## Cyberbullying On Social Media

At this stage in the development of social media platforms and worldwide internet usage, you’ve probably heard of cyberbullying. To put it simply, ‘[cyberbullying](https://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/what-is-it)’ is the use of technology to bully someone online - either through harassment, embarrassment, rude and offensive comments, or ‘trolling’, with the aim of shaming or scaring those targeted.

In the past, bullying may have taken place in the schoolyard or the workplace, and it used to be much easier to spot. What’s so scary nowadays is that social media platforms can be used - sometimes anonymously, sometimes in a more blatant manner - to bully a victim 24/7. There’s just no escape from it - a bully can attack at any time of day or night. Cyberbullying on social media has taken over as the new form of physical bullying.

Cyberbullying can affect a victim’s self-esteem, self-confidence, social behavior, school work, self-worth, and self-awareness, and lead to extremities such as self-harm and in the worst cases, even suicide.

## Social Media Cyberbullying Statistics

According to a recent Pew Research Center study that focused on social media cyberbullying statistics, almost half of US teenagers aged 13-17 say they are online “almost constantly”. The study also shows that the most popular social media platforms among this age group are YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.

Over [50% of kids in the United States](https://www.npr.org/2019/10/31/774838891/its-a-smartphone-life-more-than-half-of-u-s-children-now-have-one) have a mobile phone device by the time they are 11.  95% of teens in the U.S. are online, and the [vast majority](https://cyberbullying.org/Cyberbullying-Identification-Prevention-Response.pdf) choose their mobile device as their preferred method of accessing the Internet - which in turn suggests that the use of these devices is the most common way to be cyber bullied.  

As of 2021, over 45.5% percent of middle- and high-school-aged kids in the US reported experiencing cyberbullying - a shockingly high rate.  And among social media platforms, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat are the ones with the [highest rate](https://enough.org/stats_cyberbullying) of cyberbullying cases.

## Effects of Cyberbullying on Social Media

Now that we’ve established what cyberbullying on social media is, it does beg the question, what effects is this having on our society? Worryingly, there’s a new buzzword in town: ‘cyber violence.’ 

Due to the way that humans can now interact with each other, it’s not just physical violence that poses a threat. The nature of abuse has transfigured into cyber violence. ‘Cyber violence’ is the upper echelon of cyberbullying. Cyber violence can affect anyone but unfortunately, the nature of gender-based violence means that at the moment, women and girls are the most likely victims.  

Women and girls are now having to deal with ‘digital assaults’ that result in permanent damage - they can often be either too embarrassed or ashamed to deal with their experience and so in many cases, there is no recourse.  There’s also a very real worry that these digital fists will be the forerunners to physical violence.

The most notable forms of cyber violence against females are currently:
- Non-consensual image sharing
- Non-consensual video sharing 
- Online intimidation and threats via email or social media platforms
- Online sexual harassment, or ‘sextortion’
- Stalking, including the use of tracking apps and devices 
- Impersonation
- Economic harm via digital means

These activities can all lead to sexual exploitation and abuse. Additionally, the online damage is usually irreparable - if a non-consensual, offensive image is posted on the internet, it’s almost impossible to remove it. The notions of ‘sharing’ and ‘screenshotting’ mean that once an image is posted on the world wide web, it’s always there. 

‘Revenge porn’ is another form of cyber violence, whereby images are used and shared on the internet without the person’s consent, to damage their reputation or humiliate or coerce them. And though revenge porn is carried out by someone the victim knows, other acts of cyber violence involve hackers stealing and distributing images without the victim knowing or consenting - and then ‘victim shaming’ them should they find out.  In a sick kind of ‘finders keepers’ fashion, there is a philosophy that anything appropriated on the internet is fair play - but this shouldn’t be allowed to be the case. 

Research by the World Health Organization has estimated that one in ten women has already experienced a form of cyber violence since the age of 15. If we are to assume that Internet access is now a human right - especially as livelihoods depend on its usage - then we need to make sure that cyberspace is a safe place to be. 

The European Council Commissioner for Human Rights [reported](https://www.coe.int/en/web/commissioner/-/no-space-for-violence-against-women-and-girls-in-the-digital-world) in March 2022 that:

>“The lack of comprehensive and accurate data collection in this area results in information being fragmented and incomplete, but the little we do know suffices to conclude that the magnitude of digital violence against women and girls and ensuring impunity remains colossal, having an impact on society as a whole.”

