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understanding and identifying
cyberbullying to help protect
your children
GETWITH
IT!
A guide to cyberbullying
A joint initiative by:
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
K_116_081023_ CYBERBULLYING_Cover_Riana v4 dimensions.pdf 30/10/2008 15:20:12
GETWITH
IT!
The content of this booklet was produced by the National Centre for Technology in Education and the Office for Internet Safety in conjunction with Barnardos.
All rights rest with the Office for Internet Safety.
This booklet is about helping you
Increasingly easy access to powerful communication tools such as social networking websites, video and photograph sharing sites and internet camera-phones means that, all over the world, people are saying new things to new audiences. However, these sometimes anonymous, instant and far reaching communication capabilities have brought a new dimension to child protection issues such as cyberbullying. Technologies can be used by young people for a wide range of activities that annoy, harass and intimidate each other.
Parents worry about the dangers of cyberbullying. This booklet is intended to increase awareness of all aspects of cyberbullying in the new media world and to help parents and their children understand the often confusing issues of new media technologies and tools which children and young people are using for this behaviour.
This publication was produced as a joint initiative between the Office for Internet Safety, the National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE), O2 and Barnardos
For more information Contact:
Office for Internet Safety Department of Justice and Equality 51 St. Stephen’s Green Dublin 2
Freefone 1800 24 25 95 E: [email protected]: www.internetsafety.ie
Expert Review Group
The Office for Internet Safety convened an Expert Review Group to review the content of this guide to ensure that it accurately reflected the wide ranging and diverse views of the key stakeholders in the area, including representatives of the ISP and mobile phone industries, Government Departments and Agencies and non–governmental bodies that had a specific interest in issues addressed in the booklet.
The following bodies were formally represented on the Expert Review Group
Office for Internet SafetyNational Centre for Technology in EducationBarnardosNational Parents Council PrimaryAn Garda SíochánaInternet Service Providers Association of IrelandIrish Cellular Industry AssociationNational Youth Council of IrelandO2 Google Ireland
The Office for Internet Safety would like to take this opportunity to express its gratitude to all the members of the Expert Review Group for their work and professionalism in contributing to the publication of this guide.
11/12 (5,000) Brunswick Press Ltd. (27336)
1
CONTENTS PAGE
1. Introduction
2. WhatisCyberbullying?
3. PreventingCyberbullying
4. Keyadviceforchildrenandyoungpeople
5. Keyadviceforparents
6. Whenandhowtocontacttheserviceprovider
7. Usefulwebsites
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1. Introduction
Theeaseofaccesstopowerfulcommunicationtoolssuchassocialnetworkingwebsites,videoandphotographsharingsites,internetenabled camera-phones and games consoles means that, allovertheworld,peoplearesayingnewthingsinnewwaystonewaudiences. Individuals are sharing ideas and views like neverbefore. Email, instant messaging, texting, and social networkingsitessuchas:Bebo,Facebook,MySpaceandNimble,areallowingchildren in Ireland to connect with each other and engage withsocietyinwaysthatwerepreviouslyunimaginable.
At the same time we are seeing how the anonymous, instant,andfar-reachingcommunicationcapabilitieshavebroughtanewdimension to child protection issues such as bullying. Bullying isnotanewphenomenon.However theways inwhich ithappensare changing. Technologies are being used by young peoplefor a wide range of activities that annoy, harass, and intimidateeach other. Depending on the context, these behaviours can beconsidered anywhere on a spectrum from relatively harmless toverydamaging.
The issue is further clouded by the fact that this generation ofteenagers isdealingwithamassiveamountof communicationsthat don’t have the nuance of tone-of-voice or body language;two factors thatplaysuchan important role inhowwe interpretmessages.Inthepast,throwawaycommentsdisappearedintotheetherassoonastheywerespokenwhereasnowadaysmessagesare persistent, almost permanent. In fact these communicationsarearchivedonlineandarenotonlyvisible tomanybutmaybesearchable,evenwhentheyarebelievedtohavebeenremoved.The internet gives us a window into many previously unknownaspectsofchildren’slives,thingsthatpreviouslyhappenedwithoutourknowledge.
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2. What is Cyberbullying?
