of traditional bullying are 1.7 times as likely to attempt suicide than youth who have never experienced bullying.
Even the bullies themselves… • 60% of boys who said they were bullies in middle school have at least one criminal conviction by the age of 24 Lenhart A. Cyberbullying and Online Teens. Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2007.
Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J.W. (2010). Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Suicide. Archives of Suicide Research, 14(3), 206-221.
What can happen to bullies?
• • • • Bullying can very easily become a crime, if you… • Physically assault someone • Harass someone, especially if the harassment is based on gender or race • Make violent threats Make obscene and harassing phone calls or texts Take a photo of someone in a place where they expect privacy Extort or blackmail someone
What can I do for my child?
• Communication is key!
• Have a plan with your child for how they should react: • Don’t respond • • • Block or delete the bully Save the evidence Set up new accounts • • Tell someone you trust Contact authorities
How can I help my child and others?
• • • • • If you see or hear of someone being bullied, speak up!
Encourage your child to report to you or a teacher any bullying they see.
Find out what your child’s school’s policy is on bullying.
Look for the warning signs that your child may be being bullied, and ask them about it.
Stay involved!
Is my child being bullied?
• • • • Look for the warning signs that your child may be being bullied or harassed: • • Newly formed reluctance to attend school or social events Change in eating or sleeping habits Falling grades for no apparent reason Appears stressed to receive a text or email Begins to avoid using computers or cell phones
Online and Social Media Safety
• How many of your children have a… • Smartphone or tablet? • • Xbox Live, PS3, or other gaming system with a chat feature?
Facebook account?
• Twitter?
• Snapchat?
• • • • How many of your children have over 50 friends?
100?
200?
…more?
• How many of those people has your child met in person, in real life?
• • Did you know that you are not legally allowed to have a Facebook account until you’re 13 years old?
Did you know that posts made from a smartphone pinpoint their GPS location at the time?