Cyber bullying:

The Handbook
A Handbook about Cyber bullying for children and teenagers 9 14 year:
What is it? What is special about it? How to prevent it? How to deal with it?
1. Online Safety Advice
Some advice to keep you safe
on social media:

Be mindful what you share online:

When you choose a profile picture for a social networking

website like Facebook or Twitter, avoid intimate photos and
photos that couldgive strangers clues aboutwhere you live.
Check your privacy settings regularly. Think about what should
be shared in public and whatshouldn't. Social media is like an
open diary.

Think before you post:

Dont upload orshare anything you would not like your

parents, teachers or friends to see. Once youpress send, it
is no longer private.
Never share or reveal your passwords:

A password is like a key. Use strong passwords that are hard for
others to guess, using a mix of letters and numbers. Keep
passwords to yourself and change them regularly.

Be careful whom you let in:

Who would you like to see what you share online? If somebody
you dont know adds you as a friend, ignore them and delete
their request. Dont share personal informationlike your address
or phone number withsomebody you don't know. Avoid
sending/typing anything that others may find oensive.

Source: ChildLine, 2016. Cybersmile, 2016.

2. What is Cyber Bullying?
Cyber bullying is intentional malicious acts of communication
through technology using social media, email, text messages,
online gaming platforms or any other digital technologies/
programs. It is never OK to bully others.

Source: Cybersmile, 2016

3. Whats dierent about

cyber bullying?
Bullying is not new, but some features of cyber bullying are
dierent from other forms of bullying:

1. 24/7 and the invasion of home/ personal space.

Cyber bullying can take place at any time and can intrude
into spaces that have previously been regarded as safe or
personal.
2. The audience can be very large and reached rapidly.
The diculty in controlling electronically circulated
messages means the scale and scope of cyber bullying can
be greater than for other forms of bullying. Electronically
forwarded content is hard to control, and the worry of
content resurfacing can make it dicult for targets to move
on.

3. People who cyber bully may attempt to remain anonymous.

This can be extremely distressing for those being bullied.
The person cyber bullying may never be in the same
physical space as their target.
 4. The profile of the bully and target.
Cyber bullying can take place both
between peers and across
generations; teachers have also been
targets.
Age or size are not important.
Bystanders can also become
accessories to the bullying; for
example, by passing on a humiliating
image.

5. Some instances of cyber bullying are known to be

unintentional.
It can be the result of not thinking (something sent as a joke
may be deeply upsetting or oensive to the recipient) or a
lack of awareness of the consequences for example saying
something negative online about another pupil, or friend that
they dont expect to be forwarded or viewed outside their
immediate group.

6. Many cyber bullying incidents can themselves act as

evidence.
This is one of the reasons why its important to know how
to respond!

Source: Childnet, 2007

5. CYBER BULLIED
WHAT DO I DO?
Tell an adult you trust about whats going on. Dont delete any of
the emails, texts, or messages. They can serve as evidence.
Keep a record of incidents. Dont forward any mean messages
that spread rumors about you or someone else. Dont cyber bully
back. Revenge is never the best answer. If possible, report the
incident to the administrator of the website. Many websites
including Facebook and YouTube have safety centers to report
cyber bullying.

Source: NCPC.org, 2009.

STOP: Immediately stop replying and dont share any

personal info
BLOCK: Block and report the bully
TELL: Tell a trusted adult and keep telling until something
is done
SCHOOL: Find out what your school can do about cyber
bullying
PROOF: Save abusive messages - you might need them later
on
POLICE: Inform the police if your safety is at risk
 WORRIED ABOUT A FRIEND?
If you know that a friend or class mate is being cyber bullied,
there are things you can do to help. Taking action such as telling
an adult and reporting the bully will show your friend that they
are not alone.

Source: Cybersmile, 2016

This Handbook:
This handbook for children and teenagers is put together by the
Erasmus+ project Beat Cyberbullying; Embrace Safer
Cyberspace, 2016.

www.becybersafe.org

Sources:
I. https://www.childline.org.uk/Explore/OnlineSafety/Pages/staying-safe-
online.aspx
II. https://www.cybersmile.org/wp-content/uploads/Cybersmile-Leaflets-
Teens-Guide.pdf
III. http://www.childnet.com/ufiles/Cyberbullying-Guidance---Overview.pdf
IV. http://www.ncpc.org/topics/cyberbullying/cyberbullying-tip-sheets/NCPC
%20Tip%20Sheet%20-%20Tips%20for%20Teens.pdf