Cyber Bullying talk on The Morning Show, Channel 7
Our very own Yana Belogiannis was invited to speak on Channel 7's Morning Show with Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies on CYBER BULLYING. Cyber bullying is becoming more of a problem in today's youth culture, so we are working hard with youth, parents and schools to reduce it's impact on our children and teens.
The actual footage from The Morning Show is below. If you would like to know more about our workshops and seminars, please contact The Kids and Teens Group.
Important points that were raised:
Age of Cyber Bullying
- Cyber bullying is like relational bullying in that its covert, subtle and damaging in its attempts to affect peoples social relationships. This awareness of social manipulation, coincides with cognitive and social changes during the mid to late adolescent period.
- Pre-teens are becoming more involved in cyber bullying, as their technological skill and accessibility to online communication tools is increasing.
Roles of Cyber Bullying
- Conventional bullying roles (victim, bully, bystander, defender) strongly predict the roles adopted online or electronically.
- Interestingly, research has also shown that victims of traditional bullying often seek revenge or retribution online. They tend to be less inhibited due to the element of anonymity, and often lack supervision or a direct consequence to such anti-social acts.
Gender and Cyber Bullying
- Cyber bullying usually mirrors gender differences seen in playground bullying.
- Males are generally more involved in posting clips and degrading comments of physical violence in the school playground
- Females are typically engage in more rumour spreading and social exclusion online or electronically.
Police Involvement in Cyber Bullying
- The cyber world is a complicated system and teachers and school staff are now looking towards avenues that better understand the legal implications or repercussions of cyber bullying to protect a student's wellbeing.
- Having police present on these issues can be very effective, particularly for an adolescent group, in sending a strong message about the consequences
- Educational workshops focusing on building empathy and emotional regulation in the bully are also very useful, and are often overlooked.
Impact of Cyber Bullying
- Effects of cyber bullying can be more devastating in some ways than traditional bullying due to a lack of escapism. Defamatory comments or images can have an endless lifespan on the internet, and are very difficult to remove.
- Cyber bullying is also intrusive, as it invades the home - a place typically considered to be a child's safe haven away from traditional bullying.
- It’s not as simple as tell a child/teen to close their computer, or turn off their mobile phone. Part of an adolescents social identify is to engage with these online communication tools – it's a significant part of their youth culture.
- Repetitive exposure to online or electronic bullying can lead to other emotional problems (such as low self esteem, anxiety, and / or depression).
General online usage: What can parents do?
- Preventive measures are key! Open communication between child and parent / caregiver is crucial.
- Establish and maintain boundaries (time limits for online usage).
- Identify the type of activity they're engaging in online (e.g. social networking sites vs. homework).
- Avoid having the computer in a child's bedroom. It's best to position it in a communal room as this increases accountability and a supervisory presence.
- Become familiar with online technologies - knowledge is power!! Attend educational workshops / seminars on how to utilise these tools and broaden your understanding of their implication if used inappropriately.
If your child is being bullied, what can you do?
- Encourage an open dialogue with your child about their and your issues of concern (socially, academically, and developmentally)
- Learn to identify warning signs of stress, low self esteem, anxiety, and depression – mental health awareness
- Approach the school or school counsellor, if your child is comfortable with this step
- Seek external support by contacting a counsellor or psychologist – focus on strengths and empowering children.
- Help your child develop a response strategy that will facilitate assertiveness and empowerment.
The Kids and Teens Group run educational workshops and seminars that focus on building resilience and self esteem in youth. Workshops can be tailored to address the impact of cyber bullying and teach parents and educators strategies to minimise its prevalence.