Amy Seery MD
Via Christi Medical Center
Family Medicine Residency
September 2013
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Is avoiding technology the answer?
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Is this really affecting my child?
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How does cyberbullying occur?
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Is cyberbullying really that harmful for anyone?

What if my child is the victim? Or the bully?
Cultural Inertia
Class
School
City
State
Nation
Worldwide

Overt
 Physical (hitting, kicking, gym aggression,
items stolen)
 Verbal (name calling, mocking, teasing)

Relational
 Social exclusion, spreading rumors
 Cyberbullying
having personal

"Cyberbullying" is when a child, preteen or teen is
tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated,
embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child,
preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital
technologies or mobile phones.

Adult involvement is “cyber-harassment” or
“cyber-stalking”
Stopcyberbullying.org


Cyberbullying is different from “traditional” face-to-face
aggression because of the anonymity of the mediums used.
The distance between the perpetrator
and the victim prevents the
perpetrator from seeing the harmful
consequences of their actions or to
experience any sympathy/empathy
for their victim.
Mean 24.4
Victims
Bullies
October 2003


He was repeatedly sent instant
messages from middle school
classmates accusing him of being gay,
and was "threatened, taunted and
insulted incessantly"
Bullying on the internet "amplified and
accelerated the hurt and pain he was
trying to deal with, that started in
the real world".
Growing Up Online (Chapter 6: "Cyberbullying"). [Television production]. Boston: PBS. January 22, 2008.
Event occurs at 0:08:16–0:08:30. http://www.pbs.org/frontline/video/share.html?s=frol02n3b7q4e. Retrieved
2010-10-27.
October 2006

Witnesses testified that the
women intended to use Meier’s
e-mails with "Josh" to get
information about her and later
humiliate her, in retribution for
her allegedly spreading gossip
about Drew's daughter
Steinhauer, Jennifer (November 26, 2008). "Verdict in MySpace Suicide Case". New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/27/us/27myspace.html?_r=1&hp. Retrieved 2010-10-27.
July 2008

She had sent nude pictures of
herself to a boyfriend. When they
broke up, he sent them to other high
school girls. The girls were harassing
her, calling her a slut and a whore. She
was miserable and depressed, afraid
even to go to school.
Celizic, Mike (March 6, 2009). “Her teen committed suicide over ‘sexing’". Today Parenting- MSNBC.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/29546030. Retrieved 2010-10-27.
April 2009
 "There is name-calling,
there is teasing, but I will
tell you that it is almost
always done outside the
presence of adults. There is
a code of silence among
the students."
Time Magazine. Bullying: Suicides Highlight a Schoolyard Problem By Paige Bowers Wednesday, May. 20,
2009
September 2010

The bullying took every
form. "It was eye to eye,
over the telephone,
personal, over the Internet.
He spent a lot of his life
frightened."
Time Magazine. The Bullying of Seth Walsh: Requiem for a Small-Town Boy By Bryan Alexander / Tehachapi
Saturday, Oct. 02, 2010
September 2010
 His roommate had secretly
recorded a video of
Clementi kissing a guy; the
video went up on YouTube.
On Facebook, Clementi
offered a final status
update:
"jumping off gw bridge sorry."
Jonathan Lemire, Michael J. Feeney And Larry Mcshane (1 October 2010). "He Wanted Roomie Out Rutgers Suicide
Complained Of Video Voyeur Before Fatal Fall". Daily News (New York): p. 2. Retrieved 2010-10-27.
September 21st 2011Freshman at NE High

"We never even thought in a
million years this would happen. It
was a complete shock," Morawitz
said.

"We knew she was being bullied
and that some crap was going on
at school. . . . We tried to make the
school aware of it. They knew
what was going on, but they didn't
do anything about it."
A continuum of cyberbullying:
Ignored
Disrespected
Spreading
Rumors
Stalking
Physical
Threats

Minors involved = illegal

Taken without consent = illegal

Taken by the subject and handed
over freely ≠ illegal
(aka: cyberbullying-by-proxy)
Are more likely to
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

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Abuse alcohol and other drugs in adolescence and as adults.
Get into fights, vandalize property, and drop out of school.
Engage in early sexual activity.
Have criminal convictions and traffic citations as adults. In one study,
60% of boys who bullied others in middle school had a criminal
conviction by age 24.
Be abusive toward their romantic partners, spouses or children as adults.

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Have increased use of tobacco, alcohol or other drugs.
Have increased mental health problems, including
depression and anxiety.
Are more likely to miss or skip school.




