This presentation defines cyberbullying as cruel behavior using digital technology like the internet or cell phones. It describes several cyberbullying behaviors such as flaming, harassment, denigration, impersonation, outing, trickery, exclusion, and cyberstalking. The presentation recommends ways to prevent cyberbullying, such as not posting threatening content as jokes, limiting personal information shared online, using privacy settings, and reporting cyberbullying to trusted adults. It provides resources for further information on stopping cyberbullying.

1. Ballou Senior High School
Cyberbullying & Teens
Presentation created by Melissa McDonald, MLS graduate student, University of Maryland

2. What is Cyberbullying?
• Cyberbullying is “being cruel to others by
sending or posting harmful material or
engaging in other forms of social aggression
using the Internet or other digital
technologies.”
• Nancy Willard of the Center for Safe and
Responsible Internet Use (http://csriu.org)

3. Cyberbullying Behaviors
• Flaming, or engaging in arguments using angry
and offensive language.
• Harassment, or sending repeated frightening
and/or offensive communications.
• Denigration, or posting false information to try
to damage a person’s reputation or
relationships.

4. Cyberbullying Behaviors
• Impersonation, or pretending to be someone
else online and causing mischief using the
stolen identity.
• Outing, or revealing another person’s secrets
or embarrassing information online.

5. Cyberbullying Behaviors
• Trickery, or tricking someone into revealing
private information and then revealing it
online.
• Exclusion, or deliberately excluding a person
from an online group.
• Cyberstalking, or using online media to stalk
and frighten someone.

6. What You Can Do to Prevent
Cyberbullying
1. Don’t post threatening messages, images,
videos, and other material as jokes or games
because they could become dangerous to
others.
2. Never share your account password with
anyone other than parents or guardians.

7. What You Can Do to Prevent
Cyberbullying
3. Limit the amount of personal information you
put online.
4. Periodically review your privacy and safety
settings on your cell phone, social networks –
and pick the most restrictive settings.
5. Report cyberbullying attacks to appropriate
adults: parents, school and library staff.

8. What You Can Do to Prevent
Cyberbullying
Visit these websites for more information:
Stop Bullying: www.StopBullying.gov
Stop Cyber Bulling: www.stopcyberbullying.org
Wired Kids: www.pacerteensagainstbullying.org
We Stop Hate: www.westophate.org
National Crime Prevention Council: www.ncps.org

9. Work Cited:
“Cyberbullying and Teens: What YA Librarians Can Do to Help”
Young Adult Library Services Magazine, Winter 2012