Anti-Bullying Week 2009

Cyber-Bullying is this year's theme for Anti-Bullying Week and up until a few years ago we at the Parents Forum had never even heard that term.

Cyberbullying is defined on the DirectGov website as ‘when one person or a group of people aim to threaten, tease or embarrass someone else by using a mobile phone, the internet or other technologies.'

There is a lot of information concerning cyberbullying on-line and in the media, but how many of us have sat down with our children and discussed it?  How many of us have children that have a mobile and/or a computer with internet access in their room, so we are less likely to notice if something is upsetting them when they are on-line.  The scary thing about this type of bullying is that for the child suffering from it, there is no escape, even in their own home.

One of the most extreme examples of cyberbullying that most of us have heard about is the story of Megan Meier in America. The 13 year old killed herself after being spurned by a boy, in a fake profile, named Josh, This profile was created by a neighbor, her daughter and another women.

Closer to home, here in Brighton and Hove last year there was a case, where a 17 year old young man pleaded guilty to harassment after he drove an ex-friend of his to attempt suicide by creating a false identity and pretending to have an online relationship with him.

We hope these examples encourage you to have a discussion with your children about cyberbullying about how wrong it is to do or to offer them support if they have been or are presently a victim of it.

Below there are some links that may help you and your child if this horrible form of bullying is happening to them as well as advice on how to teach your child how to protect themselves.

Also, see the SNAP (Safety Net Assertiveness Project) Newsletter attached below to hear more about what is going on for Anti-Bullying Week here in Brighton and Hove.

CyberMentors - This project run by the BeatBullying charity is a site where children can go and chat online to trained mentors that are ages 11-25 to receive support if they are being bullied

ChildLine - Their bullying page.

Bullying.co.uk -Offers practical advice to kids and their parents about bullying via their website or email.

BeatBullying - This group is one of the highest profile anti-bullying charities.  This site has very separate section for adults and professional and for the children themselves.

Beat Bullying also has its own channel on YouTube.

Kidscape - Helps children prevent abuse and bullying.

Anti-Bullying Network - This group supports anti-bullying incentives at schools, places of work and in the community.  

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