Watch Your Words: Steps to Preventing Cyberbullying

by Michelle Robinson Boykins Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 11:19am

Michelle Boykins is the director of communications and marketing at the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), a U.S.-focused nonprofit devoted to helping people keep themselves, their families and their communities safe from crime. The organization is best known for McGruff the Crime Dog, who has been helping people "take a bite out of crime" for over 25 years. In honor of October being National Crime Prevention Month in the U.S., we asked Michelle to share her thoughts on how to prevent cyberbullying on the web.

Words can be weapons if people are not careful about how they use them. They can pierce our hearts and hurt just as much as any punch. Today, as all of us interact and engage with people on the web with greater frequency, we need to be even more aware of how we use our words. We also need to understand how we can respond to others who use harmful words or take abusive actions toward us.

Cyberbullying is defined as abusive or harassing behavior online, which includes sending or posting text or images that are intended to hurt or embarrass another person. A common misperception of cyberbullying is that it only affects teens. In fact, adults adopt cyberbullying behavior just as easily as young people. The problem transcends age and is due to a lack of respect for another person. Healthy friendships and relationships, at any age, are built on mutual respect, and a person who resorts to cyberbullying or asks you to participate is being disrespectful.

Already, Facebook allows you to easily report abuse on the site by selecting the "Report" link located near photos, videos, notes or other content you find offensive or inappropriate. This is just one step in discouraging people from behaving poorly online and potentially hurting other people. It's up to you to address cyberbullying if it occurs to you or people around you.

While October is National Crime Prevention month in the U.S., cyberbullying happens throughout the year. Here are some ways you can prevent and address it if you ever experience a problem.

How to Address Cyberbullying

Don't pass along cyberbullying messages
Block all communication with cyberbullies
Set an example and discourage your friends from bullying others
Report cyberbullying to a trusted adult
Raise awareness of cyberbullying in your community by holding an assembly and sharing these tips

Whom to Contact

Get in touch with your Internet Service Provider (ISP) for assistance in blocking cyberbullies
Report cyberbullying problems to the local authorities and give them copies of bullying messages you've received
If you are in school, speak with other students, teachers, and school administrators about developing rules against cyberbullying

Suggestions for Parents

Set guidelines for your kids' internet activities and talk about how they are spending their time online
Talk openly about cyberbullying and why they shouldn't participate in it
Discourage your kids from retaliating if they are being bullied online
Keep your computer in a high-traffic area of your house so Internet activity is visible
Encourage your child's school to adopt rules of conduct on cyberbullying

In addition to understanding how to protect yourself from cyberbullies, make sure your own behavior won't hurt anyone else. Just because you can't always see the people you interact with online doesn't mean your words or actions won't hurt them. If you wouldn't say or do something in person, don't say or do it online either. By respecting yourself and others, we all can work to keep the web a fun and healthy place to engage and interact.

Michelle hopes you'll join NCPC's Circle of Respect to discuss respect and civility on the web.

Topics: Guest blog, Parents, Security