The End of Bullying Begins With You

“It’s the new bathroom wall.” The old days when mean things were scrawled on the bathroom wall have gone high tech. The new “bathroom wall” reaches the whole world: It’s cyberspace—and it can’t be painted over. The Internet, social media, texting on cell phones, digital cameras, and more make it quick and easy to distribute pictures, information, and personal opinions to millions.

When those thoughts and images are intended to hurt or harass someone, it’s called cyberbullying—and it’s everywhere. More than 80 percent of teens report being bullied while using technology. The fact that the bullying is broadcast to the world can make it hard to escape. Even home, once a haven from bullying, can be infiltrated with threats and attacks with the click of a mouse or the tap of a “send” button.

It’s complex new territory for teen and parents alike. So what can you do? Parents and teens (or tweens) can work together to set rules before getting that first cell phone or creating that first social media account. Just as there are rules for going to the mall and curfews for staying out late, there need to be rules for how to handle cyberbullying. Parental overreactions, such as taking away the cell phone, may be well intentioned, but they don’t address the bullying and may make teens hesitant to tell their parents about what’s going on.

While some kinds of bullying can be covert and outside an adult’s awareness, cyberbullying is very public and overt. While cyberbullying can be very painful, the up side is that it leaves a trail of evidence that can document the problem and be used to hold the person who’s bullying accountable. If you are aware of cyberbullying, print the offending Internet page, save the texts, and keep a record of how technology is being used to hurt, intimidate, and harass. Such proof can be very powerful in addressing the situation.

Handling cyberbullying is not as easy as painting over the scrawl on the bathroom wall, but it can be managed. The first step is learning what you can do. Visit http://PACERTeensAgainstBullying.org and click on Respond>Bullying: Unplugged.