Monitoring and stopping cyber-bullying appears to be a daunting and overwhelming task. With the digital/technological age in most aspects of our lives, becoming aware and educated of issues that we WILL come in contact with is mandatory. Sadly, it has taken several tragedies related to cyber bullying prior to the this becoming a public concern. The first thing that comes to mind is; how can I prevent cyber bullying and where do I start?
This first step is to become aware and educated on the subject of cyber bullying. The internet gives us a plethora of information pertaining to the subject. Another incredible fount of information comes from within the community. Talk to your neighbors and friends. Chances are, they have stories of cyber bulling that are much closer to home than we might think. This provides you with insight into your very community. A personal experience comes in the form a text message cyber bullying. A friend had recently gone through a rough breakup of a relationship. A friend of her ex, began sending scathing and violent texts. With my friend at an emotionally unstable state of mind, these texts effected her much more than anyone could have imagined. Luckily, a screen shot was taken of one of these texts and others where able to intervene prior to a tragedy... barely.
Educating others about privacy settings will protect their information from prying eyes. I liked the idea of "googling your name" and getting rid of anything you do not want public. Along with educating children, parents need to understand what is going on and the pros/cons of online social networking. Getting involved and creating a community that will help and support victims of all types of bullying and educating everyone to prevent bullying.
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