Bullyingisrepeatedaggression,verbal,psychologicalorphysicalconductbyanindividualorgroupagainstothers.Bullyingisalwayswrongandisunacceptablebehaviourwhichshouldneverbeoverlookedorignored.Cyberbullyingreferstobullyingwhichiscarriedoutusingtheinternet,mobilephoneorothertechnologicaldevices.Cyberbullyinggenerallytakesapsychologicalratherthanphysicalformbutisoftenpartofawiderpatternof‘traditional’bullying.Itcantaketheformofsendingnasty,meanorthreatening
messages,emails,photosorvideoclips;silentphonecalls;puttingupnastypostsorpicturesonamessageboard,websiteorchatroom;sayinghurtfulthingsinachatroom;pretendingtobesomeoneelseinachatroomormessageboardortextmessageandsayinghurtfulthings;oraccessingsomeone’saccountstomaketroubleforthem.
Weneedtobecarefulnottorushtoseebullyingwhereitdoesn’texist.Once-offpostingofnastycommentsonsomeone’sprofileoruploadingphotographsintendedtoembarrasssomeoneisnotverynicebutitisnot,byitself,bullying.Bullyingiswidelyagreedtobebehaviourthatissustainedorrepeatedovertimeandwhichhasaseriousnegativeeffectonthewell-beingofthevictimandisgenerallyadeliberateseriesofactions.
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Different ways technology can be used to Cyberbully
• PERSONALINTIMIDATION–Thisbehaviourincludessendingthreateningtext(SMS)messages,postingabusiveandthreateningcommentsonthevictim’sprofileorotherwebsites,orsendingthreateningmessagesviainstantmessaging.
• IMPERSONATION–Thisbehaviourinvolvessettingupfakeprofilesandwebpagesthatareattributedtothevictim.Itcanalsoinvolvegainingaccesstosomeone’sprofileorinstantmessagingaccountandusingittocontactothersandsubsequentlybullywhileimpersonatingtheaccountorprofileowner.
• EXCLUSION–ThisbehaviourinvolvesblockinganindividualfromapopulargrouporcommunitysuchasaschoolorclassgroupinsitessuchasBebo,Facebook,orMySpace.
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• PERSONALHUMILIATION–Thisbehaviourinvolvespostingimagesorvideosintendedtoembarrassorhumiliatesomeone,itcaninvolveuserssharingandpostingimagesorvideosofvictimsbeingabusedorhumiliatedoffline,oruserssharingpersonalcommunicationssuchasemailsortextmessageswithawideraudiencethanwasintendedbythesender.
• FALSEREPORTING–Thisbehaviourinvolvesmakingfalsereportstotheserviceproviderorreportingotherusersforarangeofbehaviourswithaviewtohavingtheuser’saccountorwebsitedeleted.
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What do you need to know about Cyberbullying?
• Communication between young people is often hidden fromadults. They want to be with their friends in a space that isn’tinfluencedbyadultsandbecauseoftheconstraintsimposedonthem,theyrarelygettheopportunitytodothis.Thisinvisibilityisexaggeratedonlinewheretheyareincreasinglycommunicatingin ways that are unknown to adults and free from theirsupervision.
• When they are online, young people can hide behind theanonymitythattheinternetcanprovide.
• Thebigdifferencebetweenwritingnastymessagesonthebackof a school book and posting it on the internet is that themessages can potentially be seen by a very wide audiencealmost instantly. The message can remain available on theinternet even if it is later removed from the site where it wasfirstposted.
• Youngpeoplepostingmessagesontheinternettendnottofeelasresponsiblefortheironlineactionsastheydoin‘reallife’.Theyfrequentlydon’tfearbeingpunishedfortheiractions.
• Thistypeofbehaviourisoftenoutsideofthereachofschoolsasit often happens outside of school on home computers or viamobilephones.
• Young people are often fearful of telling others about beingbulliedbecausetheyfearthatthebullyingmayactuallybecomeworseiftheytell.
• Theyareoftenalsoafraid to report incidents,as they fear thatadults will take away their mobile phone, computer and/orinternetaccess.
