Play nicely, kids: bullies in cyber-space

It’s rather timely, given my recent post on cyber-crime, that I caught a TV segment on 60 Minutes last night on cyber-bullying. I’ve recently watched similar documentaries on this subject, but this one prompted me to write.

Despite what the law makers would say, I regard all types of bullying as criminal acts. After all, bullies are generally mean, heartless, cunning, cruel and calculating individuals who don’t seem to see a problem in causing grief to others. In my book, this is just as much a crime as shoplifting or other forms of violence.

For example, one could imagine that it would take a bully just as much time, effort and malice to orchestrate a cruel bullying campaign as it would for them to plan the theft of a DVD from a music shop. In fact, I’d think that bullying takes a much more sustained effort, and can be a far more lengthy, calculated and vindictive activity that specifically targets an individual or individuals. Bullying also costs lives, and can have severely damaging physical and psychological effects for those who have the misfortune of being victims.

Not only that, there are obviously certain forms of bullying that are classified as criminal matters - for example, mental and physical assault.

Honestly, it’s a wonder how many forms of bullying have remained immune to legislation when the outcomes are often so tragic and unnecessary. Bullying may be difficult to police in a practical sense, but so are many crime types, although it hasn’t precluded them from legislation.

Thank goodness for those caring school teachers, parents, guardians and friends who have each delivered their own respective blends of support and guidance to young victims of bullying in days gone by. I’d like to think it’s helped them to overcome the adversity and get on with their lives. Problem is, it’s not as easy to provide this kind of protection to children in the online world - and when you think about the characteristics of the internet medium, it’s not hard to see why.

Unfortunately, another sinister consequence of our increasing reliance on the internet is cyber-bullying. Of course, the capacity for online bullying is severely magnified by the ease and popularity of e-communications between individuals and groups, particularly via popular social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook.

Not unlike the prognosis that lies before the commercial and government sectors in regard to cyber-crime threats, several children and young adults are now facing a future of online victimisation at the hands of their most valued communications medium - the internet.

So what can be done to stop cyber-bullying when children are using the internet more every day? As parents, how do we even know if our kids are being exposed to this cruel act? 

In my days at school, A bullying incident would have seen me come home with a shiny bruise on my cheek and a story about how someone named Biff had ganged up on me in the canteen line. It all seemed much more transparent back then. At least, with traditional face-to-face bullying, it was limited for many kids. It essentially stopped when the school bell rang, and the victim would usually be free of it until the next school day, or maybe even longer than that if they were lucky. 

With cyber-bullying, the offender behaviour appears to be extreme and unrelenting…and quite frankly, it’s disgraceful. I’m going to sound like an old timer in saying this, but if today’s heartless and thoughtless bullies spent as much time studying their Calculus and Geography as they did scheming vicious bullying assaults, the internet would be a more enjoyable and safer place for our children. Open those books kids, learn how to treat others with courtesy and respect, and stop the villainy.

It’s bad enough that young internet users have to stay vigilant against various forms of cyber-crime, let alone deal with the despicable act of cyber-bullying…and getting back to the legalities of bullying, can anyone tell me how bullying a child to suicide is any different than stabbing or beating them to death?

Just because cyber-bullying isn’t a physical act, doesn’t mean it isn’t damaging or deadly. Play nicely, kids, please.

Rob