WHAT WE ALL NEED TO KNOW. WHO’S BEHIND THE MASK.WHAT WE ALL NEED TO KNOW. WHO’S BEHIND THE MASK.

WHAT IS CYBERBULLYING?

• Cyberbullying is a covert, and maybe anonymous, form of bullying that happens in chat rooms, e-mails, blogs, websites and with text messaging devices. Cyberbullying is most often an interaction between

the same age peer group.

WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF CYBERBULLYING?

Examples of cyberbullying:

• name calling • using angry or vulgar language • sharing personal information about someone • spreading rumors • sites created to vote for the ugliest, easiest,

fattest, etc. • posting an embarrassing photo or altering a

photo of someone • vague threats

CYBERBULLY TERMSFlaming – Angry, rude arguments.

Denigration – “dissing” someone online by spreading rumors or posting false information

Outing and Trickery - disseminating intimate private information or tricking someone into disclosing private information, which is then disseminated.

Impersonation – pretending to be someone else and posting material to damage that person’s reputation.

Happy Slapping - An extreme form of bullying where physical assaults are recorded on mobile phones and distributed to others.

Trolling - Deliberately posting false information to entice genuinely helpful people to respond and contribute to the discussion.

Offender - The one who instigates online social cruelty

Exclusion – intentional exclusion from an online group.

Bash Board - An online bulletin board on which individuals can post anything they want. Generally, posts are malicious and hatefulstatements directed against another person

Harassment – Repeatedly sending offensive messages.

WHAT CAN WE DO?• the easiest and most effective way to stop

cyberbullying is to ignore it

• know that your e-mails can be read in court under special circumstances

• don't say something in an e-mail you wouldn't say to someone's face, don't be a cyberbully

• don't forward someone's e-mail without their permission

• reread your e-mail before you send it, can it be misinterpreted

• don't reply to spam, they sell your information

• if you are a victim of cyberbullying or cyberstalking print all messages

• change your screen name if you are being being bothered by a bully or a stalker

• don't share personal information in chat rooms, chat rooms are a haven for sexual predators

• try to identify the sender of bullying or stalking messages by right clicking over the e-mail address or viewing 'PROPERTIES' after right clicking on the message

• don't share your user name and password even with a friend, some friendships don't last

• think before you hit send, did you say something that can come back to haunt you

• don't engage in sexual interaction or post sexual photos of yourself, "talk about coming back to haunt you"

• know that each time you access the internet you generate an electronic fingerprint

• use filter software on all technology, text messaging  devices are particularly vulnerable, filter software is as important as wearing your seatbelt

Cyber bullying and the law• Young people should be aware that some forms of online

bullying are considered criminal acts. Under the Criminal Code of Canada, it is a crime to communicate repeatedly with someone if your communication causes them to fear for their own safety or the safety of others.

• It's also a crime to publish a "defamatory libel" - writing something that is designed to insult a person or likely to injure a person's reputation by exposing him or her to hatred, contempt or ridicule.

• A cyber bully may also be violating the Canadian Human Rights Act, if he or she spreads hate or discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or disability.

• Bill C-15• 14. The Act is amended by adding the following after

section 172:• Luring a child

• 172.1 (1) Every person commits an offence who, by means of a computer system within the meaning of subsection 342.1(2), communicates with

• (a) a person who is, or who the accused believes is, under the age

of eighteen years, for the purpose of facilitating the commission of an offence under subsection 153(1), section 155 or 163.1, subsection 212(1) or (4) or section 271, 272 or 273 with respect to that person;

• (b) a person who is, or who the accused believes is, under the age

of sixteen years, for the purpose of facilitating the commission of an offence under section 280 with respect to that person; or

• (c) a person who is, or who the accused believes is, under the age

of fourteen years, for the purpose of facilitating the commission of an offence under section 151 or 152, subsection 160(3) or 173(2) or section 281 with respect to that person.

•

• (2) Every person who commits an offence under subsection (1) is guilty of

• (a) an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a

term of not more than five years; or

• (b) an offence punishable on summary conviction.• Presumption re age

• (3) Evidence that the person referred to in paragraph (1)(a), (b) or (c) was represented to the accused as being under the age of eighteen years, sixteen years or fourteen years, as the case may be, is, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, proof that the accused believed that the person was under that age.