Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is the use of information and communication technology to deliberately hurt, harass, threaten or intimidate someone. Just like other forms of bullying, it is about human relationships, power and control. Those who bully others are trying to establish power and control over those they perceive as weaker than them. Cyberbullying can occur in different forms, such as text, video or image, and can be conveyed using a range of modes, such as email, instant messaging (IM), chat rooms, mobile phones, social websites, weblogs (blogs) and online personal polling sites.
Suggestions on handling Cyberbullying for Students
do not respond to the abuse.
do not engage with the abuse, rather leave the area, stop the activity or block the sender.
talk to someone about it, ignoring bullying may lead to it becoming worse. Tell an adult you trust, ie your parents, a teacher, a tutor, House Coordinator, Assistant Principal or Principal.
keep records or printouts of messages or a screenshot to help identify the bully and show these to whomever you have reported the incident.
get a new number or account if necessary and only give it to one person at a time.
never give anyone access to your accounts or give your usernames and passwords.
Suggestions on handling Cyberbullying for Parents
place and keep home computers in an open, common area.
inform Internet Service Provider (ISP) or Mobile Phone Service Provider of any abuse.
keep records for evidence by saving or printing out messages or keeping a screenshot and not the time and date.
install parental control programs on home computers that provide filters for both instant messaging and chat rooms.
report serious incidents to the police.
finally, make a note of the date, time, location, e-mail address and name (nickname or real) and any other information that you think might be useful and then ‘Save’ the file or a screenshot of the post.
Resources
Responsible use of ICT and social media guidelines (CSPD Policy Central)
ESafety Commissioner (Federal Government)