With constantly evolving and new technologies and apps, people are spending a lot of time online and on smartphones. Texting, apps, and social media have become a primary way to communicate. While we can now connect more quickly and easily, if messages are ill intended and hurtful, the virtual abuse may prove relentless and difficult to address. In person, there are usually clear avenues to help – a parent, a teacher, and the police. But online, each platform and every state may have different governing rules and laws.
The redeveloped StopBullying.gov makes it easier to understand what cyberbullying is, where the vulnerable online spaces are, and how best to respond when online abuse takes place. The new site includes enhanced content, including:
- What is Cyberbullying
- Cyberbullying Tactics
- Prevent Cyberbullying
- Social Media and Online Gaming
- Digital Awareness for Parents
- Establishing Rules
- Tips for Teachers
- Report Cyberbullying
The website includes information on how to recognizing the warning signs and how best to respond when someone is experiencing bullying in an app or on a website – and what can be done to prevent cyberbullying. It reviews some of the most commonly used apps by teens and explores how online gaming can be a forum where kids can gang up or exclude other players. The new content also offers parents suggestions about how to talk with a child about being a bystander. From prevention to action, you will have a better sense of what to do and when – as a teen, as a parent, and as a teacher or community leader.
StopBullying.gov also features new research summaries and fact sheets that cover the nature and impact of bullying and some evidence-based approaches to prevention. There are also new infographics that include the latest data on bullying and cyberbullying, and blogs that highlight new resources and deepen the understanding of youth at higher risk.
Visit StopBullying.gov to check out the new resources, expanded content, and our new look!