Cyberbullying occurs when children or teenagers are cause pain and stress by being tormented, embarrassed, threatened, harassed, or humiliated by another person using the Internet, mobile phones or interactive and digital technologies:
• Email, Instant Messaging, Text Messaging Harassment
• Stealing Passwords
• Blogs
• Web Sites
• Sending Pictures through E-mail, Cell Phones or posting them on Web sites and blogs
• Sending Malicious Code
• Impersonation
However, 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 becomes cyber-harassment or cyberstalking. Adult cyber-harassment or cyberstalking is NEVER called Cyberbullying.
There are known cases where children have killed each other and committed suicide after having been involved in a Cyberbullying incident.
- Why do you think that Cyberbullying is becoming increasingly a serious form of bullying?
- Why would our children and teenagers choose Cyberbullying rather than face-to-face confrontation?
- Does Cyberbullying have a greater affect on a person than verbal bullying?
© Shirley May 2008
