Cyberbullying is defined differently depending on who you talk to. Essentially it consists of the following elements:
Behaviour that is:
- aggressive
- intentional
- repeated over time (although this can be by more than one person)
- using electronic forms of contact eg. IM, email, chat, website, gaming, social networking, texting
Characteristics of cyberbullying:
- indirect - hard to see the impact on the person at the other end of the screen
- invasive - there is no where to go to escape
- roles of bystanders are more complex
- primarily takes place out of school
Types of Behaviours
Behaviours can be broken down into direct and indirect behaviours:
Direct Behaviours:
- harassment - unwelcome contact
- flaming - rude and vulgar language, name calling, threats and insults
- unwelcome sexual texts or photos - happens more to older girls
- sexual behaviours (being asked to do something sexual online)
Graphic types of cyberbullying can be more hurtful due to their highly public and revealing nature.
Indirect Behaviours:
- rumours, gossiping and denigration (anger)
- sending private pictures without consent (anger, shame)
- impersonating (anger)
- social exclusion - being rejected by peers and left out of communications
In Pt 4 of this series, we will look at things you can do as a parent to help address this issue with your child.
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