The great technological advances over the past two decades have made all our lives easier; we now have the ability to talk to friends and family members around the globe with the stroke of a key, send pictures instantly, watch any movie or TV show we can imagine on demand, and avoid ever getting lost again in a strange city by
simply using a GPS system, to name just a few of the conveniences many of us enjoy today that were unthinkable 20 years ago.

Social media is perhaps the greatest example of how the world has changed since widespread use of the Internet began in the mid-1990s. The use of social media websites has exploded over the last half dozen years. These websites, particularly Facebook and Twitter, are among the most visited on the Internet as millions of people around the world use them to connect with friends, break news, share information and attempt to further their professional careers. A negative byproduct of great technological leaps forward is that some people will use these wonderful advancements for nefarious reasons, and high-volume sites like Facebook, Twitter and (previously) MySpace are all too frequently utilized to embarrass or humiliate a person or a group of people. This type of behavior is known as cyberbullying, which is officially defined as “the use of technology to harass, threaten, embarrass or target another person.” Shockingly, 43% of youths between the ages of 10 and 15 have experienced some form of cyberbullying.

Bullies have been around as long as the human race has existed and, as Hollande Levinson so eloquently outlined in her cover story for this edition of INSIGHT Into Diversity, social media has given them an additional platform with which to torment an intended target. Cyberbullying typically involves children and teenagers, although adults have been known to get involved at times. This was the case of Megan Meier, a St. Louis-area teenager who took her own life in October 2006 after the parent of an estranged friend opened a phony MySpace account for the sole purpose of taunting her (to learn more about Megan Meier and her tale of cyberbullying, see page 18). Cyberbullying is not just present on social media sites, it can occur through instant messaging (IM) programs and chatroom communication. The question for parents and school administrators becomes: How can cyberbullying be prevented? 

“Prevention initially begins with how you are setting up your privacy settings [on your social media accounts]; parents need to know all of the passwords and all of the logins of their kids’ accounts and even monitor their time and their interaction,” says Tina Meier, Megan Meier’s mother and the executive director of the Megan Meier Foundation, which attempts to bring awareness and education about cyberbullying to children, parents and educators. “Without being overbearing, parents need to educate their kids on the dangers [of online communication] and let them know that you can never be sure who is on the other side of the screen.”

Children should be warned not to “friend” anybody they don’t know and to never give their passwords to anyone, even friends. It’s wise for parents to set the family computer in an open area where it can easily be monitored. Parents should take time to use the Internet with their children and be aware of their online activities. In addition, they should keep the computer their children use secure by regularly updating the operating system, installing a firewall and having the most up-to-date anti-virus and anti-spyware software on the machine at all times.

In the event that a parent suspects their child is being bullied or engaging in some sort of unacceptable behavior online, they have the option of installing tracking software that will inform them of all websites their children visit and even let them see the content of IM conversations. This may be seen as an invasion of privacy, but since 73% of online teens have used instant messaging to write something that they wouldn’t say in person it can be a necessary course of action if you fear your child is a victim or a perpetrator of cyberbullying.

While instant messaging and use of social media websites are the primary means of cyberbullying on the web, it also frequently occurs via text messages on cellular phones. Believe it or not, 63% of teens have a cell phone, and parents should strongly consider limiting or eliminating text message service from their child’s phone if they suspect a problem.    

Cyberbullying prevention doesn’t just fall at the hands of parents – since this type of behavior generally happens with children between the ages of 10 and 18, teachers need to be on the lookout for warning signs and speak to their students about the harmful effects these sorts of actions can have.

“Teachers encounter many children each day, but in their own classroom they must have zero tolerance for any form of bullying, especially face-to-face bullying when it is happening in front of them,” Meier says. “We have come across a lot of situations where teachers are actually aiding bullying and that obviously is inappropriate.”

Students also need to be encouraged by parents and teachers alike to speak up if they become a victim of cyberbullying. Victims of cyberbullying, like other forms of abuse, often don’t mention their plight to anyone. Statistics show that only 40% of recent targets of cyberbullying tell an adult about their experience. As a result, parents and teachers need to be aware of the warning signs.

Your child may be a victim of cyberbullying if he or she:¹

• Unexpectedly stops using the computer
• Closes his or her browser or mail windows immediately when you enter the room
• Appears nervous or jumpy when an instant message, text message, or email appears
• Appears uneasy about going to school or outside in general
• Appears to be angry, depressed, or frustrated after using the computer
• Avoids discussions about what they are doing on the computer
• Becomes abnormally withdrawn from usual friends and family members
• Clears their history folder of all files

Originally published in our February 15 issue (March 2012).