In the UK, good news comes in the form of the [Online Safety Bill](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-bill-supporting-documents/online-safety-bill-factsheet), which reached the UK parliament this December in an effort to make the digital world a safe and empowering space for users. Acts such as upskirting, downblousing, and uploading non-consensual photographs will be criminalized for the first time. Platforms likely to be accessed by children will have a legal duty to protect young people using their services.
Likewise, even websites directed at adults will have to ‘address named categories of legal but harmful material accessed by adults, likely to include issues such as abuse, harassment, or exposure to content encouraging self-harm or eating disorders.’ Websites will have to start taking accountability for what they are posting, or what users are posting on their sites. By pushing these businesses to take responsibility for their users’ antics, governments hope to lessen the effects of cyberbullying on social media.

The Online Safety Bill will also impose a duty of care on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to prevent users from being exposed to illegal content. Any platforms which fail to protect users will need to answer to the regulator and could face fines of up to 10% of their revenues, or even be blocked.

In the words of the Human Rights Commissioner, there should be ‘no space for violence against women and girls in the digital world.’ As parents especially, our job is to create a safe environment for our children to be in, and a better world for their future. The battle to criminalize more of these activities and keep people safe online is paramount - this should be legislation that every country in the world is pushing for and adopting.

## Cyberbullying Examples on Social Media

The push for further legislation protecting online users from cyberbullying has been exacerbated by recent examples of cyberbullying on social media that have produced tragic results. In 2019, [Channing Smith](https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/30/us/channing-smith-suicide-cyberbullying-tennessee-trnd/index.html), a 16-year-old from Manchester, Tennessee, took his own life on September 23 after two classmates publicized screenshots of explicit text conversations he had with another young man, outing him as bisexual. 

[McKenna Brown’s](https://www.abcactionnews.com/community/you-are-not-alone/pinellas-mother-says-cyberbullying-played-a-part-in-daughters-death) mother reported the changes that her daughter underwent in terms of self-confidence and mental well-being, ultimately leading to her suicide in August 2022, after a compromising non-consensual photo of her was shared online. And the case of [Amanda Todd](https://bc.ctvnews.ca/cyberbullying-case-b-c-teen-the-victim-of-persistent-campaign-of-sextortion-trial-hears-1.5934921), who committed suicide in 2012 after being the victim of online sextortion, continued up until this year, as her abuser only faced trial in June 2022. 

## Cyberbullying and Cyber Violence: What Do Parents Need To Know

If you are worried your child is experiencing cyberbullying: 

- Communicate: Use open-ended questions to get your child talking and ask how they’re feeling. Listen without judgment, let your child know that you support them, and make sure they know you will help stop the bullying.
- Block the Bully: Help your child block the bully on social media sites and messaging apps.
- Report It: If your teen is being cyberbullied, [report](https://cyberbullying.org/report) it to the website or app where it’s happening.
- Seek Professional Help: If you or your child is feeling overwhelmed, you can look to professional help and support.

The use of parental control apps, such as [FamilyKeeper](https://familykeeper.reasonlabs.com/), can also help parents monitor what their child may be experiencing online. Parents can set up offensive keyword alerts and image monitoring. Additionally, parents can block unknown contacts from messaging their child’s device. For more information on FamilyKeeper parental control app, visit: [https://familykeeper.reasonlabs.com/](https://familykeeper.reasonlabs.com/)

Cyberbullying can affect a victim’s self-esteem, self-confidence, social behavior, school work, self-worth, and self-awareness, and lead to extremities such as self-harm and in the worst cases, even suicide.

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Cyberbullying on Social Media: When Does It Become Violent?

Wednesday, October 12th has come to be known as National Stop Bullying Day. A little brief history for you: 

‘In 2009, eighteen sixth-grade students from St. Stanislaus Kostka declared October National Stop Bullying Month, the second week of October National Stop Bullying Week, and Stop Bullying Day on the second Wednesday of October.’

While originally motivated to prevent bullying towards children, the advent of cyberbullying, bleeding into other arenas like the workplace, has actually given rein to anti-bullying for people of all ages.

