What to Do About Cyber Bullying
Approaches taken to Limit Cyber Bullying1. Laws or policies
2. Curriculum created to educate children about cyber bullying, bullying, and internet safety 3. Modified technology to prevent cyber bulling [19] There are 44 states who have taken some approach to bullying. In North Carolina: Protect Our Kids/Cyber bullying Legislation (S.L. 2009-551): it is a misdemeanor to engage in cyber bullying [19]. In Missouri: This is the state Megan Meier lived in and was tragically effected by cyber bullying. Since that incident, cyber bullying is a crime and the offender can be sentenced to jail time and fines [19]. While cyber bullying happens outside of schools, it effects the children in school and schools are allowed to punish the students involved. Many schools have developed and participated in programs used to inform and address cyber bullying. These programs include but are not limited to:
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What to Do if You Are Being Cyber BulliedThere are 4 easy steps children can use to prevent cyber bullying on their own [19].
Very few youth follow these steps and alert and adult. Most are afraid their guardians will take away their media or the problem will get worse. By involving an adult, cyber bullying can be reduced by 50%. It is very important to inform adults of problems on the internet or at school. Tips for parents on cyber bullying (taken from youtube.com):
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What to Do if Your Child is Being Cyber Bullied:
All these points are important to take in order to solve the problem. If parents are not involving themselves in their children's lives, the problem can escalate. It is important for the victim of the bullying to feel like they are not alone and to feel that they are being supported. It is important to inform the school because chances are, they are not aware of the bullying going on unless someone informs them. When the school is informed, they can take the important steps to limit the bullying on school grounds and punish the offender. It is also important to inform the authorities because cyber bullying is a crime and there are punishments for it. Cyber bullying can have detrimental effects on a child and can affect the way they develop. Middle school and high school years, when bullying is most likely, is important for the development of a young adult. This is where they begin to form beliefs and ideas of their own. Any form of bullying can affect this growth in a child and needs to be addressed immediately before the problem spreads and gets out of hand. If handled right away, the problem can be monitored before it grows but if not acted on immediately, the victim can suffer years from the impacts of bullying. |