Cyberbullying - newest threat to kids in the US

[nonesuche]

Cyberbullying newest threat to kids
Sexual solicitations online declining but more kids report bullying

By Bob Sullivan
Technology correspondent
MSNBC
Updated: 4:21 p.m. ET Aug 9, 2006

There's good news and bad news out this morning about the dangers facing children when they go online. It appears all the news reports and educational efforts to warn parents and kids about online dangers may be having an impact.

In a study released today by the Center for Missing and Exploited Children, fewer kids report being solicited by strangers online for sex.  On the other hand, there is an uptick in kids who report being exposed to unwanted sexual material such as pornographic spam; and there's a sharp rise in something experts call cyberbullying. If you're not familiar with that term, you will be soon.  

Back to the good news for a moment.  The Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported back in 1999 that 1 in 5 children aged 10 to 17 had been solicited for sex online.  You've seen that statistic repeated again and again in online safety marketing campaigns. Well, things are a bit better now.  A telephone survey conducted last year found that number shrunk to 1 in 7.

The good news ends there, however.  The study found that the most serious kinds of solicitations — those that involve a predator attempting to make real-world contact with a victim — have not declined.  

Also in the survey, one-third of children reported they were exposed to sexual material online, compared to 25 percent five years ago.

And there was an increase in the number of kids reporting cyberbullying — from 6 percent 5 years ago to 9 percent today.

Cyberbullying involves technology-based taunting of children. It can range from a few nasty text messages, to a deluge of ugly e-mails, to hacking children's MySpace accounts and placing pornographic pictures on them.  Kids can be cruel. And kids with technology can be cruel on a world-wide scale.

"There is no question that cyberbullying is a big deal now," said Parry Aftab, who runs child safety Web site WiredSafty.org.  She offers tips for parents and schools at StopCyberbullying.com.

Polls are, of course, are subject to interpretation.  It's hard to say exactly how many children have been hit by the most serious form of sexual exposure or bullying.  But it's clear far too many children are finding trouble online, and parents need to know what kind of trouble can be found there.

© 2006 MSNBC Interactive

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14272228/

[nonesuche]

I found this at one of the sites mentioned in the above article, have to say there have been some hate sites we all know with BIG kids who indulge in similar criminal behavior.

This is one checklist/survey:

Are you a cyberbully?

Often, people who are victims are also bullies. Before you feel too bad for yourself, take the quiz below to find if you, too, are part of the cyberbullying problem! Rate yourself on the following point scale according to if, and how many times, you have done the below activities. Give yourself 0 points if you’ve never done it, 1 point if you have done it 1 or 2 times, 2 points if you have done it 3-5 times, 3 points if you have done it more than 5 times.

Have you ever...

___Signed on with someone else’s screen name to gather info?

___Sent an e-mail or online greeting card from someone’s account?

___Impersonated someone over IM or online?

___Teased or frightened someone over IM?

___Not told someone who you really are online, telling them to “guess”?

___Forwarded a private IM conversation or e-mail without the permission of the other person?

___Changed your profile or away message designed to embarrass or frighten someone?

___Posted pictures or information about someone on a Web site without their consent?

___Created an Internet poll, either over IM or on a Web site, about someone without their consent?

___Used information found online to follow, tease, embarrass or harass someone in person?

___Sent rude or scary things to someone, even if you were just joking?

___Used bad language online?

___Signed someone else up for something online without their permission?

___Used an IM or e-mail address that looked like someone else’s?

___Used someone else’s password for any reason without their permission?

___Hacked into someone else’s computer or sent a virus or Trojan horse to them?

___Insulted someone in an interactive game room?

___Posted rude things or lies about someone online?

___Voted at an online bashing poll or posted to a guestbook saying rude or mean things?

Now calculate your total score:

0 – 5 Points: Cyber Saint

Congratulations! You’re a cyber saint! Your online behavior is exemplary! Keep up the good work!

6-10 Points: Cyber Risky

Well, you’re not perfect, but few people are. Chances are you haven’t done anything terrible and were just having fun, but try not to repeat your behaviors, since they are all offenses. Keep in mind the pain that your fun might be causing others!

11-18 Points: Cyber Sinner

You’re online behavior needs to be reproached! You have done way too many cyber no-no’s! Keep in mind that these practices are dangerous, wrong, and punishable and try to be clean up that cyber record!

More than 18: Cyber Bully

Put on the breaks and turn that PC/MAC/text-messaging device around! You are headed in a very bad direction. You qualify, without doubt, as a cyberbully. You need to sign off and think about where that little mouse of yours has been clicking before serious trouble results for you and/or your victim(s), if it hasn’t happened already!

[Sam]

Thank you Nonesuch for posting this. Yes there are adults who are also doing this. I was the victim of this when I made the mistake of giving out my real identity on a missing person case.

Heck they are still doing it. But I have developed a little thicker skin now.

We also know now there are refugees everywhere. In mainly missing person cases but also in political and all sorts of other things. I guess the best thing to do as adults is just pray for them as well.

Like in the post I cant remember who posted it, it may have been you on the Cheerokee wisdom. JUst don't feed them.

Sam

[nonesuche]

Sam-

It's just such a discouraging statement on our society, that anger is so extreme and such as I see with these message boards at times, that others cannot accept a dissenting opinion? If you have your argument and position well-prepared, well then you are a know-it-all? Yes, some people are learners and expand their minds more than other, DUH!

As for hating aimed at anyone supporting or worse, families of missing children or persons, it should be a crime. What right does anyone have to increase the pain of an already traumatized family?

Some people have never learned the boundaries of personal respect. They hurl it but they sure don't want it in return, do they?

I noticed on AOL today in their expressions section, that they have dissing cards you can send. I sent a complaint to them regarding it also.

[tidycat]

Nonesuche, thanks for posting this.  It is fascinating to me.  I'm definitely not a saint in any sense, but not only have I never done any of the things listed, I would never have even thought of doing them!!  It would never enter my mind, and therefore I cannot grasp the idea that normal...repeat normal...people would do such things or even want to.  Ergo, those who do this must be pretty sick puppies.  

tidycat