Cyberbullying Defined

Cyberbullying Defined

"Willful and repeated harm inflicted up others through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices."

• Willful  The behavior has to be deliberate, not accidental
• Repeated  Bullying reflects a pattern of behavior, not just one incident
• Harm  The target must perceive that harm has been inflicted
• Computers, cell phones and other electronic devices:  This is what differentiates cyberbullying from traditional bullying

The Dangers of Cyberbullying

• It can be anonymous.
• It is VIRAL.  Like any disease it can spread insidiously to large groups of people.
• It is much easier to be mean and cruel using technology.
• Youths do not understand the destructive consequences.

-Cyberbullying Research Center

How Cyberbullying is Experienced

• Receiving an email with negative content
• Instant messaging with what is negative
• A negative post on a social networking site
• Making "fun" of someone in a chat room
• Harmful post on a WEB site
• Undesirable and/or untrue texting
• Production of YouTube specifically to harm another