Cyber Bullying: A New Way to Pack a Punch

Technology can make our lives easier and may help us stay in touch with loved ones. However, this can allow a new type of bully instant access to your child. Today, bullying no longer stops on the playground. With the help of technology, bullies can continue their taunts twenty-four hours a day. They can send mean messages and emails, no matter where their targets go. These types of bullies are known as cyber bullies.

Bullying is repeated aggressive behavior. It is meant to harm people who have a difficult time defending themselves. Cyber bullies use electronic text (such as e-mails, instant messaging, cell phones, web pages, blogs, social networking sites and chat rooms) to hurt their targets. Using these technologies, bullies may:

• Send mean, vulgar, or threatening messages or images
• Publicly post sensitive, private information about another person
• Pretend to be someone else in order to make their target look bad

Cyber bullying is on the rise. The number of youth who have been bullied or have bullied online has doubled since the year 2000.¹

Why should adults care about cyber bullying? Research shows bullying can lead to problems later in life whether your child is the bully, being bullied or a bystander.

Bullies are more likely to:

• Get into fights
• Wreck property
• Drop out of school
• Drink alcohol
• Smoke
• Carry a weapon

Boys who bullied in middle school were four times as likely as peers to have more than one criminal conviction by age 24.²

Bullied youth are more likely to:

• Be depressed, lonely, and anxious
• Have low self-esteem
• Have migraine headaches and feel unwell
• Think about suicide

This behavior can carry over into adulthood. Adults who were bullied as children have higher rates of depression and lower self-esteem than their non-bullied peers.²

Bystanders are more likely to:

• Feel fearful because they may be afraid that they are next
• Feel guilty because they feel they should have done something to stop it
• Get distracted from school work

How can you protect your child from cyber bullying?

Kids sometimes don't want to tell adults about cyber bullying because they don't want to lose their computer privileges. Try to balance being aware of your child's online activity while also respecting their privacy. The signs and symptoms of cyber bullying aren't as obvious as missing lunch money or a black eye.

Educating yourself is a good place to start. Don't be afraid of the technology; many libraries offer low-cost "Introductions to the Internet" courses. Here are some tips that may be helpful to keep the lines of communication open with your child:

• Have your home computer in a public place within the home, such as the living room, where it can easily be monitored
• Talk with your kids about online activities and specifically about cyber bullying
• Let them know what acceptable online behavior is. Follow through with consequences if they break the rules
• Tell your child that you may watch him or her online if you think there is reason for concern
• Check social networking sites to see what your child may be posting on their pages

If your child has been the victim of bullying:

• Save the messages and pictures as evidence
• Try to identify the cyber bully through your Internet service provider
• File a complaint with cell phone companies, e-mail services, Internet service providers or website companies
• Block future messages from the sender's account
• Contact your child's school administrators. If cyber bullying is happening through your child's school district's internet system, the school may be able to help
• Contact the school counselor or another mental health provider for more strategies on how to prevent and cope with bullying

If your child is involved in bullying - either as a bully or a victim - it's important to get help. Seeking help from school officials or from a mental health professional may be a necessary step to stopping the bullying.

References:

1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Cyberbullying. Retrieved March 20, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/adult/indexAdult.asp?Area=cyberbullying

2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). The Scope and Impact of Bullying. Retrieved March 20, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/HHS_PSA/pdfs/SBN_Tip_11.pdf

This material is provided by CIGNA Behavioral Health, Inc. for informational/educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical/clinical advice. Only a healthcare provider can make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment plan. For more information about your behavioral health benefits, you can call the member services or behavioral health telephone number listed on your healthcare identification card.