Beyond The Schoolyard:

Bullying In The Digital Age

From afar the playground appears innocent,

but fist-fights and name-calling have long ago made their home here.

Flickr: Lochtfeuer

Flickr: NelsonBiagio Jr

However, in the digital age the playground bully has moved online.

While most interactions are positive, new technologies have given young people a

new, powerful platform.

Flickr: Fancypicnic

“Cyberbullying is defined as the use of technology to support deliberate, hostile and hurtful behaviour towards

an individual or group of individuals.” 2006 Media Awareness Network. www.media-awareness.ca.

Flickr: hannahgal

Cyber bullying is just as much about POWER and HURT as a

or a

PUNCH

SLAP

Nearly 42% of kids have been bullied online and almost one in four have had it happen more than once.

http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-cyber-bullying

Flickr: Wentongg

Online harassment allows for taunting to spread from five kids in the playground to five million logged in online

As a result, Cyber bullying can happen any time and any place and for many children, home is no longer

a refuge from negative peer pressure.

http://www.cyberbullying.ca/pdf/Cyberbullying_Information.pdf

Flickr: reclarkgable

The statistics are alarming.

http://www.isafe.org/channels/sub.php

“If you bully somebody face to face, and they get upset, you see them cry and be hurt. When it’s over the internet, you can’t see the emotional reaction and you go along thinking

it’s no big deal.” – Robin Kowalski

Cyber bullying leads to confusion and self- doubt but above all,

cyber bullying

hurts.

What can be done?

Flickr: Growley-Ferret

Flickr: Stacey=)

Ignore it?

Hope it goes away?

Isn’t that how this all started?

Stand Up, Speak Out

Or even …

The drastic increase in cyber bullying has

led to a surge in resources to stop, fight, and stand up

to bullies

Academia has become involved …

But more importantly the tool used to bully has become a proactive agent in stopping

this online menace.

Isn’t it time to help kids be kids again?

Flickr: Ronlavine

After all who doesn’t miss the ease of the swing set?

Want more Info? Check out these sites!

• http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/index2.html• http://www.bullyfreealberta.ca/pdf/CS_Cyberbullying.pdf• http://www.bewebaware.ca/english/cyberbullying.html• http://www.ncpc.org/cyberbullying • http://www.cyberbullyingprevention.com/