Cyber bullying on the rise among children

WITH more than 80% of teenagers in possession of electronic devices, cyber bullying has increased drastically among South African schoolchildren.

With the proliferation of social media sites, it is reported that cyber bullying is taking over physical bullying.

It occurs through SMS texting, apps, social media forums and chat rooms, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content.

Cyber bullying includes sending, posting or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation.

A recent survey revealed that about 75% of students and learners admit to have visited a website to ‘bash’ others, while close to 50% have been victims.

Facts on cyber bullying

• Almost 43% of children have been bullied online. One in four has had it happen more than once

• 70% of students report seeing frequent bullying online

• More than 80% of teens use a cellphone regularly, making it the most common medium for cyber bullying

• 81% of young people think bullying online is easier to get away with than bullying in person

• Only one in 10 victims will inform a parent or trusted adult of their abuse

• About 58% admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online

• Bullied victims are 2 to 9 times more likely to consider committing suicide.

How to get help

• Filling up your friends’ Facebook feeds with positive posts instead of negative ones can boost morale. Start a Facebook page for students where they can submit positive acts they see in school to promote a culture of positivity on and offline

• Turn off location settings. Not everyone you meet online has good intentions, so don’t broadcast where you are to anyone (using ‘checkin’ features can expose your location).

• Think twice before you post or message

• Report offenders via official channels. If you are being harassed, there are processes you can follow. Never suffer in silence. Platforms such as Facebook allow you to report people for harassment and even block them from contacting you

• Keep screenshots as proof. If the harassment doesn’t stop, you may need to get the police involved. For that, you’ll need evidence. Keep screenshots of the conversations, but do not post them online to ‘name and shame’ them. This could not only get you into trouble for slander charges, it could hurt your case against the person should the authorities get involved.