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With advances in technology come advances in the way kids can pick on each other. It used to be that bullying was relegated to the school yard, but today kids can use the internet and cell phones to bully each other in a way that has been termed cyber bullying. This new type of bullying can be just as harmful as traditional bullying and even have criminal ramifications.

Cyber bullying is when a child or teenager is harassed, threatened, humiliated, or otherwise targeted for abuse using the internet, cell phone, or other digital communication device. Cyber bullying only refers to children harassing other children, if adults are involved in the harassment than it is not called cyber bullying. Cyber bullying should be taken seriously because it can be so damaging and even be illegal.

Cyber bullying may entail posting mean, lewd, or derogatory statements about a person online, sending embarrassing photos of a person through email or text message, or any other mean spirited act committed against another child using that type of technology. Because the possibilities of cyber bullying are endless, cases of cyber bullying can become very serious, even to the point of injury of death. There have been reported cases of suicide and homicide related to cyber bullying as well as physical and emotional damage. Never assume that cyber bullying will stop on its own, all the attention cyber bullying can draw is a great motivator for cyber bullies to continue.

Cyber bullying often occurs repeatedly and is usually not a one time occurrence. Cyber bullying victims are often targeted and tormented relentlessly and the ease of which information is shared on the internet and through cell phones makes committing acts of cyber bullying easy. Kids can find many different ways to embarrass, threaten, or belittle others using the internet or a cell phone. Depending on the severity of the offense, cyber bullying can be charged as a crime. If information or passwords were stolen or threats were made, children can be charged as delinquents for under the law.

Do not be afraid to peruse your child's rights in the case of cyber bullying, sometimes it is the only way to make it stop and send the message to other children that cyber bullying is no acceptable.

Although schools try to do everything they can to stop and prevent bullying, cyber bullying can be a tough from of bullying for a school to control. Cyber bullying that occurs off of school property is usually considered out of the authority of the school and little can be done by administrators to stop it. Parents play a key role in preventing cyber bullying and closely monitoring children's online and cell phone activity is the best way to do so. If you notice that your child is having unexpected problems, don't assume they are a normal part of growing up. If your child becomes hesitant to use the computer they may be experiencing cyber bullying and you should investigate to make sure they are not harmed.

Bullying has long been a problem in school but was usually confined to the school yard or the hallway. Technology makes bullying even easier than it was before with email, chat rooms, and an unlimited audience online. There was a time when all bullying happened face to face but now with the internet, children can bully each other through popular communication methods even anonymously. Traditional bullies always had to let their victims see them and could only gain the support of friends who were around. Cyber bullies can humiliate, threaten, and belittle their victims without their identity being known, or they can have an audience of thousands. Cyber bullies are becoming more and more common as children use these communication methods more and more in their daily lives.

Cyber bullies can say things that they can not in front of other people in chat rooms, IM's and on websites. This allows children to be much meaner than they traditionally could. Things that they could not say in front of adults and even other children are now easily said online. Cyber bullying is potentially an even bigger threat than traditional bullying because the potential for damaging statements is even greater. Traditional bullies could only reach an audience of the other children around, with the internet hundreds of children can gang up on a single child.

Cyber bullying is also easier to do than traditional bullying. All it takes is a few key strokes and a cyber bully can humiliate their target. Children are less inhibited when online and it is not as hard to bully when it is over a computer. Traditional bullies had to have the courage to physically bully another child or at least use comments to their face. Cyber bullies have to use much less effort and can be more impulsive.

Traditional bullies could only act out on their victims when they saw them. This confined bullying to school and places that children interacted face to face. Cyber bullies can bully others any time as cell phones and computers are both at home and at school. Traditional bullies could not hurt others at home, but with cyber bullies, home is usually where bullying occurs via the computer. This leaves no safe place for the targets of bullying to go as computers are essential nowadays for completing schoolwork and communicating with friends.

Even though emails and messages are easy to stop, cyber bullies is not as easy to stop as traditional bullies are. Derogatory and hurtful comments posted online and shared between people are impossible to stop and can potentially reach an unlimited number of people. Once a comment is posted online it can reach an unlimited number of people and the ramifications can be huge. Stopping a traditional bully was relatively easy with the right preventative measures, but the anonymous nature of the internet makes it impossible.

There are many differences between cyber bullies and traditional bullies but both types are serious issues. Bullying negatively affects both the bully and the victim and if not stopped can cause serious long term damage.

Cyber bullying is the newest type of bullying and has not been studied as much as traditional forms of bullying. Many children report being bullied via the internet or cell phone and the effects can be devastating. Children also report that bullies spread rumors and say other mean things about them online where many different people can see it. The potential audience for cyber bullying is unlimited making it even more appealing to bullies. Bullies will also threaten their victims online and belittle them for their own amusement.

Girls are twice as likely as boys to be cyber bullies as well as be targeted by cyber bullies. Normally boys are the most likely children to bully others but this is not true with cyber bullying. Boys tend to physically bully others while girls use emotional methods, which can be perfectly carried out over the computer. Cyber bullying also can be anonymous and many children who are the victims of cyber bullying never know who was bullying them. Cyber bullying is not restricted to school either, it can happen anywhere children have access to computers or cell phones. Bullying used to be confined to school, but with cyber bullying can now reach children anywhere.

