Bullying

The Playground Moves Online

You know the drill. IM, e-mail, blogging and web pages. We use that stuff all day, everyday. We want to stay in the loop and keep in touch. Our gadgets and gizmos are simplifying our world. That's a good thing. The bad thing is that the same technology can be used to be hateful. Mean. Disrespectful and intimidating. There's a new trend developing and it's called Cyber Bullying.

If you encounter Cyber Bullying here's what you do:

• Tell a trusted adult and keep telling them until they take action.
• Never open, read or respond to messages from cyber bullies.
• If it is school related, tell your school. All schools have bullying solutions.
• Do not erase the messages. They may be needed to take action.
• If bullied through chat or IM, the bully can often be blocked.
• If you are threatened with harm, call the police.

Remember, YOU are the cure to the Cyber Bullying epidemic. You are empowered to have the tools to protect yourself. If we all act as good Cyber Citizens, the Internet will be a safer place for all of us.