Cyberbullying: Digital BullyingApr 19 2010by Kathy Fong, Associate DirectorIt’s fast, it’s perceived as anonymous, it’s viral and it can be crueler than a physical blow. I’m referring to the cyberbullying that is occurring on MySpace, Facebook and cell phones and growing exponentially. If it seems like every child in your neighborhood has a cell phone, it’s probably not far from the truth. The Pew Research Center, in December 2009, published the findings of their Internet & American Life initiative on Teens and Sexting. The numbers of children equipped with cell phones is astounding: “In Pew Internet’s 2004 survey of teens, 18% of teens age 12 owned a cell phone. In 2009, 58% of 12 year-olds own a cell phone. [Pew] also … found that cell phone ownership increases dramatically with age: 83% of teens age 17 now own a cell phone, up from 64% in 2004.” Source: http://www.pewinternet.org/~/media/Files/Reports/2009/PIP_Teens_and_Sexting.pdf In 1981, when Bell Systems/AT&T created the tagline, “reach out and touch someone,” they probably had no idea that the cell phone would become an instrument that in the hands of bullies could reach out and hurt someone. It’s not surprising to learn that the investigation into the “bullycide” death of 15-year-old Phoebe Prince has alleged that her tormentors used cell phone text messages to hound and humiliate her. Like any instrument that can be used as a weapon, the cell phone has to be used responsibly with the knowledge and understanding of the pain it can inflict. Children, young people, even adults need to think of the impact that abbreviated texts can have on the psyche of the recipients. Learning to understand how it feels to be the target of bullying and learning empathy is key in the training of Safe School Ambassadors. By sharing the emotion and pain of receiving mean messages, young people can help their peers acknowledge the cruelty of cyberbullying. Contrary to the children’s chant, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” we all know that words do hurt.
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