CYBERBULLYING
Computer Science 1631, Winter 2011
Kayla Hodgkins
“Cyberbullying can be the equivalent of “social
death” for many young people.”
WHAT IS CYBERBULLYING?

Cyberbullying is when a child or preteen is
harassed, threatened, or humiliated by another
child or preteen.
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Cyberbullying takes place through digital
technologies or mobile phones.
HOW DOES IT WORK?

There are two kinds of cyberbullying:
 Direct
attacks
 Cyberbullying by proxy
 Direct
attacks are messages sent to the person
directly.
 Cyberbullying by proxy is using others to assist
cyberbullying the victim. This can be done with or
without the accomplice’s knowledge.
OTHER INFORMATION
According to studies, young people are most
likely to encounter cyberbullying through
instant message, but with the use of cell
phones and digital cameras are adding a new
level to the problem.
 The surfacing trend of sexting also exposes
teens and preteens to the dangers of
cyberbullying.

WHY CYBERBULLYING?

There are many reasons that children and
teens use cyberbullying but the main ones
include:
 Motivation
by anger
 Revenge or frustration
 A form of entertainment due to boredom
 Many technological “toys” available
 And many do it for laughs or to get a reaction
WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF CYBERBULLYING?

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Victims of cyberbullying often suffer from low selfesteem and self esteem issues. Cyberbullying also
effects the victim psychologically, as well as emotionally.
Victims of cyberbullying struggle with anger, frustration,
and sadness as a result of bullying.
Victims of cyberbullying also often experience a number
of negative behaviours such as:

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Poor concentration
Low school achievement
Absenteeism from school (due to the fear of facing their
bully at school)
MEGAN MEIER: A VICTIM OF CYBERBULLYING

Megan was an American teenager from
Missouri who committed suicide three weeks
before her fourteenth birthday after being
cyberbullied through MySpace.
A
neighbour and other teens in the area created a
fake account and sent inappropriate and
humiliating messages to Megan through this alias.
 The messages were hurtful and Megan committed
suicide due to this harassment.
DAVID KNIGHT: BURLINGTON, ONTARIO

A web site about teenager David Knight of Burlington,
Ontario had been active for several months before a
classmate told him about it. "I went there and sure enough
there's my photo on this web site saying 'Welcome to the web
site that makes fun of Dave Knight' and just pages of hateful
comments directed at me and everyone in my family."
Whoever created the web site asked others to join in, posting
lewd, sexual comments and smearing David's reputation. "I
was accused of being a pedophile. I was accused of using
the date rape drug on little boys," says David. Along with the
web site, there were nasty e-mails too. "Here's an e-mail,
'You're gay, don't ever talk again, no one likes you, you're
immature and dirty, go wash your face.'"
LAUREN NEWBY: DALLAS, TEXAS

High school sophomore Lauren Newby was the subject of nasty
postings on a web site message board started by a former student at
her school. The thread, which was called "Lauren is a fat cow MOO
BITCH," made fun of her weight ("people don't like you because you
are a suicidal cow who can't stop eating") and her bout with multiple
sclerosis ("I guess I'll have to wait until you kill yourself which I hope
is not long from now, or I'll have to wait until your disease [M.S.] kills
you"), and urged her boyfriend to break up with her. The message
board was exceptional not only for the viciousness of the attacks on
Lauren (which included an entire page of the words "Die bitch
queen!" repeated hundreds of times), but also because the violence
online escalated into the offline world. Lauren's car was egged, "MOO
BITCH" was scrawled in shaving cream on the sidewalk in front of her
house, and a bottle filled with acid was thrown at her front door.
SOME STATISTICS




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Over half of adolescents and teens have been bullied
online, and about the same number have engaged in
cyberbullying.
More than 1 in 3 young people have been threatened
online.
Over 25% of adolescents and teens have been bullied
repeatedly though their cell phones or internet.
1 in 10 adolescents or teens have had embarrassing or
damaging pictures taken of themselves without their
permission.
Girls are more likely than boys to be involved in
cyberbullying.
TIPS FOR CYBERBULLYING
Don’t open or read messages by cyberbullies.
 Don’t erase the messages, they may be need to
take action.
 Protect yourself, never agree to meet with the
person.
 Block the bully if it is through instant messaging
 If you are threatened with harm, inform the local
authorities.

10 Ways to Prevent Cyberbullying
1. Don’t encourage anyone to use
the internet to bully someone.
2. If you can’t say something nice online
about someone, don’t say it at all.
3. Don’t email or publish any
embarrassing photographs, videos or
audio recordings.
4. If you know that someone is being
bullied online, tell someone.
5. Don’t send emails or other online
messages that threaten a person.
Continued:
6. Don’t send emails or other online messages
that use foul or abusive language.
7. Don’t send or post angry messages online.
8. Follow family rules about online behavior.
9. Follow school rules about online behavior.
10. If you receive a threatening or harassing
message, tell someone.
CONCLUSION
Cyberbullying can come in many forms such as
sexting, instant messaging, social networking
sites, pictures from digital cameras, and texting.
 Cyberbullying is when a child or preteen is
harassed, threatened, or humiliated by another
child or preteen.
 Cyberbullying can happen to anyone, be aware of
the ways cyberbullying happens, and ways to
combat them.

WORKS CITED
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“Cyberbullying." Media for Social Change. Web. 28 Jan 2011.
<http://citizenshift.org/node/27442&dossier_nid=25684>.
"Stop Cyberbullying." STOP Cyberbullying. STOP, n.d. Web. 28 Jan 2011.
<http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/how_it_works/index.html>.
"Cyberbullying." Newswire. Web. 28 Jan 2011. <new-safe-social-networking-site-for-kids-launchesoffering-millions-of-parents-break-through-solution-to-protect-their-children-from-epidemic-of-cyberbullying-sexual-predators>.
"Cyberbullying." Be Web Aware. Be Aware, 2010. Web. 28 Jan 2011.
<http://www.bewebaware.ca/english/cyberbullying.html>.
"Cyberbullying Statistics." Bullying Statistics. N.p., 2009. Web. 30 Jan 2011.
<http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/cyber-bullying-statistics.html>.
Clifford, Cassandra. "Cyber Bullying." Children The World Affairs Blog Network. Foreign Policy Blogs
Network, 26, 009, 2010. Web. 28 Jan 2011.
<http://children.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2010/09/26/cyber-bullying/>.
Leishman, Joan. "Cyber-bullying." CBC News. CBC News, 003, 2005. Web. 29 Jan 2011.
<http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/bullying/cyber_bullying.html>.
Benfer, Amy. "Cyber Slammed." Salon. Salon, 007, 2001. Web. 29 Jan 2011.
<http://dir.salon.com/mwt/feature/2001/07/03/cyber_bullies/index.html?sid=1039555>.
"Top 10 ways to prevent cyberbullying." Speedbrake Publishing. Speedbrake Publishing, 27, 007,
2007. Web. 29 Jan 2011. <http://www.speedbrake.com/tips/bullies.htm>.