Bullies and Bytes
Written by Sabrina Yoong on 07/07/07
The Internet is infiltrating day to day life at an incredible rate. Politicians have Facebook profiles, grandmas have e-mail addresses and the verb “to google” is in the Oxford English Dictionary. Socializing with friends often includes online MSN conversations and Facebook comments; in fact, these are often the preferred way to make plans. The distinction between the Internet and everyday life has blurred in many ways, and it’s not always positive.
In February of this year, eleven high school students north of Toronto were suspended after posting negative comments online about their principal. The school administration determined that it was a case of “cyber bullying,”and the students were suspended for three to eight days each. More recently, five eighth-graders were forbidden to go on their year-end trip because of negative comments they had posted on Facebook about teachers. Again, the reasoning behind this punishment was that their actions were considered “cyber bullying.” In what is perhaps the most infamous case thus far, five students were suspended from Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute after posting comments online about their vice-principal in yet another incident classified as “cyber bullying.”
Photo by wentongg on Flickr
What exactly is cyber bullying? Cyber bullying is when someone uses new technology communication tools such as text messaging, e-mail, instant messaging programs or chat rooms to harass, intimidate or antagonize another individual. Cyber bullying also includes “flame wars,” which are online discussions or comments in a thread on a bulletin board or social network site that descend into a series of personal attacks. Some forms of cyber bullying can result in charges of criminal harassment or defamatory libel ( the illegal publication of material that exposes anyone to hatred, contempt or ridicule).
Cyber bullying differs from traditional schoolyard bullying in a number of ways. The traditional bully is usually bigger and stronger than his/her victims and must be physically close to them in order to intimidate or antagonize. The cyber bully just needs access to the Internet or a cell phone. Although cyber bullying lacks the threat of immediate physical harm, the victims of cyber bullying are absolutely powerless against their attackers. If victims can’t identify their bullies, there is little recourse for defending themselves. As well, cyber bullying is problematic because it often falls beyond the legal jurisdiction of schools. If students aren’t bullying other students at school, administrators are often unsure if they have authority to deal with it, let alone how they should address the problem.
The students mentioned above who were punished for cyber-bullying often didn’t fit the profile of a traditional bully. One was a member of students’ council and another was a varsity sports team member. It seems strange that these students would be involved with bullying, but the anonymity of the internet means that people feel freer to say things online that they would never say face-to-face. People are often more cruel online and because they never see their victim’s reaction, they are much less likely to realize the impact of their actions.
Victims often resist reporting cyber bullying to adults for fear of having Internet privileges or cell phones taken away. When the Internet and cell phones are such important tools for communicating with your friends, the prospect of losing them is devastating. But, there is a lot you can do when you’ve been the victim of cyber bullying.
Never respond to harassing messages online; instead, block the user. Most websites have tools that will allow you to report users who are abusive or violating the terms of use by harassing other users. Sometimes it’s as easy as clicking a “report abuse” link. But if that’s not the case, there are still things you can do. It can be hard, but it’s important to tell an adult you trust about what is going on. Make sure to save screen-captures of offensive sites, and save chat room/instant messenger conversations. Inform your Internet service provider or cell phone service provider. They usually have terms of service agreements that prohibit users from harassing others online – it’s just a matter of reporting cyber bullying so that something can be done.
In order to prevent cyber bullying, be considerate when you’re posting online. It sounds cheesy, but ask yourself, “Would I be okay with someone else saying this about me on the Internet for everyone to read?” before making a comment about someone else. Speak out when you see someone being mean to someone else on a bulletin board or in a chat room. Bullies respond better to criticism from someone they consider a peer than to disapproval from an adult. Cyber bullying can be scary, but remember that you have the right to feel safe and secure – both online and off.
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