Xanga Safety Blog Archive for Cyberbullying

What Is Cyberbullying Exactly? An open letter from Parry Aftab of WiredSafety.org

“Cyberbullying” is when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones.It has to have a minor on both sides, or at least have been instigated by a minor against another minor. Once adults become involved, it is plain and simple cyber-harassment or cyberstalking. Adult cyber-harassment or cyberstalking is NEVER called cyberbullying.

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Stop, Block and Tell! An open letter from Parry Aftab of WiredSafety.org

If you are targeted by a cyberbully there are three steps to helping contain the incident:

• STOP!
  When you first learn of the cyberbullying, stop and don’t do anything until you have calmed down. Don’t forward it to a friend, or call anyone. Follow our Take 5! tips to help you calm down and think about the best response. Most of ten the best response is no response. Many cyberbullies are looking for a reaction. They often go away if they don’t get one. Don’t threaten them. Don’t tell them to go away. Don’t do anything at all, but think. And remember that when you send it to others, that might be the reaction the cyberbully is looking for.

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Protecting Yourself by Protecting Your Personal Information An open letter from Parry Aftab of WiredSafety.org

Often the cyberbullies are people we know. They are sometimes our children’s former best friends. As they fall in and out of friendship in their middle school years, their former friends know how to hurt them. They know their personal information, what hurts most and very often know their passwords too.

They may share secrets entrusted to them when they were still a trusted friend. Or close friends know the inside story and the rumors. They also know who to get on their side, against the victim.

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Practice the “Internet Golden Rule” An open letter from Parry Aftab of WiredSafety.org

We all understand the Golden Rule… to do to others only what you want done to you. Well, the Internet golden rule is a bit different…it teaches kids not to do anything online they wouldn’t do offline. (Hopefully, they will then follow the original Golden Rule. Here is a guide that will help young people understand how to use good manners online. The better behaved we are online and more we respect others, the less likely we are to become the victim of a cyberbully, or be considered a cyberbully ourselves.

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