Be Brave. Be Bold. Fight CYBER-B U L L Y I N G.

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What is Cyber-bullying?
Cyber-bullying is the use of electronic communication and social media to "bully" a person. It can either be anonymous or open to someone you may know. Bullies would initially choose popular social networks such as, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Ask.fm, Formspring and Aim (instant messaging) to attack their victim. Cyber-bullying is most popular amongst children, pre-teens and teenagers. It is known as one of the leading causes of death and suicide rates amongst the younger generation. 
                                      Why is this an important issue?
Many fail to realize how much this issue is growing and the negative consequences that arise from it.  When a child or teenager is bullied, they often keep it to themselves because they’re afraid of the outcome from opening up to someone. Cyberbullying is considered one of the most harsh and cruel forms of bullying. With cyberbullying, there are no limitations and it's extra risky because everything is posted on the internet. Once something is posted online, it can be easily accessed from anywhere and can even ruin your reputation in the years to come. If you join the fight with me to prohibit Cyberbullying once and for all, many lives, reputations and social statuses will be saved and set free!
Quotes 
“Why should I care what other people think of me? I am who I am. And who I wanna be.” 
― Avril Lavigne
“Don't waste your energy trying to change opinions ... Do your thing, and don't care if they like it.” 
― Tina Fey, Bossypants
“Control Your Own Destiny or Someone Else Will” 
― Jack Welch

Who gets affected?

Just about anyone can be a victim of Cyber-bullying. When a child or teenager is bullied, it doesn't only affect that one individual; it affects their family and friends too. There are serious consequences that result from cyber-bullying. Your child or teen could end up in a stage of depression and feel safe to open up or speak about what they may be experiencing. If you suspect that your child is being cyber-bullied, do not take the signs for granted! Talk to your child and if you won't get them to speak up, go to more extensive measures such as checking the computer history or something as simple as analyzing their body language and attitude. 
The Amanda Todd Story
Have you ever heard about Amanda Todd? Well, if you didn’t, Amanda Todd was young teenage girl who committed suicide as a result of being bullied both online and off. As her story got out, we learned that Amanda enjoyed going on webcam with her friends and video chatting with random people. One day, a stranger flattered Amanda into flashing them and so she did. Screenshots and photos were taken of Amanda’s “flash” and later got all around the web and in school.  From that point on, Amanda saw her whole social reputation go down. No matter how much she tried to apologize and move away from everything, her one mistake followed her. Amanda is the perfect example of why we should take this issue more seriously and why we should do more things to prevent bullying and most importantly, cyber bullying!    
ETCB

ETCB stands for "End to Cyber-Bullying" organization. ETCB is a non-profit organization that is designed to fight against and prevent cyber-bullying. Their best method of getting the word out is by raising awareness about cyber-bullying throughout the world. Their main mission/goal is to highlight the issues around cyber-bullying today and to educate those on how to avoid or deal with cyberbullying. They provide many services to help the victims of cyberbullying free of charge.They also offer various volunteer opportunities so that people like you and I could join the fight to prevent cyber-bullying. Along with many others, ETCB's one and only hope is to educate parents, faculty members, and even teens about internet precautions and all protections related to cyberbullying!
End Cyber-bullying Facebook Page
What’s a better way to raise awareness than through the media? The media is probably your best pick when interested in spreading the word on a growing issue.  With a total of 29,400 likes and 355 talking about this organization, we obviously see that they are productive with their motives. The Stop cyber- bullying organization is a non-profit organization who offers a great deal of information to help kids, parents, and even educators. On this Facebook page, you will find useful articles, videos and posts that relate to cyber-bullying. Their own personal way of raising awareness is by, educating the public about healthy and safe internet habits!




Fun Facts about Cyber-bullying
 Forms of Cyber- bullying 
  • Spreading rumors and mean messages around through a cellular device
  • Sexting (sending nude photos of yourself through a cellular device)
  • Stealing someones identity in hopes of ruining their reputation
  • Spreading unflattering photos of someone over media without their consent
  • Posting hurtful and threatening comments onto a social networking website
  • Forming hate groups on a social networking website
Statistics
  • Over half of adolescents and teens have been bullied online, and about the same number have engaged in cyber bullying.
  • More than 1 in 3 young people have experienced cyberthreats online.
  • Over 25 percent of adolescents and teens have been bullied repeatedly through their cell phones or the Internet.
  • Well over half of young people do not tell their parents when cyber bullying occurs.
Courtesy of: 
The iSAFE foundation 
http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/cyber-bullying-statistics.html
Parents, how can you help?
  • Encourage your teens to speak up if they're being bullied.
  • Educate teens about online safety and cyber-bullying.
  • Choose an appropriate age for your teens and pre-teens to join social networks (ages 10-14 aren't ideal).
  • Teach teens about being cautious about what information they share online.
  • Keep your computers and laptops in a shared space such as your living room.
If you're being bullied...
  • Tell a parent, guardian, school counselor or someone you trust.
  • DO NOT take matters into your own hands and try resolve the issue on your own.
  • Block the website/email that you are being bullied on.
  • Don't stress yourself about it. Don't blame yourself for being a target. 
  • Spend time doing things you enjoy and step away from the computer. This can work as a great stress reliever and will steer your mind clear of the cyberbully. 
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If you or a friend is being bullied, speak up! Don’t keep it to
yourself and most definitely, don’t try to take matters into your own hands. If you’re the perpetrator, remember, you’ll never know someone’s story by just looking at him or her. Why try to make someone’s life complete torture just for a day of satisfaction or popularity? Instead of trying to make them hurt more, be their friend, and listen to them. You’ll have a much better outcome than by bullying them. And if you’re the victim, always remember, there are always people you can talk to and better ways to solve things than through violence.  Be a better person, create a better you!