Covid-19 and cyberbullying: the year 2021 Steve Burgess, copyright 2021, for the author Anyone who transmits any kind of online message with the intention of intentionally intimidating, embarrassing, harassing, or otherwise targeting another person is considered a cyberbully in the state of California. According to the definition provided by the Cyberbullying Research Center, cyberbullying is defined as “willful and repetitive damage done via the use of computers, mobile phones, and and other electronic devices.” “when someone frequently makes fun of another person online or repeatedly picks on another person via e-mail or text message or when someone puts anything online about another person that they don’t like,” is another example of cyberbullying. It is possible that the memories of “traditional” face-to-face schoolyard bullying have faded in the minds of children who had dreaded going to school only to meet their tormentors on a daily basis. This is because schools were closed for an entire year and have only just begun to return. However, the fact that they are attending school remotely and spending more hours online has only made them more vulnerable to cyberbullying and other forms of online harassment. The combination of current political practices that have become more uncivil and the ease with which one can stay anonymous online has given many bullies the feeling that they are more empowered than ever before to harass youngsters and adults of all different kinds. In any event, ninety-five percent of adolescents are connected to the internet, and the vast majority of them are active on social media platforms, which are the sites where the bulk of instances of cyberbullying take place. Online bullying affects a significant number of children: • about one third of us children have felt the effects of cyberbullying. • around two-thirds of adolescents have come across instances of cyberbullying • A little less than three quarters of adolescents have claimed that someone has spread stories about them on the internet. • around one-sixth of young people claim to have engaged in cyberbullying of other individuals. When it comes to LGBTQ adolescents, over half of them have been victims of cyberbullying. What does it matter? Isn’t it supposed to be possible for us to express ourselves freely? In spite of the fact that we typically presume that people in the United States have the right to freedom of speech, this right is only protected on government platforms and not on private platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Despite this, the concept of free speech does not include every kind of communication that is permitted. For example, phrases that are used to incite hatred and words that are used to fight are not guaranteed means of expression. to be sure, many instances of cyberbullying involve hate speech. Also, there are repercussions for cyberbullying: There is an almost twofold increase in the likelihood that victims of cyberbullying will take their own lives. Those who engage in bullying are also more likely to take their own lives, with the likelihood of suicide being around seventy percent higher than the general population. Approximately two-thirds of children who have been subjected to internet harassment have also struggled with mental health concerns. • According to two-thirds of children, feeling secure at school and being able to learn are both negatively impacted by cyberbullying. Isn’t there a legislation that prohibits anything like this occurrence? However, there are no federal laws that directly ban such activity, despite the fact that there are currently statutes that particularly target such behavior (although there are civil rights laws for certain groups). The vast majority of accusations related to cyberbullying and cyberstalking are adjuncts to other types of criminal activity. Every state has its own set of rules, which may be found here and here. Schools have the ability to reprimand students who harass others while they are at school; but, until recently, they had very little control over the situation when it occurred outside of school hours. What are our options? The best course of action, according to most experts, is to ignore insulting postings, comments, texts, calls, messages, and so on; in other words, to not reply to them. Nevertheless, it is not easy to follow this piece of advice. Because bullies are seeking for a response, it is helpful to explain to the youngster who is being cyberbullied that they are really winning because they are not reacting to their bullying. Moreover, it is quite probable that their online tormentor will just disappear. At the same time, it is a good idea to save copies of all of these emails, messages, postings, comments, and so on in the event that it becomes necessary to take action at some point in the future. Have the proof saved. There is no evidence if it is not present. In the event that a sexual photograph of a juvenile is present, it is imperative that the picture be removed; otherwise, the receiver may face legal consequences for the offense of possessing child pornography. They should under no circumstances transmit it to another person since doing so can result in an additional distribution fee. It should be emphasized that: If you have sexual images of minors, delete them and don’t send them forward to anyone. You are able to report the bullying to the school, to the social media sites where it took place or originated, and to the internet service provider (ISP) that provides the email addresses of either your kid or the person who bullied them. It is important to submit copies of the content that is offensive when filing a complaint, with the exception of sexual photographs of children, as stated above. You should notify the authorities if you are subjected to threats of violence or death, if you are being stalked, or if you are being encouraged to engage in self-harm or even suicide. Once again, be sure to save copies of the content that you believe to be illegal and include them in your complaint to the authorities. In order to be regarded more seriously, you need mention everything, but you should also be brief in your story to them. modify your accounts. You have the option of deleting the account that is being targeted and opening a new one if there is ongoing harassment or bullying directed against you. The use of electronic gadgets is the primary means by which children interact with their contemporaries. The victim is punished when their means of communication with their friends are taken away because they are being bullied, and this may encourage them to remain quiet while they are being bullied due to the fact that they are being punished. According to the verywell family, the majority of children do not report bullying because they are afraid of losing their connection with the outside world. This has been particularly true during periods of quarantine. In order to prevent your kid from becoming a cyberbully at an early age, it is important to educate them netiquette right from the start. Netiquette refers to the recognized standards of conduct that are expected online. There is not much of a difference between them and the generally recognized standards of etiquette in person, with the exception that activity online may be anonymous. It may be challenging to teach civility in situations that we often perceive to be politically motivated uncivil conduct; nevertheless, the ideal teacher is, of course, the one who demonstrates the behavior that you want to see in your children. norms of conduct for the internet prevent hurting people’s emotions. Honor the rights of other people. It is important to refrain from offending anybody, in fact. Don’t put in writing anything that you wouldn’t communicate verbally. Don’t lose your cool if someone insults you. As was said before, they are just attempting to extract a response from you, and if you choose to ignore the insulter, you will emerge victorious. Be respectful of the privacy of others and use language that is respectful; this includes avoiding writing in all capital letters. Check the facts before reposting this, since it may be intended for more experienced users. The process is simple enough to carry out, and it dispels detrimental rumors. Contact helplines for individuals who are impacted by the situation (thank you, cybersmile). Hotline number to stop bullying immediately: 1-800-273-8255 assistance line established by the United States Department of Health and Human Services Dial 1-800-273-8255 to reach the national suicide prevention call line. suicide 1-800-784-2433 is the national hopeline number. Available in Spanish as well: 1-888-628-9454 National Eating Disorders Association: 1-800-931-2237 available in Spanish a call to 1-866-488-7386 for the Trevor project: Prevention of suicide rates among members of the LGBTQ community Although cyberbullying is a problem that has to be addressed, its impacts and even its origins may be lessened by paying attention to what your children have to say, setting an example of civil conduct, and having early conversations with them about Internet etiquette and expectations. In addition to ensuring that help is made public, such as the hotlines that are operated by the excellent individuals who are prepared to support those who have been impacted by abuse, we may become engaged in supporting legislation and school rules that are meant to prevent criminals from committing crimes. A growing portion of our life is spent engaging in activities on the internet. Neither of these trends will ever change. Let’s start making it a more secure place to be. It is important to note that the majority of the statistics shown above originated from techjury and cybersmile. https://www.cybersmile.org/advice-help/category/how-to-guard-against-your-child-becoming-a-cyberbully Be sure to subscribe to our educational newsletter and not miss a single article… subscribe!
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