Internet Crimes Against Children: Cyberbullying

One very disguised form of internet crimes against children is cyberbullying. Some of its most common forms include:

• Personal Intimidation or Attacks

Posting personally abusive and threatening comments via blogs, social networks, profiles or websites

• Exclusion

Denying access or membership to an online peer group, community or activities; Deleting someone from friendship lists, and/or using ‘ignore functions’; Excluding one from one’s own accounts.

• Impersonation

Setting up fake websites, blogs, or email accounts that appear to have been done by the victim and using these accounts to send out or post material; May also involve manipulating and publishing pictures and comments.

• Sharing or Posting

Making public images or videos of victims being abused or humiliated offline.

• Stealing Passwords

To take over an email account, social network site, or blog and change the content or send out harmful material attributing it to the victim.

• Making False Reports

Contacting a service provider like Facebook, MySpace, or Yahoo Instant Messenger and stating that the victim violated their terms of service in an attempt to get the intended victim’s services denied.

The methods used are limited only by a child’s imagination and access to technology. The cyberbully one moment may become the victim the next. Be aware that kids often change roles, going from victim to bully and back again.

As educators, we need to stand firm to prevent internet crimes against children and help protect them from the trauma of cyberbullying.

How do you introduce the issue of cyberbullying in your classroom?

From Professional Learning Board’s online continuing education course for teachers: Internet Safety: Protecting children in an Online World