Cyberbullying - A Problem for Everyone

The schoolyard bully has turned into the cyberspace bully. The difference is that the era of technology allows a greater audience and more anonymity for the said bully. Often referred to as flaming, cyberbullies send harassing mass e-mails and IMs and leave rude and offensive comments on message boards and blogs. It is also common for cyberbullies to hack into various accounts and change passwords. This can happen to anyone of any age, but it tends to occur in the middle school age most often.

Teaching Netiquette is probably the best way to prevent cyberbullying, as comments are sometimes meant in jest, but are taken out of context, etc. Most schools do monitor Internet usage, so bullying can be easily traced. Keeping passwords private and changing screen names frequently can help. Last, if the bullying is getting out of control, print transcripts of the e-mails, IMs, chat conversations, and anything else and report them.

For more information check wired safety.