Cyber-Bullying Tips

By Wendy Collier, B. Ed.

• Turn it off – this is not easy for you to do with all your friends on the internet but sometimes you need to take a break from it all.
• Learn about privacy on the internet – basically there is none. Everything you say and do online is available for the whole world to see. Once it is on the internet it is difficult to remove it.
• You can’t hear this enough – DO NOT give out phone numbers, addresses, and personal information which includes where you go to school, the clubs you belong to, where you and your friends like to hang out, what after school activities you are involved in, any identification numbers you have like a school ID, driver’s license or passport, especially to anyone that you don’t know.
• Learn from a reliable source – how to post comments, photos, and videos – posting a comment is the same as speaking the words, once the words are out you can’t take them back.
• Ask a knowledgeable person how to set up secure settings on your social media pages, cell phones and mobile devices.
• You must TURN OFF the location feature – you do not want the world to know exactly where you are all the time – this is ‘stalker heaven.’
• When posting pictures ask yourself: “Is this something I’d be proud to share with my grandma or favorite aunt?”
• If you see something online that is inappropriate or abusive bring it to the attention of a parent, teacher or someone who can do something about it.
• DO NOT pass on things that are abusive or inappropriate.
• Sometimes you will need to hold yourself back from commenting on something. It is easy to get caught up in a conversation and say things that you will regret.
• This old saying is not so old and is a good one to keep in mind: “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”
• Not everything you read or see on the internet is true, so don’t believe everything, check out the reliability of the sources.
• In severe cases of cyber-bullying, please get professional help.
• The internet is very complicated and the rules are changing every day. Change your passwords every 3 months. Check your social media privacy and security settings regularly to keep up with the changes.