Just my own memories of being picked on gives a whole new perspective for those growing up with the Internet. When I went home, my friends in the neighborhood were not cruel, my parents were supportive and I had a sanctuary. There are a lot of teens who are being picked on now, come home and sign on to find that the harassment continues in their "sanctuary" (a.k.a. online).
According to this Forbes article, one in 10 students is affected by cyber bullying.
Since that is 10% of students, I have 10 tips that may help:
1. Tell someone about it. It may seem like you are being a tattle tale if you tell every time someone says anything to you, but it is important to let someone know if it evolves into more of a bullying behavior.
2. Report the online behavior to the online provider. Most services have a reporting functionality to report violations of their Terms of Service. And all responsible companies have policies against harassment.
3. Don't bully back. It is tempting to retaliate and say something equally mean back to a harasser, but it only makes things worse.
4. Ignore it. As much as possible. Generally, harassers only harass as long as it is entertaining for them. If you ignore them, they will eventually give up and move on. This is not to suggest you don't report the behavior – it is still worth turning them in. Just don't tell them about it. Or tell them anything, actually.
5. Block the offenders from being able to communicate with you online. If you recognize an email or other message as potentially offensive, don't open it – instead block the person and report it.
6. Ask a trusted adult to open the messages for you, so I they need to be kept for later action they can be, without having you have to read it.
7. Never agree to meet anyone you met online. This can be very dangerous.
8. If it the harassment or bullying is related to school in any way, let the school know.
9. Have a sanctuary. Surround yourself with people who make you feel good.
10. If it is bad enough, change your login names. This means your email address, profiles, etc. Then don't advertise that you have a new address so the harassers don't put any effort into trying to find it again. Only tell your family and a few trusted friends.
What other tips do you have to help with cyber bullying?
