Cyberbullying and SextingCyberbullying and Sexting

www.wisekids.org.uk

There is no escape as the perpetrators can send text messages or post comments at any time of the day. It can also be difficult to work out who is sending the messages.

Some young people have also been involved in ‘sexting’ incidents – i.e., using their mobile phones, cameras or webcams to create and send explicit images and videos of themselves or their boyfriend or girlfriend. This is illegal in the UK and a prosecutable offence if the images/videos are of anyone below 18. Do tell your friends about this! The social and emotional consequences of these actions can also be devastating!

So what can you do?

Social networks, chat, messenger, texts, gaming and other Internet activities are great when used positively! Unfortunately, in a small number of cases, these technologies have been used to harass and humiliate others. This is what is meant by ‘cyberbullying’ and can be awful for several reasons:

Due to the public and viral nature of the Internet, this negative content can also bespread easily, using YouTube, Facebook and even technologies like Bluetooth.

Others who view this contentcan also store or make copiesof it, so you can’t take it back.In some cases, such content isused to make fake profiles orfalse websites of the victims!

• Never share or forward these messages but keep them as evidence. In the UK, there have been cases where young people have been prosecuted for cyberbullying

• If a false profile has been set up, or if someone is posting nasty comments or messages online, you can report this using the ‘Report Abuse’ function available on the websites themselves. Many companies like Facebook will act quickly to remove the offending content or account. For more information see: http://www.facebook.com/safety and http://www.google.com/support/youtube

• If you come across any incidents of bullying/cyberbullying, or if you yourself receive any nasty or harassing messages block the sender (where possible) and speak to your parents or a trusted adult immediately. You may want to ask your parents to speak to your school teacher if the bullying involves other children from school. The CyberMentors website also provides good support: http://www.cybermentors.org.uk

• If you or someone you know has been receiving inappropriate sexual messages/ content, you can report this to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP): https://www.ceop.police.uk/Ceop-Report. If you yourself have got involved in a sexting incident, talk to your parents or a trusted adult. It is easy to get tricked into doing things online, so don’t be afraid to get help. You can also speak to someone in Childline on 0800-1111. Remember if someone’s life is in danger, contact the police immediately!

Copyright © 2012 WISE KIDS. Creative Commons License: CC BY-NC-ND 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en_GB