May 18, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 17 SCHOOLS & CAMPS Cyberbullying (continued from previous page) forever and often goes viral. In a recent article in New York Times Magazine, “The Web Means the End of Forgetting,” Jeffrey Rosen (2010) notes, “. . . far from giving us a new sense of control over the face we present to the world, the Internet is shackling us to everything we have ever said, or that anyone has said about us . . . .” Kids, having so little appreciation of the concept of “forever,” can’t begin to appreciate the potential risks inherent in Internet content. It is widely known that face-to-face bullying can result in long-term psychological harm to victims, including low self-esteem, depression, anger, school failure and avoidance, and in some cases, school violence or suicide. With cyberbullying, these dangers are magnified for a number of reasons: It is permanent. What’s on the Web (or Facebook, or MySpace, or blogs, etc.), stays on the Web (or Facebook, or MySpace, or blogs, etc.). It is anonymous. There is no face-to-face communication, making mean and abusive words easier to utter. The breadth and depth of the audience is massive and viral. More people know of the bullying, so there is more potential for embarrassment and humiliation. Social networking sites allow for campaigns or gangingup against a person. The speedy sharing of online messages exacerbates the damage. Cyberbullying can make victims feel out of control and without resources for getting back in control. The tools youth commonly know to use to communicate together, and the lifelines they use to maintain their friendships, have now been turned against them. If they can’t communicate with their friends safely or directly, they start to feel more hopeless, and isolated. Cyberbullying can take many forms. Some of the more common ones include: Cyberstalking: Repeatedly sending abusive messages via the Internet or a mobile phone. The messages are often threatening, and instill fear that the stalking might move offline and into the target’s real life. Flaming: Corresponding through chat rooms, e-mail, and instant messenger via electronic communication. Flaming refers to arguments or messages that are supplemented with graphics, specific images, and harsh language to drive home a point. Examples include photo and video postings and sexting. Exclusion/gossip groups: An online equivalent of relational bullying, the group then taunts the excluded person using the Internet or a mobile phone. Outing: An individual disclosing private information online to friends that is then disseminated over the Web through social websites and/or mobile phones. That person is “outed.” It is often these situations that have lead to the teen suicides of late, as these targets do not know how to regain control of their lives after broad public humiliation. Masquerading/impersonation: An individual creates a false identity and harasses another while pretending to be someone else. Masquerading or impersonation can include theft of another person’s log in information to broadcast harassing or humiliating information about the target online. The breadth and depth of cyberbullying run wide and deep. For a victim, it can seem as though there is no way to get away from it. For camp friends, the viciousness can be even worse. Kids are usually from other states or towns, so when they go online to hurt another, the hurt is very remote with no direct contact. There is no seeing that girl in school or that boy at a soccer game. With less face-to-face confrontation comes greater anonymity, and with greater anonymity, the cycle of cyberbullying is more likely to continue. As a camp leader, school administrator, or parent, we often shake our heads in disbelief as we witness some of the decisions teens make. Scientific studies have concluded that the teen brain is truly a work in progress. It’s not fully developed until the early twenties and this has consequences for how we handle our youth. 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