• Inmostcases,cyberbulliesknowtheir targets,but theirvictimsdon’talwaysknowthepersonbullyingthem.Thiscanproveveryisolating for the victim in group, club or school settings wheretheycometodistrustalltheirpeers.
• Communicationstechnologieshavebecomewidespread.Asaresult,cyberbullyingcanhappenanytimeandanyplaceand,formanychildren,homeisnolongerasafehavenfrombullying.
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3. Preventing Cyberbullying
The issue of cyberbullying is a complex one that transcends theschoolenvironment.Education in itswidersense,within thehomeandthecommunity, iscritically important.Therearemanywaystominimisetheriskofonlinebullying,somewhichcanbeachievedbyusingsimplecommonsenseandothersbyintroducingpolicesintoschoolsoryouthorganisations.
AllschoolsandyouthgroupsshouldhaveanAnti-BullyingPolicyorstatementthatismadeknowntothepupilsormembersoftheyouthorganisations and their parents. Anti-bullying statements shouldalso be incorporated in an acceptable use policy (AUP). Furtherinformation on developing an acceptable use policy for generaltechnologyusewithinschoolsisavailableonhttp://www.webwise.ie/schools.Allmembersofthecommunityshouldbeinvolvedinthedevelopmentofbullyingpolicies;thesepoliciesshouldberigorouslyimplementedandreviewedregularly.
EducationalResourcesWhile it is recognised that home factors play a substantial role inthe prevention of bullying, the role of the school in preventativeworkiscrucialandshouldnotbeunderestimated.Social,Personaland Health Education (SPHE) provides students with opportunitiestodeveloptheskillsandcompetencies tocare for themselvesandothersandtomakeinformeddecisionsabouttheirhealth,personallivesandsocialdevelopment.TheNationalCentreforTechnologyinEducation(NCTE)workingwithSPHEcurriculumbodieshasdevelopedresources that enable students to explore their attitudes and theirsafety when using the internet and mobile phones. The modulescontainlessonplans,activitysheetsandinteractiveonlinelessons:
www.webwise.ie/learningresources
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Creatingapositive,supportiveatmosphere with clearchannelsforreportingbullyingaswellasbuildingawarenessof the issues are importantstepsthatcanhelptoreducetherisksandprovideanopenculture where bullying of thisnaturecanbefreelyreportedanddiscussed.
An Anti-Bullying Policy, which includes specific measures to dealwithbullyingbehaviourwithintheframeworkofanoverallCodeofBehaviour and Discipline, can be the most influential measure incountering bullying behaviour in schools and youth organisations.Thiscanbeeffectiveinsendingaclearmessageaboutbullyingbysettingdown:
• Whattheorganisationisdoingtopreventbullyingbehaviour• Whatstudentscando• Whatparentscando• Whatteachersandotherschoolstaffcando• Whotocontactintheeventofaproblem• Howincidentsarehandled
The National Youth Health Programme and the Child ProtectionUnitintheNationalYouthCouncilofIrelandhaveproducedananti-bullyingresourceandaccompanying training for theout-of-schoolsetting:
Lets Beat BullyingThisresourceisavailabletodownloadfrom
www.childprotection.ieorwww.youthhealth.ie
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Prevention at HomeGet Involved in your Child’s Online Life
Usetheparentingskillsthatyouapplytoeveryother aspect of your child’s life to help themstaysafeintheironlinelives.Thesinglebiggestthingyoucandotokeepyourchildsafeonlineistoengagewithwhattheydo.Letyourchildknowthatyouaretheretolistenandthatyouare available to help them should they getinvolvedincyberbullyinginanyway.
Know your child’s internet and phone useTo be able to guide your child with regard to their internet andphone use, it is important to understand how children use these
technologies.Encourageyourchildtoshowyouwhichwebsitestheylikevisitingandwhattheydothere.Acquiringknowledgeofhowchildrenuse these technologies can make it easier tomaketherightdecisionswithyourchildontheirinternetandmobilephoneuse.
Register as a contact on your child’s phoneMobile operators in Ireland provide a ‘Dual Access’ service. Thisserviceallowsbothparentandchildtohaveaccesstotheaccountrecords held by the mobile phone company including; accountbalances,numberscalledandtheservicesavailableonthemobilephone. Access to certain services such as the Internet may bebarred or restricted on your child’s handset. Contact your mobilephoneprovidertorequestfurtherinformation.
