If someone you know is being bullied, it is important for them to realise that they can talk about it and that help is available, both to support them and help prevent further bullying. Try to encourage children to discuss these things with you. The following links and phone numbers also offer someone to talk to about bullying online:

Select one of the following for more advice on bullying.

You can email - jo@samaritans.org; or by phone:
Childline: 0800 11 11
NSPCC: 0808 800 5000
Samaritans: 08457 90 90 90
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Most people have a fairly good understanding of what bullying is. Traditionally, this has taken the form of verbal, written, physical and or exclusionary behaviours which aim to undermine, threaten, hurt, humiliate, intimidate or harass other people or groups. Cyberbullying happens when someone uses information or communication technologies to achieve this, or create environments that encourage such behaviour. There are a number of contexts in which this can happen. Cyberbullying can occur by email, in chatrooms, forums and instant messenger environments, or online social networking communities. Cyberbullying can come in the form of defamatory or false websites/blogs, hacking and/or breaking into email accounts and passwords.
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Cyberbullying can take a number of various forms, but it is important to be aware of some differences between ‘traditional’ bullying and cyberbullying before looking at these:
1) Cyberbullying is not as restricted by time and place as other types. The victim can be bullied at home also – any time they are online or, more worryingly, any time they have their mobile phone turned on.
2) With traditional bullying, the perpetrator often uses greater physical strength or other direct, more psychological methods to intimidate the victim. However, the cyberbully rely on superior computing, technological or online skills to accomplish this.
3) Cyberbullying is also, for the most part, totally anonymous. Often the victim might not have any idea of the true identity of the perpetrator.

Here are some of the different forms cyberbullying can take:
1) Abuse: This can happen by email, on instant messenger, forum or social networking/blog services, as well as by mobile phone. The victim receives threatening, abusive or insulting comments or messages directed at them, often from an anonymous source. Sometimes this can be a form of personal cyberstalking behaviour, other times it may be directed at the victim because of a personal characteristic like race, religion, sexuality or gender. Another way anonymous abuse occurs is for the victim to receive computer viruses, pornography or vast amounts of email and/or unsolicited spam as a way of trying to corrupt or overload their account. Prej link?
2) Invasive acts: These may include hacking or breaking into personal accounts or webspaces. A cyberbully may find a way of gaining a victim’s password or access to their personal online space to view, erase or steal personal information, to change passwords so the user can no longer access the site, or to send emails to others from the account. Another invasive act is for someone to make contact with a victim using a false identity and gain information and/or trust with ill-intentions, such as to humiliate, threaten, commit blackmail, fraud or the solicitation of unwanted sexual contact.
3) Defamatory material: A cyberbully may set up a website or blog relating to, directed at, or even pretending to originate from the intended victim. This may then include a range of hostile, false or defamatory material, such as spreading unpleasant lies and rumours, information or even photographs relating to the target. It may make personal or contact information available to other people, or contain material that encourages others to exclude or have negative feelings towards the victim.
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While a young person may rarely be in physical danger from these types of activity, they may be exposed to behaviour and material that can seriously affect their well-being. Any personally directed online content that causes a young person to feel embarrassed, upset, depressed, afraid or has an effect on their self-esteem is to be considered harmful and therefore unacceptable. Young people may also be afraid to tell their parents and teachers about this for a number of reasons. They may think that there is nothing that can be done, or that they won’t be understood, or even that they may have their mobile or internet access restricted because they have been a victim of cyberbullying.
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It is important to remember that the internet has a large and positive part to play in the social development and interaction of children with their peers. But it is also important that they learn how to use it safely, carefully and responsibly. The best place to start is by talking to your children, and encourage them to talk openly with you about any concerns they might have. Sometimes parents may lack expertise with or involvement in their childrens’ online activity, so the more you can learn about it the better. Children and young people may have various ideas about what actually constitutes bullying and bullying behaviour. It is important therefore to talk about these so that children and young people can recognise when they are being bullied, or if they are involved in bullying someone else. Let them know that cyberbullying is unacceptable and that the perpetrators can often be traced.

There are also a number of practical steps which can be taken with regards to the providers of mobile and internet services. These include reporting incidents, blocking particular numbers or users.
• Avoid giving out personal details or information online (i.e. contact details such as personal email addresses; exact details about your location, home, place of work or school, which would allow identification offline; personal pictures or photographs) either for yourself or others unless you have their permission to do so. Remember you can never be sure how others will use these details.
• Always report abuse to the people in charge of running websites, blogs, chatrooms or social networking sites
• Choose chatrooms with a reputable moderator and comprehensive safety and conduct rules that are clearly
• When using chatrooms or programmes, avoid private communications with those you don’t know – many programmes will allow you to register so that only individuals specified by yourself may contact you
• Do not open an email and it’s attachments unless you are confident of the sender and/or use virus checking software
• Avoid confrontations with others in communications online, particularly with those you don’t know.

There are also organisations that can advise you and prevent someone from making further contact:
• Police
• Mobile Company or Provider
• Internet Service Provider
• Chat room Host or Moderator
• Messenger/Chat Services
• Internet Watch Foundation
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The most important thing to do first is to talk to someone about it and then report it to one of the agencies listed above. In many cases the victim may have already requested the bully to cease their activities. Professionals also suggest that victims stop engaging in further dialogue or communication with the bully and advise against answering silent callers, getting into remonstrations with them or going to meet perpetrators in person. Also:
• Keep records of any abusive or harassing behaviours or communications
• Keep a log of what and how this was received, detailing any comments made and how these were made to you (i.e. text message, email, chat)
• When these were made (date and time)
• You can always change email/room/blog names and passwords
• Sender details (telephone/mobile numbers, chat names, email address, IP number if able to address (see www.FKBKO.net for details on how to do this)
• Make a record and save hard copies of any communications
• Save text messages in your mobile and write down in your log, exactly what was said, when this was received and the number of the sender if available
• Emails, chat conversations and messages can all be saved! Remember to print these out to make hard copies. See www.FKBKO.net for details of how to do this
• It may also be useful to keep a diary to record your experience and feelings surrounding events for yourself and as evidence should you need it

Remember that it only a very small minority of individuals who engage in this kind of activity and that for the majority of users the internet and other technologies is a positive experience. It is important therefore to educate young people about how to use them safely and responsibly.
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Click the following links for Bullying

• Childline

• Anti Bullying

• Bullying At School

• Stop Text Bullying

• Msn's Report

Click the following links for Personal Safety

• Suzy Lamplugh

• NSS

• kidscape

• Parentline Plus

• Media Awareness

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4. Report Abuse

For those of you want to report something now – go straight to our report abuse page. Occasionally when using the internet or a mobile phone you may see, receive or experience something which causes you concern. You might, for instance, receive an e-mail which is offensive or abusive. You may experience harassment online, spam advertising, or content you find offensive such as pornography, or pro-anorexia sites. Alternatively you may think you have been the victim of a crime such as identity theft or online fraud. In such situations it is important to know to whom you can report issues. This section introduces you to some of the main organisations who offer help and advice on internet safety issues.
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Sources: Cyberspace Research Unit