Cyber Bullying: What Parents Should Know About This Scary Trend

Once upon a time, bullying was a playground thing. Schoolyard insults, pushing and shoving expanded to the middle and high school stages with whispers and darker insults. New kids, shy kids, and other kids who feel out of place are typically the victims of such bullying. These are typically the kids that dread to go to school for fear of embarrassment, shame, or the fear that comes from being harmed or believing they will be harmed by their peers. 

As more and more students begin to rely on computers, the internet, and cell phones as their primary sources of communication after school hours, bullying has also taken a step into the electronic age. What's now known as "cyber-bullying" is sweeping across schools all across the country like wildfire, and many parents are completely oblivious to the turmoil that follows their children home from school like a dark cloud. 

A cyber-bully uses email, instant messaging, chat rooms, and even text messaging to insult, threaten, harass, impersonate, and even humiliate their peers - in many cases, in the form of lewd or embarrassing photographs online - all while hiding behind the veil of anonymity that the internet provides. 

As children get older, the insults, rumors, and overall humiliation expands from the common childish insults to hurtful comments often sexual in nature, which include profanity and detailed reports (both true and untrue) of promiscuous activity. With online sites such as Myspace.com, LiveJournal.com, Blogger.com and many others, pictures, video, and comments can be posted about anyone- not just for a whole school to see, but the entire internet community.