With thanks to www.scottmcleod.net
for these images.

Cyberbullying Advice

Cyberbullying is a modern day problem which is more prevalent than people think.  Children and young people are becoming more and more adept at adapting to new technologies and they use mobiles, the internet and other communication technologies more frequently than ever before.

However, this popularity provides opportunities for some people to misuse technology and cyberbullying can follow children outside of school hours and into their own homes.
A report to the Anti-Bullying Alliance by the University of London defined cyberbullying as "…an aggressive, intentional act carried out by a group or individual, using electronic forms of contact, repeatedly over time against a victim who cannot easily defend him or herself."  For example the bullying can take the form of unwelcome or threatening text messages, pictures or video-clips sent via mobile phones, emailing hurtful messages, instant messages, via a chat forum or website and so on.  We all need to be aware of this and act to try to prevent this from happening and to deal with it effectively when it does happen.

Research by the DfES has found that a quarter of the young people who had been cyberbullied said that knowing how to get hold of and speak to an expert at dealing with cyberbullying would have made a difference.  Knowing there was a staff member at school dedicated to stopping bullying was cited by 15% as a help. 13% said that knowing of a website with advice and tips would have helped them.

At Lindisfarne Middle School we want to make the children aware that we want to help anyone who is being bullied, including those suffering from cyberbullying.  If this is happening to you, your child or someone you know, please speak to someone about it.  All our staff want to help and support people who feel bullied.

In addition, here are some links which take you to good websites about what you can do to prevent and deal with cyberbullying:

www.thinkuknow.co.uk
www.childnet-int.org/kia
www.chatdanger.com
www.childnet-int.org/sorted
www.kidscape.org.uk