There is a new kind of humiliation in schools these days -- bullying
on the Internet. Children are using the anonymity of the Internet to
harass other children, spread cruel rumors, and sometimes even threaten
physical harm. And the worst thing is that it can happen anywhere,
anytime. The same technology that has brought so many benifits is also
bringing pain to far too many children, while allowing others to brutalize
their peers without the chance of getting caught.
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New Pain, old problem. There's nothing new about
bullying, but the Internet has made it a far easier thing to accomplish.
By simply creating a separate screen name or instant message (IM)
identity, kids can use the Internet to send hate mail that. in
most cases, can't be traced.
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Not an isolated incident. Studies have found
that as many as one in four childern has been harrassed online.
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IMs are the biggest problem. Instant messaging
(IM) has replaced the pre-teen and teen rituals of the past-- passing
notes and talking on the phone. IMs are where the vast majority
of bullying takes place online. Unlike computer screen names, people
can create an unlimited number of IM names for themselves. Kids
use this as an opportunity to create untraceable identities that
they use to bully others online.
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Bad Judgement can cause a lifetime of hurt. Children
sometimes, without thinking of the consequences, send very personal
information to others over the Internet. Love-sick girls have sent
obscene photos or videos of themselves to the boys they like, and
vice versa. Once they're sent, they're "out there." The
person who receives the images can send them to others, and so
on. Some parents have been shocked to find that there are pornographic
images of their own children available to anyone on the Web.
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Discuss the topic with your child. You
may be surprised to learn that your child already has been a target
of cyber-bullying. If so, the most improtant thing is to find out
what kind of bullying is taking place. Are the words just cruel,
or are threats involved? If your child is being victimized, make
sure he or she lets you know when it's happening.
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Keep records. Use your computer to
copy and print all of the offending IMs or e-mails, including the "buddy
name" of the perpetrator. Print them out and take them to your
school principal and discuss the problem. If physical harm is bing
threatened, you must talk to the police. Although it is difficult
to discover the identity of an Internet name, authorities can do
so if a life has been threatened.
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Monitor your children when they are on the
computer. Listen for signs that they are being unkind
(cruel laughter as they send of read an IM or e-mail), as well
as for indications that they are being bullied. Then take action.
Your children need your help.
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