headspace - Australia’s National Youth Mental Health Foundation

Cyber Bullying

Been picked on, embarrassed, harassed, humiliated, tormented, threatened or intimidated on facebook, MySpace, MSN or blogs or just generally via mobile phones or online? This is cyber bullying. Cyber bullying can happen to anyone. It can be upsetting and stressful, affecting a range of different areas of your life, including self-esteem, relationships, work or study. But there is help available. Talking to someone is a good starting point, particularly if you are feeling unsafe or frightened.

S-press and headspace want you to know more about cyber bullying. We want to hear your stories and answer your questions. Over the next 12 months, we want to make sure that you get more information. This will include:

tips, hints and ways to help prevent being cyber bullied
how you can help a help a friend experiencing cyber bullying
learning about the effects of cyber bullying, from sadness, anxiety to depression
the different types and methods of bullying
learning whether you are a bully (you can be a bully without knowing it!), how and why to stop being a bully
knowing why people bully
how to report cyber bullying (it can be a crime!)
and, most importantly hear your experiences about overcoming bullying and your questions relating to the topic

Why are we doing this?

You might be surprised that, unfortunately, it’s not that uncommon, and if you haven’t experienced this then one of your friends probably has. Approximately 10% of Australian students in years 4-9 have experienced cyber bullying. The “State of Australia’s Young People” report also shows that more than a quarter of Year 8 students know someone who’s been cyber bullied.