Encourage Respect for othersAsineverydaylife,thereareinformalethicalrulesforhowtobehavewhenrelatingtootherpeopleontheinternet.Talktoyourchildabouttheharmthatcanbecausedbycyberbullyingandensurethattheyunderstandwhattheconsequencesmightbeforeveryoneinvolved.
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4. Key Advice for Children and Young People:
Don’t Replytomessagesthatharassorannoyyou.Eventhoughyoumayreallywantto,thisisexactlywhatthesenderwants.Theywanttoknowthat they’vegotyouworriedandupset.Theyare trying tomesswithyourhead,don’tgivethemthatpleasure.Ifyourespondwithanevennastiermessage itmakes themthink that they reallygottoyou,andthat’sjustwhattheywant.Theymightevencomplainaboutyou!
Keep the Message.Youdon’thave to read it,butkeep it.Keeparecordthatoutlines,wherepossible,thedetails,datesandtimesofanyformofbullyingthatyouexperience.Thiswouldbeusefulwhereanyinvestigationweretobetakenbyyourschool,youthorganisation,oreventheGardaí.
Tell Someoneyoutrust.Talkingtoyourparents,friends, a teacher, youth leader or someoneyoutrustisusuallythefirststepindealingwithanyissue.Inthecaseofschoolrelatedbullyingmessages you should also talk to a teacheryou trust or guidance counsellor about it. IfyouneedtospeaktosomeoneinconfidencestraightawayyoucancallChildlineon 180066 66 66, or get help through their onlineservicesatwww.childline.ie.
Block the Sender.Youdon’tneedtoputupwithsomeoneharassingyou.IfyouaregettingmessagesthatupsetyouonyourBeboprofileor on MSN you can block the person simply by clicking the blockbutton.Onsomemobilephonesyoucanrestrictcommunicationstoanapprovedlistofcontacts.Youmightneedtocheckthemanualoraskanadulttohelpyoudothis.Mobilenetworkscan’tbarnumbersbuttheywillhelpyoutochangeyourphonenumberinthecaseofseriousbullying.
11
Report Problems to the people who can do something about it.You can take control by not putting up with offensive content andbyreportingitwhenyoucomeacrossit.Responsiblewebsitesandmobilephoneoperatorsprovidewaysfortheiruserstoreportthingssuchaspornography,bullyingcontent,orotheroffensivematerial.
Step 1: Report to the website or mobile phone operatorIfsomethingthatisintendedtobehurtfuloroffensivetosomeoneispostedonawebsiteorcirculatedbymobilephone,yourfirststepshouldbetocontacttheownersoftheservice.ForinformationonhowtodothispleaseseeSection6ofthispublication.Ifthisdoesn’thaveanyeffect,moveontostep2.
Step 2: Report Serious IssuesSeriousincidentsthatcouldbeillegalshouldbereportedtotheGardaí. Illegal issues include someone making inappropriatesexualsuggestions,racistremarks,orpersistentbullyingthat isseriously damaging to the victim’s well-being. If you are beingbullied by mobile phone, contact your mobile phone operator,theycanhelpbychangingyourphonenumber.
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5. Key Advice for Parents
Asaparent,youknowyourchildbetterthananyone.Youarebestplacedtoidentifyanddealwithanyincidencesofcyberbullyingtheymightencounter.Childrenwhohavebeenbulliedwillhavedifficultyinovercoming thisproblemaloneandwillneedyour reassuranceandencouragementintacklingit.
What should I look out for?If your child is avoidingschool,orseemsupset,sador angry (especially afterusing phone or PC); if yourchild is withdrawing fromusual activities, suddenlyshowing disinterest incomputers or rapidlyswitchingscreenswhenyouentertheroom,theymaybeavictimofcyberbullying.
Confirm that you are dealing with bullying behaviourTherearefourquestionsthat,whentakentogether,youcanusetohelpconfirmthatthebehaviouryouaredealingwithisbullying:• Target–Isyourchildspecificallytargetedontheirownoristhe
behaviourtargetedatagroupofpeople?• Duration–Hasthisbeenhappeningoveraperiodoftime?• Frequency–Isthisbehaviourpartofarecurringpattern?• Intention – Is this behaviour deliberately intended to harm or
upsetyourchild?