Cyber bullying commonly occurs in IM's and in chat rooms. Cyber bullying can also occur in blogs and on websites when a bully posts damaging things about their victim. The internet makes bullying easy and bullies can torment victims in new ways. Using the internet gives cyber bullies an even more devious way to humiliate others than traditional bullying. About half of pre teens tell an adult about their experiences with cyber bullying and this number drops as children get older. Cyber bullying also makes it easier for the victim to retaliate against the bully as they can just as easily post their own damaging responses. This ease of use makes perpetuating the bullying cycle more common. This is not necessarily the best idea, as it will probably make the bullying worse and only reinforce the idea that bullying is ok.

Cyber bullying can affect anyone and the same stereotypes that apply to traditional bullying do not apply to cyber bullying. Cyber bullies can pick on anyone, even those more confident and popular than themselves. Cyber bullies can even pick on children older and bigger than them because of the anonymous nature of the internet. If a cyber bully wants to hurt another person, the internet gives them the perfect vehicle to do so.

Parents must take steps to stop and prevent cyber bullying just like other types of bullying. Any form of bullying can have serious consequences and cyber bullying can be particularly dangerous because it can reach so many people and be so humiliating. Take cyber bullying seriously so that your child does not fall victim, or bully others. Make your child aware that cyber bullying is unacceptable and if they are the target they should tell an adult right away. Taking action quickly is the best way to stop cyber bullying before it gets out of hand.

Cyber bullying is the new way that bullies target their victims. They use IM's, chat rooms, and websites to threaten, humiliate, and belittle their victims. If your child has experienced cyber bullying you should take it seriously. Discourage your child from responding to cyber bullying and make sure you save all the messages and pictures that were used to bully your child. You should also try to identify the person or people who are doing the bullying, and if the bullying breaks the law you can have authorities trace it for you.

Sometimes using inappropriate language violates the terms of chat room and IM service agreements and the bully may be banned from using these services if they are reported.

It is also possible to block most cyber bullying attacks on the phone and computer. Screen names and phone numbers can be blocked so that your child will not continue to receive inappropriate messages. Bullies can assume new names but chances are they will loose interest if they are continually blocked. If your child's cyber bullying occurs at school, you should contact the schools administrator so they can stop it. Sending messages that are considered bullying is against school rules and action will be taken if it occurs on school property. There is little schools can do if the cyber bullying occurs off school property, but depending on what is happening, you may be able to take legal action.

You may not know the identity of the cyber bully as the internet can be anonymous. If you do know the identity of the cyber bully, contacting their parents is a good idea.. You should make your contact written and be sure to explain the situation in a non confrontational manner. The bullies parents may not be aware that their child is bullying others online and will probably be willing to help. If you have proof of the cyber bullying instances show them to the bullies parents so that they can see what is going on.

Children are often not aware of the damage and the ramifications that can occur as a result of cyber bullying, and will continue if adults do not step in to stop them. Even if children know the damage they can cause, chances are they will not stop until adults take action.

If cyber bullying is serious enough, it can actually be against the law. If cyber bullying is harassing, threatening, or pornographic in nature you should contact authorities because this type of bullying may be illegal and you may be able to take legal action. Sometimes cyber bullies will steal passwords and accounts, which is also illegal. Contact your local police department and tell them what has been going on. Make sure you take action as soon as you realize that your child is being bullied online. Sometimes cases of cyber bullying can get out of hand and have serious consequences. The huge audience that cyber bullying can attract make it much worse than traditional bullying and can permanently damage a child emotionally.

Becoming a teacher today is means learning to teach with new tools and resources that were unheard of only twenty years ago. There is almost no part of the education experience that is untouched by the computer or the internet. So the more you look to becoming a "cyber teacher", the more you will be tapping the great power cyberspace has given us to use for education.

A cyber teacher doesn’t mean that you will no longer interact with your students in class. "Going cyber" means that you will take advantage of the internet even during the course of a teaching day to tap the incredible information resources that are there to make your lessons so much more rich and meaningful.

It is almost unheard of any more for a class room to not be equipped with not one but many internet connections and computers as well as all of the popular software to support the use of computers in the classroom. In fact, more and more students are bringing laptops with wireless internet access to use at their desks which means that the computer is now becoming as common a student tool as the pencil or the protractor for your students.

Staying up to date the latest that is available on the internet is critical so you are offering your students the best teaching available in this modern time. Moreover, you have to stay up to date and "plugged in" to what is going on in cyberspace because your students are knowledgeable about what is happening in the internet world. So to stay up with them, you have to stay current too.

Along with in class research resources, the internet has set up tools for communication that were unheard of before. When you assign group projects, they won't just communicate by sitting around a table and working out the project. They can interact via internet "groupware" such as wikis or Google groups to share information, pool their resources and even split up the work to be done which all can be easily merged into their final project report to turn in to you when they are done.

This new age of communication can be used by you as a teacher to open up communications channels with the students at home and with their parents in ways never known before as well. No longer do you have to worry about laboriously writing out the daily assignments for your students to write down and take home. You can now post them to a class online bullion board or email them to the parents and to the student so every day when the child gets home, the excuse that "I lost my homework assignment" just wont cut it.

To make this work, you also have to make sure the parents are internet savvy. Don’t count on the child to give his or her mom and dad a seminar in cyber education because the speed of cyberspace makes the student life more accountable. But you can schedule computer classes with the parents to show them how to find the student's assignments as well as grades, notes from the teacher or special announcements right here on the class web page in cyberspace.

We are really just getting started tapping the internet to make communications and education more efficient and powerful. Other ways to use this technology includes having the students do their homework online so they cannot say "the dog ate my homework." And because young people are very internet savvy, by making their education life internet enabled, they will be better students. And you will be a better teacher because you took the time to learn to tap the power of the internet to become a cyber teacher for your students as well.