Guilty
Powerful
Popular
Better than others
21%
9%
6%
4%
Mishna F, et al. Cyber Bullying Behaviors Among Middle and High School Students. American Journal
of Orthopsychiatry. 2010. Vol 8, No 3, 362-374

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
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Anger, revenge, frustration, jealousy
Vengeance for the wronged friend
Entertainment
Boredom
Ego booster
Readily accessible
Revenge of the Nerd- victim becomes the bully
Impersonal nature of a screen

58% have not told their parents or an adult about something
mean or hurtful that happened to them online.

Cyberbullying is rarely reported
 Fear of retaliation or worsening of the bullying
 A major barrier is fear of losing internet or phone
privileges.
isafe.org
Kowalski R, et al. Electronic bullying among middle school students. Journal of Adolescent Health, 41,
S22-S30. 2007.
One of the most
damaging effects is
that a victim begins
to avoid friends
and activities, often
the very intention
of the cyberbully.

In general, peer harassment leads to:
• Depression
• Decreased selfworth
• Hopelessness
• Loneliness
• Lower GPA / Grad
rates
• Poor sleep patterns
• Emotionally labile
• Withdrawal
• Avoidance of
media
• Lying
• Poor health (up to
3 yr)
• Use of violence in
confrontations
Hinduja S, et al. Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Suicide. Archives of Suicide Research. 14:206-221, 2010.

CDC: suicide was the 2nd leading cause of death among 10-24
year olds in 2010.

Even though suicide rates have decreased between 19902000 among young people, there has been an upward trend
in 10- to 20-year olds from 2000-2010.
Baldry A, et al. Direct and vicarious victimization at school and at home as risk factors for suicidal
cognition among Italian adolescents. Journal of Adolescence. 26(6). 703-716. 2003.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2007. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 56(35),
905-908.

Youth who are bullied are at an elevated risk for suicidal ideation,
attempts, and completion of suicides.

Among boys who were frequently bullied (at least once per week)
4% had severe suicidal ideation versus 1% in boys not bullied.

In girls, of those bullied 8% had severe SI versus 1% in those not.

Of those who bullied others at least once per week both boys and
girls showed 8% increase of severe SI.
Kaltiala-Heino R, et al. Bullying, depression, and suicidal ideation in Finnish adolescents: School Survey. British Medical
Journal. 319(7206). 348-351. 1999.

Youth who experienced traditional bullying or cyberbullying,
as either offender or victim, scored higher on suicidal
ideation scales.

Cyberbullying victimization was a stronger predictor of
suicidal ideation than bullying or cyberbullying offending.
Hinduja S, et al. Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Suicide. Archives of Suicide Research. 14:206-221, 2010.
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Recognize the importance of online relationships
for children and adolescents
Counsel and demonstrate internet safety and
responsibility
Encourage efforts by schools and lawmakers
Ask about your child’s screen time (cell, tv,
games, computer, etc.)
Talk about your child’s “online life”
Talk about suicide with your child
Encourage open communication between your
child and their teachers, physician, and other
trusted adults

Is it okay to “snoop”?
 Play-date analogy

Use parental monitoring software and site
filters
 Do NOT rely on these methods only



An opportunity to reward good behavior
Keep passwords for emergencies
Check your child’s internet History

Talk about allowable and unallowable sites
 BAN Ask.fm and sites that promote negativity

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Set a time limit for use
Consistently apply firm consequences for
inappropriate on-line behavior

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Sexual Orientation
Race
Disability
Mental health
Poverty
Depression
Victim

Use the right words (Avoid “me” & “you”)
 NO- “I don’t like what you posted about me.”
 YES- “That post doesn’t belong on Facebook
Using assertive language is most effective!
 Facebook is making changes. Links provided allow
children to respond to posts or images that they
don’t like in a constructive manner

Keep evidence of cyberbullying.
 Record the dates, times, and descriptions of instances when cyber bullying
has occurred. Save and print screenshots, emails, and text messages. Use this
evidence to report cyberbullying to web and cell phone service providers.

Block the person who is cyberbullying.

Report the cyberbullying to social media sites
and internet service providers
 Cyberbullying behavior usually violates the
terms of service

Cyber activities that include the following are crimes and
should be reported to police:
 Threats of violence or extortion
 Child pornography or sending sexually
explicit messages or photos
 Taking a photo or video of someone in
a place where he or she would expect privacy
 Stalking and hate crimes

K.S.A. 72-8256

Introduced 2007
 Amended in 2008 to include Cyberbullying
 March 2011- first week of Oct is Bullying Awareness Week
 Additional amendments to strengthen this law “died in committee” June 2012

USD 259 P1464 PUPIL BEHAVIOR – REGULATIONS

Bullying occurs in all forms including, but not limited to, appearance, status with a peer
group (social power), intellectual, socio-economic, gender, race, sexual orientation,
ethnicity, etc. Bullying in any form is prohibited on school property, in a school vehicle,
or at a school-sponsored activity or event. In addition, bullying is prohibited while
utilizing school property. Bullying includes Cyberbullying.

