BUFFALO, N.Y. — Cyberbullying, no matter what age you are, will impact you, or someone you know, according to the Cyberbullying Research Center. From making fun of clothing, makeup, interests and talents, people can be ruthless.
As adults, what are we teaching younger generations? How does cyberbullying affect kids?
Four school psychologists studied this. Their book "Cyberbullying: Helping Children Navigate Digital Technology and Social Media" is out now. Stephanie Fredrick and Amanda Nickerson joined Spectrum News 1 anchor/reporter Breanna Fuss to answer the following questions:
- What was the most surprising takeaway for you?
- What does this book look at?
- What are the legal implications and international considerations for cyberbullying and related online aggressive behavior?
- A lot of people think cyberbullying is just a school-age issue. It’s not, and we see it play out every day on social media. How is it impacting kids?
Red flags to look out for:
- Being secretive about device use
- Being irritable when they are on their device
- Feeling an obsessive need to be on their device
Other warning signs related to mental health such as:
- Changes in behavior
- Withdrawing from friends and family
- Changes in eating and sleeping
Key takeaways:
- Early prevention is crucial
- Have open conversations with your child at an early age about friendship
- Address device use (including talking to them about what they like to do on their devices, such as social media apps they like to go on or video games they like to play)
- Adults modeling appropriate online behavior
There are no specific criminal statutes devoted to cyberbullying in New York. But, you can face criminal charges if your actions are found to be harassment or stalking. You can face criminal harassment charges if you repeatedly and intentionally annoy or alarm a victim, giving them a reason to fear for their safety.
For example, first-degree aggravated harassment is a class E felony. It’s punishable by a $5,000 fine and up to four years of jail.
Cyberbullying can be charged as stalking if you repeatedly and deliberately cause someone to fear mental or physical harm. If a victim was intentionally injured you could be charged with stalking in the first-degree which is a class D felony. That carries a potential sentence of up to seven years in state prison.
