Prepared by:
Mamadou Konate – Technology Dept., NSU
Dr. Regina Brisgone – MA CJS/Sociology Dept., NSU
Abstract
This paper presents cybersecurity measures to prevent online bullying. Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place using electronic technology. Electronic technology includes devices and equipment such as cell phones, computers, and tablets as well as communication tools including social media sites, text messages, chat, and websites. The risk of Cyber-bullying is well documented in the criminal justice literature. The risks to victims are high with psychological consequences and for youthful bullies who risk sanctions at school and in the criminal justice system. Parents can address the risk by taking a greater role in their children’s online activities. This paper outlines measures to help parents to educate young people to stay safe when using information and new technologies.
Introduction
Cyberbullying is “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the medium of electronic text,” according to Siegel and Welsh (2017:9). Estimates are that 90 percent of youth 12 to 17 years are active on the Internet, and that youth are engaged in this largely hidden world of adolescent communication using photos and writing to create “a virtual representation of his or her idealized self” according to Snakenborg, Van Acker and Gable (2011). The problem is that with such widespread participation, there is the potential for misuse. Using Routine Activities Theory to frame the problem, this lecture will describe how adolescents and teens come together in a virtual world of communication in which potential bullies can target potential victims largely in the absence of adult monitoring. This module will provide undergraduates with a specific lesson in cyberbullying to add to their general knowledge of juvenile delinquency, which is defined as crime committed by minor children (typically children 17 years old or younger). This lecture and class activities will explore cyberbullying and its impact on victims, highlight the importance of youth knowing the risks involved in online activity, and list ways that parents can monitor their children’s online activities and block access to risky websites that enable online victimization.