## When did bullying become cyberbullying?

The move from physical bullying to cyberbullying really got underway in the 2010s, when smartphones became mainstream and social media platform accessibility exploded. Anyone anywhere can view, post and comment online – and as such, it’s opened users up to being extremely vulnerable.

## What is cyberbullying?

Stopbullying.gov defines cyberbullying as ‘bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets.’ 

Cyberbullying involves sending, posting, commenting or sharing derogatory, false, or nasty content about someone, whether it’s text or images, in order to deliberately harm or humiliate them. It can often be done anonymously, using a fake profile, or by internet ‘trolls’. With new awareness of the harm it can inflict, these days cyberbullying may cross the line into unlawful or criminal behavior.

## Where can cyberbullying occur?

Unfortunately, there are many outlets for cyberbullying: 

🙁 SMS, and other messaging services

🙁 Social media platforms e.g. Facebook, Twitter or Instagram

🙁 Chatrooms or other forums where people can view, participate in, or share content.

🙁 Connected online games

As parents or teachers, one of the most worrying things about cyberbullying is that it can be happening under our noses and we may not even know.  Class WhatsApp groups, your child’s social media accounts, online chat rooms – unless you are constantly supervising every single message or photo that enters your child’s phone (which let’s be honest, they may not appreciate), it’s not so easy to detect if someone is being harassed or bullied.

What can you do to commemorate National Stop Bullying Day?
You may see the hashtag #StopBullyingDay trending on social media – join the conversation and get informed about the dangers of bullying in all its forms – and how to recognize where and when it may be happening.

This may also be the time to rethink what we as parents can do to prevent cyberbullying in all of its forms. Using a parental control app that can identify offensive keywords or images, and alert you if such a thing occurs, is an important step to take in defense against cyberbullying.

FamilyKeeper was developed with these challenges in mind – providing parents with peace of mind that their child can navigate the internet without being susceptible, in a safe, age-appropriate way.

If you have other concerns, or are looking for advice surrounding cyberbullying, you are most welcome to join [Digital World Parenting](https://www.facebook.com/groups/dwparenting) – an online discussion forum for parents, where you can get expert advice, and join the conversation regarding all parenting issues in the cyber world.

Wednesday, October 12th has come to be known as National Stop Bullying Day.

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National Stop Bullying Day: How Can You Do Your Part?

It’s now September and the kids are firmly back in school!

As well as meeting new teachers and classmates, and navigating school corridors and timetables, kids of today are also negotiating their way around the latest social media platforms, and what’s trending.

Unfortunately, what’s currently in fashion where social media is concerned isn’t always rosy.  Over the summer, the tragic story of Archie Battersbee unfolded, resulting in his life support being turned off, months after he attempted the TikTok Blackout Challenge – and yet this hasn’t stopped other teenagers from attempting, and losing their lives to, the same challenge.  

As parents, we need to be aware of what ‘challenges’ are in vogue on social media – some may seem innocuous, some alarmingly dangerous, and no child should ever feel peer pressured to try something they don’t feel comfortable with.

Which are the latest dangerous crazes that have emerged from social media?

## Blackout Challenge

The ‘Blackout Challenge’ has been around since 2008, but while it seemed to dissipate for a while, it resurfaced in 2021, causing untold agony for parents and families. Also known as the ‘Choking Challenge’, the Blackout Challenge encourages the participant to hold their breath until they pass out.

What people may not realize is that the resultant loss of oxygen to the brain can in fact cause irreparable brain damage, and in extreme cases result in loss of life. According to the CDC, the Blackout Challenge has been responsible for over 80 deaths – and that number has only increased since it re-emerged as a TikTok challenge.

We strongly urge our readers to look out for the following signs that someone may be attempting this challenge:

🚫 Bloodshot eyes

🚫 Marks on their neck

🚫 A sense of disorientation after spending time on their own

🚫 Severe headaches

If you fear that someone may be at risk, seek help and advice immediately.

## Angel of Death Challenge

This challenge originated in Indonesia in 2021 and saw a resurgence in 2022. It involves jumping in front of a moving vehicle and acting on the assumption that said vehicle will stop in time.  Unfortunately, and realistically, this is not always the case – and footage was posted in June of this year of a group of teenagers trying the challenge, resulting in death.

