Why do I keep harping on the
dangers of the cyberworld? These sobering statistics may explain.
- According to the Cyberbullying Research Center, cyberbullying victims consider suicide about twice as often as victims of physical bullying.
- The National Institutes of Health has reported a stronger link to depression in youths from cyberbullying than any other form of bullying.
- Victims often don't tell parents or other authority figures about this type of bullying out of fear their Internet access or cell phone could be taken away.
An alarming amount of
cyberbullying happens during online gaming.
Since my knowledge of gaming is very limited, I turned to an expert. Michael Fertik is the CEO and founder of Reputation.com.
Reputation.com is headquartered in Redwood City, California and helps businesses and
consumers control their online lives.
“One reason why we’re seeing the
rise of cyberbullying is because technology is on the side of the perpetrator
and not the victim.” He said, “Tools to attack are more sophisticated and so
are searches, with social networks fundamentally serving as broadcast
services.”
I asked Michael some questions
regarding this fairly new form of bullying.
What does aggressive behavior or online bullying look like? What should
parents look for?
There's a range of symptoms and
behavior that come into play with aggressive and bullying behavior online. For
example, bullying can revolve around anti-gay insults; this is particularly
prevalent among boys. It can also take the form of racial slurs.
One thing parents can look out
for is excessive, bordering on obsessive, social networking. Sometimes victims
of bullying will spend hours online reading all of the insults, just waiting
for the next one. It goes against conventional wisdom, but it's part of what
makes cyberbullying more dangerous.
What online games are most susceptible to bully
behavior?
Xbox Live is one of the most popular online gaming systems.
With more than 20 million users logging on each day, it may not be uncommon to
cross paths with an overly aggressive player. To greatly reduce risk of online
harassment, avoid overly familiar contact with people you meet via
competition-intense games such as the "Call of Duty" series. Trash-talking
and other aggressive behavior may be more likely to occur, due to the
first-person shooter viewpoint and its overall violent theme; avoiding offline
contact can help reduce the risk that “trash talk” will turn into something
more serious.
What, if any, are
California’s cyberbullying laws?
California does have a cyberbullying law on the books.
Assembly Bill 86 2008 gives principals the ability to suspend students or recommend
them for expulsion if the student has engaged in bullying behavior in school or
outside of school, with a special clarification for cyberbullying.
The bill had registered support from the California Teachers
Association.
Michael’s final piece of advice - “Ideally, your kids will
answer all of your questions openly and honestly. Unfortunately, anyone who has
spent any time around teens knows that the perception of privacy is incredibly
important. That’s why it is important to consider investing in computer
monitoring tools.”
I may be naïve, but I also believe the golden rule can apply
well here, remind your kids to be ethical at all times, and when playing in
cyberspace, to treat fellow gamers the way they themselves would like to be
treated.
Contact Margaret Lavin at elementarydays@gmail.com.