Report cyberbullyingYoushouldgetintouchwithyourchild’sschooloryouthorganisationifthebullyinginvolvesanotherpupilfromthatschooloryouthgroup.You should also contact the service provider through its Customer
13
CareorReportAbusefacility.IfthecyberbullyingisveryseriousandpotentiallycriminalyoushouldcontactyourlocalGardaí.
Respond appropriatelyIfyouareconcernedthatyourchildhasreceivedabullying,offensiveorharassingmessage,itisveryimportantthatyouencouragethemtotalktoyou.Respondingtoanegativeexperiencebystoppingtheiraccesstomobilephonesortheinternetmightresultinyoubeingleftouttheloopthenexttimethishappens.
What if I think my child may be involved in cyberbullying others?Children need to understand how much all forms of bullying,includingcyberbullying,hurtsandhow important it isnot tostandby when someone is beingbullied. It is important, therefore,that children learn “netiquette”(informal code of conduct on theinternet). You should explain thefollowing guidelines to them andstresshowimportantitisthattheybefollowed:
• Avoid hurting someone’s feelings by email or other forms ofelectroniccommunication;
• Respectotherpeople’sonlinerights;• Avoidinsultingsomeone;• Ifsomeoneinsultsyou,becalm;• Avoid“crashing”discussiongroupsorforums;• Respecttheprivacyofotherpeopleonline;• Beresponsibleonline.
Webwise Seminars for Parents – The NCTE and the NationalParents Council have developed an Internet Safety seminar forparents.Formoreinformationabouthowtogetaspeakertoyourschoolvisitwww.npc.ie.
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Video and Photo Sharing sitesIfaphotoor video that you feel violatesyourprivacy ispostedonawebsite,youshouldcontact theuploaderdirectlyusing thesitesmessage function. Sometimes they aren’t aware that you feeluncomfortablewiththepostingofthecontent.
Ifyoucan’tcontacttheuploaderortheyrefusetoremovethecontentinquestion,youshouldnotifythewebsiteownersofyourconcerns.Ifthecontentisillegalorgoesagainsttheirtermsandconditions,theywillremoveitfromthesitewithinareasonableamountoftime.
ReportcontentonYouTube:http://help.youtube.com/support/youtube/bin/request.py
ReportcontentonFlickr:http://www.flickr.com/report_abuse.gne
Social Networking sites Thefirstthingyoushoulddoifyouarehavingissueswithcontentonasocialnetworkingwebsiteisreportthemattertothewebsiteowners.Youcanuse thewebsitereporting tools todo this, forexampleonBeboyoucanclickonthe‘ReportAbuse’link.
BeboIfyouarenotamemberoftheBebowebsiteyoucanreportabusesontheBebositebysubmittingyour issues throughtheContactUs(http://www.bebo.com/ContactUs.jsp)
Inallcaseswhenreportingabuse,youshouldbeawarethatBebowill need any of the following details that apply to what is beingreportedsothattheycanidentifythecontentconcerned:Usernameor member ID #, Email address, Name of the School or the exactlocationofthecontent(nameofthephoto,club,poll,forum,orquiz).
6. When and How to Contact the Service Provider
15
TherearesimilarservicesavailableforotherSocialNetworkingsitessuchas:
Facebookwww.facebook.com/help
IfyouareexperiencingdifficultieswithotherSocialNetworkingSitesnot listedabove,youshouldcontact thesiteadministratorsdirectlyforadviceandassistance.
Internet ChatWindowsmessengerLive
You can report any illegal or inappropriate behaviour, such asharassment or threats, on MSN Messenger by notifying Microsoftusingtheformonthiswebpage:
https://support.live.com/eform.aspx?productKey=wlmessengerabuse&ct=eformts
Skypehttp://support.skype.com
YahooMessengerhttp://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/abuse/
If you are experiencing difficulties with other operators not listedabove, you should contact your operator directly for advice andassistance.
