Cyberbullying

Kids continue to keep parents in the dark about cyberbullying . Three out of four teens were bullied online over the last year, according to a study released last week. And while that number may seem high at the outset, only in 1 in 10 of those kids told their parents or another adult about it, the study showed.The anonymous Web-based study surveyed 1,454 kids between the ages of 12 and 17. Of those, 41 percent reported between one and three cyberbullying incidents during the year; 13 percent reported four to six incidents; and 19 percent reported seven or more. Many teens neglected to tell their parents about the incidents because they believed they "need to learn to deal with it," according to the research. Others kept it to themselves because they feared their parents would cut back on their Internet access.

The word "flaming" (being aggressive online) has been discussed in class and relates to the behavior of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is an example of negative CMC where access to information can become dangerous. I definitely think that parents talk with their kids about bullying well before it happens, as well as look for changes in teen's behavior. However, it's also equally important to teach children the importance of not becoming bullies.

The world of Internet has evolved so much throughout the years. No longer is bullying related to the geeks and nerds when it comes to Internet but has been related to almost everyone who has access to the Internet. The Internet has become useful for many things but has also become dangerous and an invasion of privacy for most. Parents please make sure that your child is being protected and don't assume that their not a victim of cyberbullying.