I interviewed Anne Collier
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Written by admin on September 26, 2008 – 12:14 am
I interviewed Anne Collier, editor of NetFamilyNews.org, codirector of BlogSafety.com: What It Is and How to Use It Safely, and Nancy Willard, Director of Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use, and author of Cyber-Safe Kids, Cyber- Savvy Teens: Helping Young People Use the Internet Safely and Responsibly, about cyberbullying. Here is what they had to say:
Q: What impact has MySpace had on cyberbullying by teens? Willard: MySpace, which is just one of a number of popular social networking sites, has likely led to an increase in cyberbullying. We do not have much data on this phenomenon, so the actual degree of impact is hard to assess. But it appears that the increase in reported cyberbullying incidents has coincided with the increased popularity of these sites.
Social networking sites are places where many teens are seeking to establish an online “community.” Unfortunately, for some teens this means engaging in harmful activities to establish their social status in the community. All bullying is grounded in the search for social status by teens who think that they gain in status by putting others down.
Collier: I don’t think MySpace has had much of an impact on cyberbullying, which certainly predated MySpace. MySpace and other social networks are just tools for cyberbullies, but attractive ones, I suppose, for bullies who want to impersonate peers by creating profiles about them.
Q: Kids have always been bullied by other kids at school. Why is cyberbullying so important? Is it different from schoolyard harassment?
Willard: I think we need to address the harm caused by all forms of bullying. Cyberbullying is simply a new means of engaging in cruelty. It is possible that the harm caused by cyberbullying is more significant than face-to-face bullying. Online communications can be very vicious. Cyberbullying can occur at all times, 24/7, not just at school. The harmful material can be sent to many people and can be difficult to remove. Cyberbullies can be anonymous and can solicit the help of online “friends” who do not know the target. This means that the target will not know whom to trust. And there is a strong teen norm that it is not appropriate to tell adults what is happening online.
Collier: Yes, it’s different from schoolyard harassment. In fact, it augments the problem because of the anonymity the Internet allows. It is also different in that gender and physique are irrelevant, whether via social networks, e-mail, instant messaging, or texting on phones. Girls can bully just as easily as boys can in cyberspace, and they certainly do. UK educators will tell you mobile-phone-based cyberbullying has become a significant problem in their country, where the vast majority of kids and teens have their own phones.
Q: What is your number one piece of advice that you would give kids about what they can do to prevent cyberbullying?
Willard: Actually, I have three pieces of advice on preventing cyberbullying: Don’t put information online that others can use to hurt you. Look at how you are communicating to make sure you are not putting others down. Pick your friends carefully—Life’s too short to waste your time trying to be friends with mean people.
Collier: Don’t respond. Experts tell us bullies are usually trying to get a reaction—don’t give them that. Also, it’s not your fault!
Q: What advice can you give adolescents on how to deal with cyberbullying once it has occurred?
Collier: Get help from a parent, guardian, or other adult you trust. By all means don’t keep it to yourself. You deserve support.
Willard: If you are a target of cyberbullying, the most important thing is not to retaliate—keep your hands off the keyboard until you are calm enough to respond intelligently. Make sure you save the evidence. Then decide whether this is a situation you can resolve yourself or whether you need to ask an adult for assistance. You could try a few steps to resolve the situation and if these steps do not work, then talk with an adult. Appropriate responses to cyberbullying range from asking or demanding the cyberbully to stop, leaving the environment, filing a complaint with the site or service, having your parents write a letter to the parents of the cyberbully, talking with the school, or even consulting an attorney or calling the police.
Q: What advice would you give parents about discussing cyberbullying with their children both before and after it happens?
Willard: Parents should talk with their children about the importance of being kind online—and also discuss all of the guidance I provided above in preventing and responding.
