Stop Cyberbullying

Well I hate to bring the mood down or anything but I just read some blog posts which didn't suprise me particularly but shocked me none-the-less. There is a danger, I believe, of this new community driven web being ruined by a small yet powerful minority. For want of a better term, I will call them bullies.

There have also been reports of children getting bullyed online via sites like bebo and myspace.(search BBC etc)

Now, I don't post this up to bring you down. I just think that more should be done to stop it. This is just a shout out: go to stopcyberbullying.ning.com and get involved, post something up on your blog to discourage bullying (but more importantly to encourage decent behaviour), and finally if you do have kids and they go on the net just keep an eye on them - read the comments on their MySpace page, check any forums they go on. I understand that kids need freedom and independence but their safety and well being is far more important.

Sorry to go on but I hate bullies, cyber or otherwise, and we as part of the web community need to start taking it seriously.
As a community most of us here probably disregard any such emails as junk or spam; but lets put ourselves in to the shoes of younger schoolchildrew who are much less "internet aware" or :winternet savvy".

best thing to stop cyber bullying:

1, If you are bullyied, ignore it, avoid contact with the subject that bugs you.

2. Don't bully others...

It's that easy!

i think generally though just ignoring the problem might not work, there needs to be some sort of governing body to report problems to. On the internet its quite easy to annoy someone. If you obtain their email address you can write horrible emails to them, even if they setup some sort of blocking system or message filter, the bully could still just change his email and continue doing it. This is the same with IMs where most of the time its completely free to register so there's nothing stopping people registering multiple times and what not and dodging the whole blocking system.

i think generally the parents need to get more involved. i know personally and from friends that it gets annoying with parents watching over your shoulder and questioning you about what is on your screen. Parents generally should take a bit more of a laid back approach but still asking their children who they're talking to online what sites they're visiting and what not. My parents generally won't go on my pc and check my logbooks and history (god that would be terrible) nor do they really look over my shoulder (cause the pc is in my room

) but they do ask about what i'm doing and what not.

Sometimes you just wish kids weren't so cruel ... ah well

In the case of online bullying or threats over the internet, its sometimes the victim that opens themselves to bullying, like the recent blogging incident leading to "Blogging Codes of conduct".

United STates Computer Emergency Readiness Team: Dealing with Cyberbullies

Cyberbullying refers to the new, and growing, practice of using technology to harass, or bully, someone else. Bullies used to be restricted to methods such as physical intimidation, postal mail, or the telephone. Now, developments in electronic media offer forums such as email, instant messaging, web pages, and digital photos to add to the arsenal. Computers, cell phones, and PDAs are new tools that can be applied to an old practice.

Forms of cyberbullying can range in severity from cruel or embarrassing rumors to threats, harassment, or stalking. It can affect any age group; however, teenagers and young adults are common victims, and cyberbullying is a growing problem in schools.