What doesn’t work:
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Zero-tolerance policies
Conflict resolution with peer mediation
Group treatment for student who bully
Simple, short-term solutions
What does work:
 Role playing, practice scenarios as part of year-long curriculum
 Acknowledging bullying outside of school affects school performance
and attendance
 Protecting students that report cyber bullying
 Strict monitoring of digital media use
 Helping to educate parents
 School Violence Hotline 1-877-626-8203

If a child is bullied because of their race, ethnicity,
or disability and local help is not working to solve
the problemContact the U.S. Department of Education’s Office
on Civil Rights

No federal laws currently against “bullying”
 Only Harassment / Discrimination protection
▪ Qualifiers for Federal protection:
Severe,
Persistent,
Pervasive
Hostile
environment
Race/Ethnic
(Student’s
participation
is limited)
Sex
Color
Disability
*Religion

D.D. v. R.R.
In this cyberbullying case, D.C., a 15 year old student, and his parents
brought a hate crime, defamation, and other claims against another
student, R.R., and his parents concerning the posting of threatening and
derogatory comments on the student, D.C.'s, web page. One comment
referred to R.R.'s desire to "pound your head in with an ice pick". The
court denied the special motion to strike under California Code of Civil
Procedure § 425.16. The Court of Appeal found that the defendants
statements were true threats and were not protected speech and not a
public issue. This case demonstrates that some instances of cyber
bullying may not necessarily be protected under Freedom of Speech.
D.C. v. R.R., 182 Cal. App. 4th 1190 (2010)
www.stopbullying.com
www.stopcyberbullying.org
www.ncpc.org provides information about stopping
cyber bullying before it starts.
 www.wiredsafety.com
 “Growing Up Online” Frontline- PBS, purchase DVD
or view on-line at:
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www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/view/
www.commonsense.org
October 10th, 2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej7afkypUsc
References
Baldry A, et al. Direct and vicarious victimization at school and at home as risk factors for suicidal cognition
among Italian adolescents. Journal of Adolescence. 26(6). 703-716. 2003.
Bandura A. 2002. Selective moral disengagement in the exercise of moral agency. J Moral Edu 31:101-119.
Celizic, Mike (March 6, 2009). “Her teen committed suicide over ‘sexing’". Today Parenting- MSNBC.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/29546030. Retrieved 2010-10-27.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2007. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 56(35), 905-908.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Injury Prevention: Youth Violence: National Statistics.
http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/youthviolence/stats_at-a_glance/national_stats.html . Retrieved 201309-09.
“Common Sense media agreement for parents and kids (teens).” www.commonsense.org. Retrieved 2013-0909.
Growing Up Online (Chapter 6: "Cyberbullying"). [Television production]. Boston: PBS. January 22, 2008. Event
occurs at 0:08:16–0:08:30. http://www.pbs.org/frontline/video/share.html?s=frol02n3b7q4e. Retrieved 2010-1027.
Hinduja S, et al. Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Suicide. Archives of Suicide Research. 14:206-221, 2010.
KSDE Bullying Prevention. Statement from the Kansas State Board of Education. Access from
http://www.ksde.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=KGbmh5hB-fY%3D&tabid=4732 on December 5th, 2012.
Kaltiala-Heino R, et al. Bullying, depression, and suicidal ideation in Finnish adolescents: School Survey.
British Medical Journal. 319(7206). 348-351. 1999.
Kowalski R, et al. Electronic bullying among middle school students. Journal of Adolescent Health, 41, S22S30. 2007.
Kowalski R, et al. 2008. Cyber Bullying. Malden, MA: Blackwell.
Jonathan Lemire, Michael J. Feeney And Larry Mcshane (1 October 2010). "He Wanted Roomie Out Rutgers
Suicide Complained Of Video Voyeur Before Fatal Fall". Daily News (New York): p. 2. Retrieved 2010-10-27.
Mishna F, et al. Cyber Bullying Behaviors Among Middle and High School Students. American Journal of
Orthopsychiatry. 2010. Vol 8, No 3, 362-374.
Pornari CD, et al. Peer and Cyber Aggression in Secondary School Students: The Role of Moral
Disengagement, Hostile Attribution Bias, and Outcome Expectancies. Aggressive Behavior. Vol 36, pg 81-94.
(2010)
Steinhauer, Jennifer (November 26, 2008). "Verdict in MySpace Suicide Case". New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/27/us/27myspace.html?_r=1&hp. Retrieved 2010-10-27.
Young, R. (Writer), & Ashlock, A. (Director). (2013). Facebook Debuts New Bullying Reporting Messages
[Radio series episode]. In K. McKenna (Producer), Here and Now. Boston: NPR, WBUR.