Common sense should tell us that this is undoubtedly an awful challenge to attempt to do – but again, the widespread nature of social media trends can lead to susceptible young people being misled, and mistaking ‘dangerous’ and ‘risky’ for ‘fun’ and ‘exciting’. 

## Orbeez Challenge

Sweeping across the States this summer, the Orbeez challenge involves shooting water beads, which are sometimes frozen into hard pellets, out of a toy or air gun.  

Pointing any kind of weapon at somebody else, however harmless your intention may be, is never acceptable. If these pellets strike someone on the head, they can actually kill – leading to this challenge now being a prosecutable offense.

There are many more challenges of varying degrees of danger that are possible to view online – and we urge you to discourage your family members from viewing these as anything but the dangerous pranks that they are.  It’s vital that parents and teachers warn kids and students about the dangers of trying out these challenges.

TikTok itself has its own rules and guidelines to try and eliminate any dangerous activity, and there is the option to report videos or images that may be on the social media site.

## How can you report content on TikTok?

❇️ On the right-hand side of a TikTok video, find and click on the white arrow

❇️ Tap the ‘report’ icon / flag symbol

❇️ Continue to follow the instructions provided in order to report dangerous content

In addition, we recommend using a top parental control app, such as FamilyKeeper, that can notify you when your child visits an inappropriate site, provides alerts when incendiary keywords are used, and lets you block specific platforms and content.  Let this school year be one with peace of mind for your family – read more about staying cyber safe at https://familykeeper.reasonlabs.com

You are also most welcome to join our Facebook group [Digital World Parenting](https://www.facebook.com/groups/dwparenting) for advice from experts, tips from other parents, and to join our parenting discussion board.

Which are the latest dangerous crazes that have emerged from social media?

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Online Threats To Be Aware Of: 3 Dangerous TikTok Challenges

From the moment our children are born, there is nothing a parent desires more than to keep them from harm. Many parents would say that there’s a strong urge to coddle them in cotton wool to protect them from the world’s evils – even though this is of course unrealistic!

This week is National Missing Children’s Day – an annual calendar event first promoted by President Ronald Reagan in 1983, in order to promote awareness about this extremely tragic circumstance. After two high-profile cases in the United States in 1979 of two little boys who went missing, Etan Patz and Adam Walsh, the US Department of Justice felt it was high time that more was done to highlight the importance of child safety, and to educate and give encouragement to parents, guardians, caregivers and others concerned with the well-being of children.

In 1984, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) organization was founded by Adam Walsh’s parents, Revé and John, along with numerous child advocates and law enforcement officials. This organization works with the US Department of Justice in order to stamp out child abduction, and prevent these nightmare occurrences.

National Missing Children’s Day serves as a reminder that we should continue our efforts to reunite missing children with their families. Yet unfortunately, there are still so many open-ended cases where missing children are concerned, which detectives and other authorities are simply unable to solve. Having a day in the year to actively promote ‘stranger danger’ is an important step – as is remembering these children who never had a chance to grow up.

**What can we do to help?**

FamilyKeeper parental control app prides itself on doing everything we can to keep children safe. One of our key features is the location tracker – we use geofencing so you can see where your child is, if they are in a safe place, or if they go off-grid. The app allows you to link your mobile phone to your child’s device, giving you peace of mind that you know where your child is.

There is also a battery tracker feature, so you can check that your child has enough battery life left on their device in case of an emergency – being contactable is another box ticked in terms of child safety. 

And crucially, there is an SOS emergency button – if your child is feeling scared, they can use this feature to contact you immediately.

FamilyKeeper also helps prevent children from being contacted by online predators, with features that allow you to monitor online chats, saved images, apps, social media platforms and other websites that may be either inappropriate or dangerous.

No parent should ever know the pain of a missing child. As always, we pray that these incidents should never happen again – but we also need to do all we can to help ensure our kids’ safety to the maximum.

For more information on FamilyKeeper and how it can help keep your family safe, go to familykeeper.co – or download the app from the Google Play Store.

National Missing Children’s Day serves as a reminder that we should continue our efforts to reunite missing children with their families.

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#Child Safety