Internet Service ProvidersIf you are experiencing bullying or harassment through a socialnetworking service (SNS) and you are encountering difficulty inreportingthisbehaviour,yourinternetserviceprovidermaybeabletoassist you inproviding informationonhowandwhereyoucanreportsuchabuse.
Please remember however that bullying or harassment occurringonanSNSisamatterforthatSNSabuseteam.Inthefirstinstanceit should be reported to them using their online complaint facility(usuallya“reportabuse”buttonthatappearsontheprofiledisplayoralinkatthebottomofthepage).
Mobile PhonesO2CustomerCare:1909(Billpayingcustomers)1747(Speakeasyprepay)1850601747(fromalandline)
VodafoneCustomerCare:1907(Billpayingcustomers),1850208787(ReadytoGo)
3CustomerService:Fromyour3mobile333,Fromotherphones0833333333
MeteorCustomerCare:1905 (Pay Later and Pay As You Gocustomers)
16
17
7. Useful Websites
Please note that these links are intended as assistance and the Office for Internet Safety does not accept responsibility or endorse any of the external websites listed nor the information contained within them.
You can get further information on general internet safety issues, including cyberbullying from the following websites:
www.internetsafety.ieWebsiteoftheOfficeforInternetSafety
www.webwise.ieProvidesparents,teachersandchildrenwitheducationalresources,adviceandinformationaboutpotentialdangerson-line
www.watchyourspace.ieAdviceonmanagingchildren’sprofilesonsocial-networkingsites
www.childline.ieChildSafetyIssues
www.hotline.ieIrishhotlineforpublictoreportchildpornographyandotherillegalcontentontheinternet.
www.barnardos.ieCharityfortheprotectionofchildren
18
www.ncte.ieTheNationalCentreforTechnologyinEducationprovidesadviceandsupportontechnologyineducation
www.o2.ie/childprotectionInformationonchildprotectionServicesofferedbyO2
www.npc.ieWebsiteoftheNationalParentsCouncil
www.nyci.ieWebsiteofNationalYouthCouncilofIreland
Expert Review Group
The Office for Internet Safety convened an Expert Review Group to review the content of this guide to ensure that it accurately reflected the wide ranging and diverse views of the key stakeholders in the area, including representatives of the ISP and mobile phone industries, Government Departments and Agencies and non–governmental bodies that had a specific interest in issues addressed in the booklet.
The following bodies were formally represented on the Expert Review Group
Office for Internet SafetyNational Centre for Technology in EducationBarnardosNational Parents Council PrimaryAn Garda SíochánaInternet Service Providers Association of IrelandIrish Cellular Industry AssociationNational Youth Council of IrelandO2 Google Ireland
The Office for Internet Safety would like to take this opportunity to express its gratitude to all the members of the Expert Review Group for their work and professionalism in contributing to the publication of this guide.
11/12 (5,000) Brunswick Press Ltd. (27336)
understanding and identifying
cyberbullying to help protect
your children
GETWITH
IT!
A guide to cyberbullying
A joint initiative by:
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
K_116_081023_ CYBERBULLYING_Cover_Riana v4 dimensions.pdf 30/10/2008 15:20:12
GETWITH
IT!
The content of this booklet was produced by the National Centre for Technology in Education and the Office for Internet Safety in conjunction with Barnardos.
All rights rest with the Office for Internet Safety.
This booklet is about helping you
Increasingly easy access to powerful communication tools such as social networking websites, video and photograph sharing sites and internet camera-phones means that, all over the world, people are saying new things to new audiences. However, these sometimes anonymous, instant and far reaching communication capabilities have brought a new dimension to child protection issues such as cyberbullying. Technologies can be used by young people for a wide range of activities that annoy, harass and intimidate each other.
Parents worry about the dangers of cyberbullying. This booklet is intended to increase awareness of all aspects of cyberbullying in the new media world and to help parents and their children understand the often confusing issues of new media technologies and tools which children and young people are using for this behaviour.
This publication was produced as a joint initiative between the Office for Internet Safety, the National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE), O2 and Barnardos
For more information Contact:
Office for Internet Safety Department of Justice and Equality 51 St. Stephen’s Green Dublin 2
Freefone 1800 24 25 95 E: [email protected]: www.internetsafety.ie
