“Cyber bullying is when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones. It has to have a minor on both sides, or at least have been instigated by a minor against another minor. Once adults become involved, it is plain and simple cyber-harassment or cyberstalking. Adult cyber-harassment or cyberstalking is NEVER called cyber bullying.”  (STOP Cyberbullying)

With the suicide death this week of the fourth student from Western Heights College in Geelong, discussion has sparked again on how to best prevent this type of tragedy from occurring in the future.

Chanelle Rae, aged 14, ‘wanted to die’ after receiving a message on the internet an hour before she took her own life.

Both paents and teachers need to be aware of cyber bullying and the devastating effects it can have on children. The PPT below on Raising Digital Citizens is very timely, and incudes the types of cyber bullying outlined here:-

8 Forms of Cyber Bullying

Flaming: using inflammatory or vulgar words to provoke an online fight

Harrassment: continually sending vicious, mean or disturbing emails to an individual

Denigration: spreading rumours, lies or gossip to hurt a person’s reputation

Impersonation: posting offensive or aggressive messages under another person’s name

Outing: posting or sharing confidential or compromising information or images

Trickery: fooling someone into sharing personal information which you then post online

Exclusion: purposefullly excluding someone from an online group

Cyberstalking: ongoing harrassment and denigration that causes a person considerable fear for his/her safety