Cyber Bullying Facts Introduction
Many cyber bullying facts can help teach us about bullying in general. Cyber bullying shares many similarities with typical bullying, and can reach a child anywhere there is cell phone reception or an Internet connection. Teaching cyber bullying facts to kids can help prevent them from being kids that cyber bully, or kids who are cyber bullied.
1. Cyber Bullying is a New Type of Bullying
Cyber bullying is a new type of bullying. Most bullying facts also apply to the act of cyber bullying. The main difference is that bullying can occur anywhere, while cyber bullying is bullying that is conducted through electronic media, such as text messages, Internet web sites, and social media apps.
Bullying is any threatening behavior committed by children and adolescents where there is an imbalance of power. Bullying includes threats, insults, rumors and more. One main difference between bullying and cyber bullying is that physical violence cannot occur over electronic media.
However, one of the great concerns with cyber bullying is that it often accompanies typical bullying. For example, a child may be physically bullied in school during the day and then may be cyber bullied later that evening via social media messaging.
2. There Are No Cyber Bullies
General bullying facts can teach us some important cyber bullying facts. One of the important similarities between bullying and cyber bullying is that there are no bullies or cyber bullies. Instead, there are children who bully, and children who cyber bully.
It’s important when addressing the issue of cyber bullying that we don’t use labels. By labeling children, we can inadvertently create an atmosphere that encourages cyber bullying. This also applies to children who are bullied, which is the term that should be used instead of victims.
When we stop using labels, we can create an atmosphere that allows children to change for the better. Cyber bullying is like typical bullying in this sense; we don’t want to reinforce the roles children play in bullying by using labels.
3. There Are Many Roles In Cyber Bullying
Another one of the cyber bullying facts that is shared with typical bullying is that there are many roles that children play in bullying. There are more roles than simply those of the child who bullies and the child who is being bullied.
Some children may cheer the bully on, and occasionally join in the bullying. Other children may witness the bullying and not act on it. There are also children who will defend children that are being bullied.
All of these roles occur in cyber bullying. For instance, a child may repost a bullying link, or comment on a bullying post, without being the main child who is bullying. Children may also subscribe to a particular social media page and not report bullying that occurs there. There may be children who post comments against the bully and defend the child who is being bullied.
This is one of the informative cyber bullying facts because it tells us about the complex situation that cyber bullying presents. The roles in cyber bullying, like typical bullying, are not as clearly defined as we often think.
4. Cyber Bullying Can Happen to a Child Anywhere
One of the great things about the Digital Age is that we have the ability to communicate almost anywhere, and with anyone. Smartphones and wireless technology have given us access to information on the go, and the ability to connect with people all over the world.
Unfortunately, this is a double-edged sword when it comes to cyber bullying. The fact that we are constantly connected means that a child can be cyber bullied anywhere. This is one of the most important cyber bullying facts.
5. Cyber Bullying Can Happen to a Child When They Are Alone
One of the differences between cyber bullying and typical bullying is that typical bullying requires the child who is bullying and the child who is being bullied to be in the same place. With cyber bullying, the child who is bullying and the child who is being bullied don’t have to be in the same room.
For the child who is bullied, they can be bullied when they are alone. This is one of the cyber bullying facts that is the most troubling. For instance, a child might be checking their email alone in their bedroom when they receive a threatening email from a child who is cyber bullying them.
Cyber bullying when a child is alone can result in the child feeling further isolated. In the same sense, a child might be alone and be cyber bullying another child without an adult knowing. This is another troubling fact about cyber bullying, and this can make it more difficult to prevent than typical bullying.
6. Cyber Bullying Occurs Without Supervision
Cyber bullying occurs through electronic media, which is not typically supervised by adults. This is one of the cyber bullying facts that makes cyber bullying so difficult to monitor and stop. We only know cyber bullying occurs when a child reports the cyber bullying, or when we are proactive in monitoring our children’s use of electronic media.
Often, children do not report when they see cyber bullying occur. A study in 2011 showed that 90% of teens who witnessed online cruelty ignored mean behavior.
One of the positive cyber bullying facts is that there are children who will stand up to cyber bullies when there is no adult supervision. The same study showed that over 80% of children who have witnessed cyber bullying have seen other children defend a child being bullied, or tell a child who is cyber bullying to stop.
