Protect Yourself from Cyber Bullies

The following is an article I’ve submitted for publication to the Romeo Peach. I thinks it’s a relevant topic for anyone who uses the internet for community purposes.

The other day Kristen and I watched a Primtime special
called, “How Mean Can Teens Be?” The investigation was about a new form of
bullying that many students participate and experience, online bullying. “Cell phones, instant messaging and personal Web sites like
MySpace and Facebook are now common weapons of “cyberbullying,” used
to spread gossip, rumors and bequeath public lashings — leaving teenagers with
painful battle scars.” http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=2421562

Let’s start off by acknowledging truth. This isn’t new. I first began using chatrooms in 1994 when America
Online was in its infancy. It was very common to see users belittle and berate
one another to the point where that person would leave. Many times as a new
online user, I would sign off completely depressed. How could people say those things to me? How could people who don’t
even know me say those types of things? Chances are that if you use
LiveJournal, MySpace, Facebook, or participate in chatrooms on MSN, AIM, or of
the hundreds of online chat websites out there, you’ve probably experienced the
same thing.

What Causes It?

I’m not a sociologist, but I can tell you two major contributing
factors:

1. A lack of supervision. That may be
   what you like about the internet but it also contributes to much of the
   dangerous behavior seen on the internet. Parents tend to be woefully
   unsavvy when it comes to the latest trends and uses for a computer they
   bought “for educational purposes.” When it comes to cell phones, if they
   weren’t getting charged for your text messages they wouldn’t know they
   existed.
2. Perceived anonymity. The internet
   provides people with the opportunity to hide behind screen names and
   e-mail addresses which don’t readily identify who you are talking to.
   While this is good for security, this can be tragic when school mates
   create an account merely to destroy you.

How Can I Protect
Myself?

While it may seem like there is nothing you can do to
prevent being bullied, there are some simple strategies.

1. If you start to get bullied, play
   somewhere else. It may sound extreme but if you simply don’t log on to
   chat or create a MySpace profile, you can’t be attacked.
2. If someone is spreading a rumor about
   you, talk to an adult you trust. My experience is that most students’
   online life rarely involves their parents. I think this is a mistake. You
   need to let your parents know what you are doing online and what is being
   said about you online.
3. Less is more. Don’t make the
   mistake of blogging or chatting about so much personal information online
   that people could attack you. There is a fine line between talking about
   what’s going on and giving excessive information.
4. Don’t attack. The golden rule
   applied online and offline. Never say something to someone, even if it’s a
   “vent,” that you wouldn’t want someone else saying to you.