Thank you so much for the link! It took me a long time to write that entry. I had Mike read it before I posted it (which I only do when I’m worried that I’m on a tirade).

This whole thing has been a bloody mess, but it sure feels good to know that I’m not alone in the cyberthreat world…

Thanks again,
Laura

I agree with what you (and Grant) are saying about cyber-bullying being very much like regular bullying, although the lack of face-to-face contact with the victim can make it easier for the bully to act this way without feeling as heavy a consequence.

I don’t think that designated cybercops are the answer either. I do think (as Grant said) that pressure from other’s in the cyber community is important.

Most importantly, however, is the very same goal that we have in terms of face-to-face bullying – we should be doing all we can to prevent bullying in the first place, by strengthening the sense of community (strong support from others = lower impact from bullying discouraging bullying in the first place).

Finally, it is important to note that in many cases the bully has been bullied by someone else. Stopping it before it spreads should be our ultimate goal.

I’d be curious to hear more about your concern that the stop cyberbullying network tends to see cyberbullying as something different than offline bullying. I’d be surprised if that many people in the group actually feel that way, so I was wondering where you were picking up that vibe….

Thanks Andy for your comments. Although, there is much I would agree with on the site, but like DOPA, focusing on the “bad stuff” often leads to unwanted results.
Whenever I’ve been asked to consult on a cyberbullying issue in schools, I quickly respond by asking to discuss this outside of technology. Steve Dembo’s podcast gets at this quite insightfully. I’m more apt to want to take the the cyber out of bullying.