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Another major issue we are beginning to see a lot of is Cyberbullying.
Cyberbullying is sending or posting harmful or cruel text or images about another person, usually on a site like Myspace. However, emailing is another means of cyberbullying.
Some specific forms of Cyberbullying are:
- Sending threatening, mean or vicious messages via email or instant messenger.
- Posting stories, comments or jokes about someone on Myspace or other social networking site.
- Pretending to be someone (breaking into an email account) and sending cruel or embarrassing emails as that person.
- Getting personal information about someone (pretending to be a friend, or perhaps x-friends) then forwarding that information to others, or worse, posting for everyone to see online.
- Taking a picture of someone, perhaps getting out of a shower, or in a locker room and sending that picture to others.
Cyberbullying is fast becoming a very challenging issue for parents, teachers and law enforcement.
Do you suspect that your child is being bullied online? You are going to need access to their account, Hopefully all you have to do is ask, however, if that doesn't work then install a key logger and get it.
CYBERBULLIES!
The anonymity that the Internet seems to give kids means kids feel freer to do things online they would never do in the real world.
In a recent HRSA study:
* 18 percent of sixth- through eighth-graders said they had been “cyberbullied” at least once in the last couple months.
* 11 percent of sixth- through eighth-graders said they had “cyberbullied” someone in the last couple of months.
* 19 percent of regular Internet users between the ages of 10 and 17, reported being involved in online aggression; 15 percent said they were the aggressor, 7 percent said they were the targets of aggression and 3 percent said they had been both an aggressor and a target.
Thirty-four per cent of students in Grades 7 to 11 report that they had been bullied within the current school year. Among those, 27 per cent say they had been bullied over the Internet. (Source: Young Canadians in a Wired World, Media Awareness Network, 2005)
The Internet safety guide for parents