Children know that adults are not supervising cyber bullying. Over 80% of children involved in cyber bullying agree that it is easier to get away with cyber bullying than typical bullying. The same percentage of children involved in cyber bullying think it is easier to hide cyber bullying from parents than typical bullying.
7. Cyber Bullying Can Be Anonymous
We know that bullying is easier when no adult supervision is in place. Cyber bullying can hide the identity of a child who bullies so they aren’t held responsible, even when the cyber bullying is discovered or reported to an adult.
Due to the nature of electronic media, children can setup false accounts, or even make a parody account of the child that they are bullying. Anonymous cyber bullying is another one of the cyber bullying facts that results from the nature of electronic media, like the fact that cyber bullying can occur anywhere.
8. Cyber Bullying Only Happens to Children and Adolescents
One of the facts of cyber bullying that is shared with typical bullying is that cyber bullying only occurs with children and adolescents. When a young adult or adult engages in bullying-like activities, this is not bullying, but is a crime, such as harassment or stalking.
While cyber bullying may share some similarities with the inappropriate behavior of adults, cyber bullying only occurs among children and adolescents. When a young adult or adult engages in these sorts of behaviors, these actions should be reported to law enforcement authorities.
9. Rumors Spread Faster Online
Electronic media moves and spreads information at the speed of light. One of the typical acts of bullying is to create false rumors or accusations. When this is combined with electronic media, the rumors and false accusations can spread far more quickly than they would via word of mouth. For instance, in the course of a school day, dozens of children who don’t even see each other face-to-face can spread a rumor online.
Another example is that children might post photos of themselves or achievements they are proud of. Other children might cyber bully these children by leaving mean comments on their posts. This can all occur within a matter of minutes. A child may have just celebrated a great achievement but in a mere moment, another child can bully them and make them feel bad.
10. Cyber Bullying is a Global Problem
We live in an age of global communication and one of the cyber bullying facts is that cyber bullying occurs all over the world. We tend to think of cyber bullying occurring between children who know each other outside of electronic media – for example, classmates or playmates. However, in the world of global communication, cyber bullying can occur between two children who have never even met each other and may be hundreds or thousands of miles apart.
The United States has some of the highest rates of Internet use among children and adolescents. Over 80% of parents with children aged 13-17, report that their child has a social media account. The National Crime Prevention Council estimates that cyber bullying effects almost half of all adolescents in the United States.
The Internet is all over the world, and cyber bullying occurs all over the world too. In Spain, many nonprofit groups have formed to combat cyber bullying. One of these groups, Actúa Contra el Ciberacoso, encourages children to film videos of themselves speaking out against cyber bullying. Recently in the United States, there has also been a growing movement to speak out against cyber bullying.
Our cyber bullying facts have shown us that cyber bullying can happen anytime, anywhere, anonymously, and without adult supervision. These are intimidating cyber bullying facts because they make us feel that we are powerless to stop cyber bullying.
Recent studies have shown that children are aware of cyber bullying, and are aware that there is no adult supervision. These studies have also shown that many children do not feel comfortable reporting cyber bullying, or witness it occurring without reporting it.
To establish more positive cyber bullying facts, we need to continue to spread awareness about cyber bullying. By letting children know that we are aware of cyber bullying, they should feel more comfortable reporting cyber bullying when it occurs.
Like typical bullying, we shouldn’t use labels or think that the roles in cyber bullying are clearly defined. It shouldn’t be one of the surprising cyber bullying facts that children who are cyber bullied often become children who cyber bully. Over 30% of children who have been involved in cyber bullying have both bullied others, and been bullied themselves.
We can also help reduce cyber bullying by monitoring our children’s use of electronic media and talking to them about what they experience online and via social media.
Facts about Cyber Bullying Summary
From our cyber bullying facts, we know that children can be cyber bullied when they are alone. One of the best ways to prevent cyber bullying is to play a more active role in our children’s lives. By helping children build healthy self-esteem, we can help them avoid the negative consequences of cyber bullying, and encourage them to report cyber bullying when it occurs.
Cyber Bullying Facts
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