What is Cyberbullying?
A growing concern as more & more of our communications occur online is cyberbullying. Teens & younger children are particularly suspectible to this type of online intimidation.
Cyberbullying is, according to the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use, "sending or posting harmful or cruel text or images using the Internet or other digital communication devices." Cyber bullying may occur directly, such as when a hateful message is sent to a target, or indirectly, as when a message, website, or photograph is sent to others and results in later bullying behavior toward the target (source: http://www.unicel.com/standup/adults_intro.html).
As the excellent
Unicel site on the subject suggests, "when it comes to broadcasting negative information, the cyber world has become the new bathroom wall." Cyberbullying is occurring across many of our newer technologies: instant messaging services, camera phones, chat rooms, e-mail, Web logs, social networking sites and cell phone text messaging.
The nameless, faceless nature of much of digital communication seems to be empowering folks to say hurtful things or transmit threatening images to others that they would never think to say in a face-to-face situation. Many people are, like the guy in the Brad Paisley song are "so much cooler online." The dark reality is, though, that many people are also decidedly "so much crueler online."
While the damage caused by cyberbullying usually ends at hurt feelings, the consequences can become much more dire, as a
recent case in Missouri attests. This case may be an extreme example, but it is an eye-opener as to the bearing the threats or abuse can have on young people lives.
While some states (Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Washington) have laws specifically addressing cyberstalking, many states are struggling with ways to place the same legal penalties verbal threats & physical threats carry to cyber threats. 
What Can I Do to Protect Myself or My Child?
The National Crime Prevention Council suggests the following guidelines:
*Refuse to pass along cyberbullying messages
*Tell friends to stop cyberbullying
*Block communication with cyberbullies
*Report cyberbullying to a trusted adult
*Blocking communication with the cyberbully
*Deleting messages without reading them
*Talking to a friend about the bullying
*Reporting the problem to an Internet service provider or website moderator
You can also help prevent cyberbullying by
*Speaking with other students, as well as teachers and school administrators, to develop rules against cyberbullying
*Raising awareness of the cyberbullying problem in your community by holding an assembly and creating fliers to give to younger kids or parents
*Sharing NCPC’s anti-cyberbullying message with friends
The most critical of the NCPC's recommendations are below:
*Never post or share your personal information online (this includes your full name, address, telephone number, school name, parents’ names, credit card number, or social security number) or your friends’ personal information.
*Never share your Internet passwords with anyone, except your parents.
*Never meet anyone face-to-face whom you only know online.
*Talk to your parents about what you do online.
Web Resources for Cyberbullying
the The Maine State Library. It is called Famous Mainers and Famous People With Maine Connections. On the main page there is an alphabetical list of individuals with some Maine connection, their dates and a category they fit into. For example James Blaine is listed as a Political Figure who lived from 1830 to 1893. If you click on the name of the individual, you will get a brief list of their achievements and some useful books and web sites about them (take a look at the image to the right). The books are ones found in the Maine State Library but if we don't have copies of them here at BPL we can get them for you. There is also a search field on the right side of the page. Its a great place to start if you have to come up with a famous Mainer for a paper. Many thanks to the Waterboro Public Library for noticing this and blogging it.
