Taking on cyberbullies
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any adults don't understand what a big problem cyberbullying is for teens.
That's likely due to generational differences. Older adults think of punching and pushing when it comes to bullying. But cyberbullying hurts just as much. As Standard-Examiner reporter Amy K. Stewart noted in a recent story, it can involve mass text-messaging attacks, threats on Web sites such as MySpace.com, posting inappropriate photos of a person, or having a three-way conversation without one party knowing another is listening.
It's often cruel, and it can induce as much fear, anxiety and discomfort as traditional bullying. Cyberbullying has particularly gained steam with girls, reports the Standard's Stewart. Bullying can also affect a child's scholastic performance. "In the United States alone, 160,000 children miss school each day because they are afraid of being tormented by classmates, according to the National Education Association," Stewart wrote.
An example of cyberbullying recently played itself out on the national stage, when sexually explicit photos of recently eliminated American Idol contestant Antonella Barba were posted on the Internet, allegedly without her knowledge.
Fortunately, schools and other officials are taking measures to reduce cyberbullying and punish those who cyberbully. In Top of Utah schools, guilty students have been transferred to keep them away from their victims. Also, some schools have banned social interaction sites, such as MySpace.
On the state level, we are pleased that Utah's first lady will focus on preventing cyberbullying. Mary Kaye Huntsman's youth mentoring organization, Power in You, "joins Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff in singling out cyberbullying as an issue of particular concern," wrote Standard-Examiner reporter Jesse Fruhwirth.
"Technology can magnify harm done to a person through bullying. It is also essential to involve educators and school administrators in this joint effort to reduce cyberbullying," Huntsman said.
We agree with those sentiments, and we will add one more piece of advice: Parents, get involved in stopping cyberbullying. Be nosy. Find out if your children are instigators, or victims, of cyberbullying. And if it's happening, please help put a stop to it.
It has always been tough to be a child. Growing up involves many challenges and intimidations. Kids don't need the added stress of sadistic, cruel, intimidating behavior directed against them.
