Bullying is an issue many youth face on a daily basis. We all have a role to play in helping to create a society where children and teens are safe and protected from harassment, violence and abuse. We also need to educate youth themselves to be caring, empathic and ethical citizens both online and off.
MediaSmarts has put together a list of steps to help students act ethically online and take action against bullying.
Taking action against cyberbullying
1. Protect your privacy: think twice before sharing passwords and personal information.
2. Respect the privacy of others: don’t share any information online without asking the person who gave it to you; ask any other people in your photos if they mind before posting or sharing them.
3. Respect people’s virtual space: don’t go digging through someone’s files or computer.
4. Stay true to yourself: think twice before pranking people and don’t pretend to be somebody else online.
5. Stay true to your values in cyberspace: don’t be a gossip girl or guy. Don’t post things that you wouldn’t say to someone’s face. When something makes you angry, try resolving things face-to-face instead of doing it online.
6. Don’t be a troll: don’t say or post things just to get people angry.
If you witness online bullying
7. Stand up to bullying behaviour: speak out if you see friends cyberbullying someone or you witness aggressive behaviour against a person online. Think about where you can do the most good by comforting the person who’s being bullied, by talking to the person doing the bullying, by reporting to it an adult or by doing all three of these things.
8. Don’t be a doormat! If someone asks you to spread an offending message, photo or video about someone, say NO.
If you are a target of cyberbullying
9. Remember that you don’t have to deal with it alone: talk to a friend, a family member, an adult you trust or a counseling service like Kids Help Phone.
10. You can also keep a record of online harassment: make screenshots when it happens in case you decide to notify the site operators of the online environment where it happened. Most games, social networks and other online spaces have policies against harassment.