Cyber Bullying

It has came to my attention that Cyber Bullying is very common now.
*read, learn and not ignore. At least read some*
What is Cyber Bullying?

• Cyber bullying in the context of e-gaming can be considered the willful act of repeatedly harassing/annoying/threatening/abusing another person through the use of electronic devices and information available in games such as email, instant messaging and web sites.. In certain severe cases it can be considered as a cyber crime and is punishable by law.
• Cyber Bullying is verbal harassment that occurs during online activities.
  

Cyber Bullying can take many forms. These are a few:

1. A threatening e-mail· Nasty instant messaging session
2. Repeated notes sent to the cell phone
3. A website set up to mock others
4. Borrowing” someone’s screen name and pretending to be them while posting a message.
5. Forwarding supposedly private messages, pictures, or video to others.
   

Physical bullying is only at school via public, however, cyber bullying is 24 HOURS. So.. spammer who like to spam in other people tagbox, in such way, you're considering as cyber bullying? If you think that's fun, that's totally wrong. You'll harm both the victim and you, yourself. If you spam for the fun of doing it, you can only bear your consequences alone.

Report show that 14% of Singaporeans students have been experiencing cyber bullying through SMS via phone, and it is currently increasing rapidly. Are you one of them?

News of countries overboard have cases of students suicide because of cyber bullying. Do you even have a piece of guilt if you have caused your victim to death? I bet you don't.

Bullies are natural instigators and in cyberspace bullies can enlist the participation of other students who may be unwilling to bully in the real world. Kids who stand around doing nothing in a real life bullying incident often become active participants in online harassment.

The detachment afforded by cyberspace makes bullies out of people who would never become involved in a real life incident. The Internet makes bullying more convenient and since the victim’s reaction remains unseen people who wouldn’t normally bully don’t take it as seriously.

If you're currently bullying, please stop. It is even worse than physical bullying, you'll never feel how much the damage is. In some circumferences, some victims attempt to commit suicide because of the damages they couldn't afford to take. The victim will start thinking that the whole school knows about it but honestly, we do not know how many people are aware of it. It may be more than a profitable school amount, or perhaps a state amount. For victims, being constantly subjected to taunts is a living hell, with possible long-term consequences.

Experts believe that the faceless nature of the Net makes online thuggery an even bigger threat than physical harm. When a bully hides behind the screen, they can say things that they cannot verbally say to the victim.

What can parents do?

• Educate your child on such cases, giving them the knowledge on appropriate reactions to such incidents.
• Learn about the Internet and what your child is doing online.
• Encourage your child to come to you if anybody says or does something online that makes them feel uncomfortable or threatened.
• Encourage kids to develop their own moral code so they will choose to behave ethically online.
• Take action if your child is being bullied online - watch out for signs that your child is being bullied online - a reluctance to use the computer or a sudden change in behaviour may be an indication.
• Report any incident of online harassment and physical threats to your local police and your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

What about you, the victims can do?

• Log or record down the threats/acts for evidence.
• Do not respond emotionally to the bully, it only encourages him/her.
• Guard your contact information.
• If you are being harassed online, tell an adult you trust.
• Leave the area or stop the activity (i.e. online gaming area, instant messaging etc) and/or block the sender's messages.
• If the bullying includes physical threats and both parties seems to know who each other are, record down and bring the evidence to make a police report to prevent escalation into real life bullying.

Prevention Techniques: Avoiding Bullies Online

• Don’t give out private information such as passwords, pins, name, address, phone number, school name, or family and friends’ names. This information can be used by bullies and other harmful people on the Internet. Don’t even reveal your password to your friends. They might reveal it or use it against you in a fight.
• Don’t exchange pictures or give out e-mail addresses to people you meet on the Internet. Ask permission from parents when it is necessary to give such information.
• Don’t send a message when you are angry—it’s hard to undo things that are said in anger.
• Delete messages from people you don’t know, or those from people who seem angry or mean.
• When something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t. Get out of the site, chat, etc.
• Realize that online conversations are not private. Others can copy, print, and share what you say or any pictures you send. Be careful!
  

Get the benefits of technology, not its side effects.

Cell phones, PCs, email and the Internet give us and our children great information and communication advantages. Most of the time they use those advantages wisely, keeping us informed of their whereabouts, socializing with friends, doing homework, and so on. With conscientious parenting, we can make sure our children get all the great benefits of today’s technology and not its unfortunate side effects.