We’ve all heard the news reports about school-age bullies taking their aggressive and abusive behavior to new extremes. Not only do some teens get into after-school fights, but some even plan a violent conflict in advance so that their buddies can stand nearby and videotape the assault. To add insult to injury, the video of the attack is posted on the Internet so these bullies can earn so-called bragging rights.

Known as cyber-bashing, these videos are not merely amateur pranks. Such fights — which are posted everywhere from the popular YouTube to more obscure Internet sites most parents wouldn’t even know about — represent a violent new twist to childhood bullying. Children are doubly victimized — first by the assault itself, then a second time by the public humiliation when the taping of the attack is shown on the Internet for classmates and the world to see. 

“Parents need to understand that in our society, they can be held legally liable for the harm cause by what their children do and what they post online,” says Nancy Willard, author of Cyber-Safe Kids, Cyber-Savvy Teens: Helping Young People Learn to Use the Internet Safely and Responsibly (Jossey-Bass) and executive director at the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use (csriu.org). “So maybe they want to pay more attention to what their child might be doing not only in real life, but online as well.”

For victims, perpetrators, and spectators alike, there are lessons to be learned about cyber-bashing. Here’s a few to get you started:

1. Take action if your child is a victim  If your kid ends up in a cyber-bashing video, consider taking these steps immediately:

• Download the video and call the police “Make sure you save the evidence,” Willard advises. Download a copy of the video and preserve it on a CD or DVD. The video may speak for itself in court or before a juvenile justice judge and help convict the perpetrator or gang.

Elizabeth Wasserman is a writer and editor based in the Washington, D.C. area. Her work has appeared in Inc. magazine, Congressional Quarterly, and she currently edits the CIO Strategy Center (ciostrategycenter.com).

OSA Editorial Comments:

This is a great article please click the link above to finish reading, and also to support Elizabeth’s and the StudioOne Networks projects and causes.

Make sure you check out all the tools that are available here at OSA, and some others that we have made partnerships and agreements with the owners, to help you protect your children…

Start with and download the:

Your Online Security Agreement

Get a copy of the ebook:

Dont Take Candy From Strangers

Watch this video:

Wired Safety’s Cyberbullying Video art 1 and 2

A Great Tool:

MySpace Guardian helps protect parents and children from potential predators on MySpace. The toolbar is dedicated to protecting children online. With their tools and a combination of other child protection tools such as Search Help’s Sentry parental control software and sexual predator alerts, they intend to keep users safe online. You can visit there website here: http://www.myspaceguardian.com/

Another Great Tool:

Most Highly Recommend: KidsWatch™

Manage your child’s computer time with KidsWatch™ use the promotional discount for OSA visitors provided on the site it is pmysguide type in for a $5.00 off software!

We have searched Internet high and low for the one and only “absolutely the best” all-round solution for your child’s online safety, and we’ve found it! We liked this company’s philosophy so much that we have created a partnership with them, to deliver you the very best tools, KidsWatch™ is one of America’s leading Parental Control Software packages!

For more informaiton and stories like this, please Join US, every Monday Night LIVE @ 11:00 pm MST for:

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Bill Wardell

Written by: OSAblogger / Bill Wardell - Please Read Our Latest OSA eZine Edition

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