CyberBully

[classicman]

Thousands turn to cyberbully site

A new website set up to help people being cyberbullied has already prompted tens of thousands of children to look for help.

Cybermentors.org.uk is thought to be the first website in the world where help for victims comes from others their own age through instant messaging and online videos.

Newsbeat went to meet 13-year-old Georgia Woods who, with her mobile phone, laptop and the cuddly toys on her bed is like most other girls her age.

But six months ago it was a different story when she was being picked on by cyberbullies through her mobile, by email and on websites.

She said: "You don't feel like you're safe anywhere. You come home and they can still contact you.

"You go out with your friends and they can still get to you. It made me feel worthless and so down I even thought about taking my own life."

And it wasn't just Georgia's life that was affected, Sarah-Jane's mum felt the pressure too.

She said: "It makes you cry. My whole world, and her dad's, just fell apart."

More than 23,000 people have now logged on to the website.

A series of graphic adverts illustrating teen suicide are also being launched to warn of the dangers of cyberbullying.

Somebody call the Whaaambulance!

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by classicman

Somebody call the Whaaambulance!

Clearly you were never bullied, or at least not by a girl. Girl bullying is completely different from boy bullying.

[sugarpop]

You know, anything that will eliminate bullies in the world is fine by me. Bullies suck. And kids are fragile little creatures.

[DanaC]

Fuck classic, they're kids. Kids being bullied and made to feel shit about themselves. Whaaambulance indeed. *rolls eyes*

[classicman]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

Clearly you were never bullied, or at least not by a girl. Girl bullying is completely different from boy bullying.

Oh really? please share

Originally Posted by DanaC

Fuck classic, they're kids. Kids being bullied and made to feel shit about themselves. Whaaambulance indeed. *rolls eyes*

the Whaaambulance was for her mother's comment.

She said: "It makes you cry. My whole world, and her dad's, just fell apart."

I think thats being A LOT dramatic. But ...

[DanaC]

Then you clearly havent been parent to a child whose entire childhood is being blighted by something you are powerless to effect. You don't think watching your child shrink into a shadow of herself and start to want to die might break your heart a little? Really?

I know my mum had sleepless night and sleepless night and I know her heart broke for me a thousand times. Christ, her and dad spent more time in my fucking school than I did some years.

[lumberjim]

some folks are out there LOOKING to be victims.

just sayin'

[Shawnee123]

I'm with lj. Teach your children to be strong, assertive, and eloquent. If a bully persists, teach them to punch their lights out.

No one has to be a victim if they know the best way out.

[DucksNuts]

Its a fine line....I'm trying desperately to not raise nancy boys, but I am also aware of them going the other way and becoming bullies themselves.

Little turds didnt come with instruction manuals

[DanaC]

Originally Posted by Shawnee123

I'm with lj. Teach your children to be strong, assertive, and eloquent. If a bully persists, teach them to punch their lights out.

No one has to be a victim if they know the best way out.

Not that easy. I did that whole 'face the bully' stuff as a kid. One time having been bullied by a local girl for ages, aftre one occasion when she'd pushed me over or some such, my mum sent me back out the house with these words:

"Get out there and hit her back, or I'll hit you"

She never would have. It was absolute frustration on her part. I did go out and got into a fight with that girl.

That's fine and dandy and works great at 8 years old.

Secondary school is different. No matter how many of those lessons get taught, there is very little you can do if you've been ostracised by every other child in 1200 strong school. There's very little you can do as a parent to stop the hurt when your child is being harrassed and bullied by a gang of kids.

Girls in particular at secondary school age are vicious. I am a tough character. Part of the reason I am quite tough is that I experienced bullying of a magnitiude most people cannot imagine. Years of it. But they couldnt follow me home. Once I stepped into my house that's it they couldnt touch me. The idea that the twats could have followed me into the cybersphere wold be hideous.

The child has my sympathy as does her mother. This is a serious situation. There are a lot of kids driven to suicide or unhappniess by bullshit like this.

[DanaC]

Another quick thought.

Being bullied isn't just emotionally distressing it also impacts on your self-confidence and self-image. It makes you feel weak, like a failure. You dont want to tell anyone because that just exposes how weak and unable to cope you are. The victim begins to believe they deserve it in some way: either they're so thick, ugly, unlovable, weak 'bullyable'. Telling someone about it is like confessing to something you've done.

Attitudes like the ones expressed in this thread, by adults shows me that people still don't really understand how distressing and destructive it is, there is still a negative attitude towards the victims of bullying: theybring it on themselves by being weak. I realise that's not specifically whats been said, but its clearly the implication. Some people just want to be victims? And if you only teach your children to be strong and independenet and deal with bullies in the way we all apparently shold know how to deal with them...it places the fault, the blame, the reason for bullying onto the bullied child not the ones making them miserable.

[classicman]

Dana, to take every case of bullying to that degree just isn't right. In the most extreme cases, I don't believe that lasts forever. Its usually a rotating thing where its Johnny this week and Mary next. When it gets to the level where it is one child over years and years... thats a totally different thing altogether. That is not what I was referring to at all. I grasp your perspective on this and I'm sorry if I was insensitive.

[Pie]

Bullshit, classic.
I was bullied constantly from the time I was seven till I made it to college. There were periods (perhaps a month or two long) where I was left in relative peace -- then it would start up again.

And yes, I contemplated (and once attempted) suicide. And no, home was not a safe haven.

Fuck you and your lack of compassion.

[classicman]

Originally Posted by Pie

Bullshit, classic.
Fuck you and your lack of compassion.

Thanks but no thanks.
Ignorance - apparently, but not a lack of compassion.

[TheMercenary]