CyberBullying - Drogheda Youth Cafe

CyberBullying

CyberBullying and Text Bullying

CyberBullying

Cyberbullying can involve nasty text messages, phone recordings or web posts being used to threaten, abuse or harm someone. It's like physical or verbal bullying, but its used through technology instead.

CyberBullying, like all bullying, is very upsetting and difficult on the victim. It can be hard to prove and difficult to get the courage to report it.

If you are experiencing this kind of bullying, it is very important that you dont suffer in silence. Also, if you have witnessed cyberbullying on a friend, it is important that you take action to help your friend.

Read A Guide To Intenet Safety For Young People - this has information on when and how to contact service providers if you are being cyberbullied.

Steps to take if you are a victim of CyberBullying

Don't reply to the messages.
Save the evidence (photo/recording/email/video/web post) - P.S. Here is a tip on how to save the evidence on a Web Post. Go onto the page where the web post is located. Press the Print Screen button on your keyboard. Open up Microsoft Word and Right-Click your mouse and select Paste. Now Save this document. You need to follow these steps because the person that is cyberbullying you could easily delete the posts that they have written about you and there will be no evidence if this happens.
Tell a trusted friend or adult, close relative, teacher, youth worker, family friend or anybody that you feel that you can confide in.
Contact the Samaritans (1850 609090) or Local Drogheda Samaritans (0419843888) or ChildLine Online. You can also text Childline on their free TeenText Service by texting the word "talk" to 50101. This service is available from 2 - 10 every day. You can also ring ChildLine for free on 1800 666 666. This service is available 24 hours a day.
Report the bullying to the Gardai.
Report the bullying to the technology providers such as the mobile phone company, web host or website owner.

Text Bullying

Texting can be used to harass, bully and frighten people. Text bullying or harassment can be texts that insult, threaten, frighten you or make you feel uncomfortable. Email, social network sites such as Twitter/Facebook and phone calls can be used to harass in the same way. It is illegal to bully or harass someone by text, phone, Internet or email and if the harassment is getting out of hand you should report it to the Gardai immediatley.

If you are being bullied by Text:

Don't stay quiet about the bullying. Tell a friend, your parents, a teacher or someone you feel you can trust and confide in that will be able to help and support you.
Do Not reply to messages. If you don't answer the texts, hopefully they will get bored and stop harassing you.
Don't delete messages as you can use them as evidence for reporting the bullying.
Report the bullying to the Gardai as the person that is harassing you can be cautioned.
Report the bullying to your phone company as you can be given a new phone number.

Parents Section

Get With IT is a series of booklets provided specially for parents as a guide to the Internet on how they can ensure their children are using the Internet in a safe way.

A Guide To Internet Safety For Parents

Get With IT - A parent's guide to CyberBullying

Get WIth IT - A parent's guide to social-networking websites

Get With IT - A parent's guide to filtering technologies

Get With IT - A parent's guide to new media technologies