1. Beyond The Schoolyard: Bullying In The Digital Age

2. From afar the playground appears innocent, but fist-fights and name-calling have long ago made their home here. Flickr: Lochtfeuer

3. However, in the digital age the playground bully has moved online. Flickr: NelsonBiagioJr

4. While most interactions are positive, new technologies have given young people a new, powerful platform. Flickr: Fancypicnic

5. Flickr: hannahgal “Cyberbullying is defined as the use of technology to support deliberate, hostile and hurtful behaviour towards an individual or group of individuals.” 2006 Media Awareness Network.www.media-awareness.ca.

6. Cyber bullying is just as much about POWER and HURT as a SLAP or a PUNCH

7. Nearly 42% of kids have been bullied online and almost one in four have had it happen more than once. http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-cyber-bullying

8. Online harassment allows for taunting to spread from five kids in the playground to five million logged in online Flickr: Wentongg

9. As a result, Cyber bullying can happen any time and any place and for many children, home is no longer a refuge from negative peer pressure. http://www.cyberbullying.ca/pdf/Cyberbullying_Information.pdf Flickr: reclarkgable

10. The statistics are alarming. http://www.isafe.org/channels/sub.php

11. “If you bully somebody face to face, and they get upset, you see them cry and be hurt. When it’s over the internet, you can’t see the emotional reaction and you go along thinking it’s no big deal.” – Robin Kowalski

12. Cyber bullying leads to confusion and self- doubt but above all, cyber bullying hurts.

13. Flickr: Growley-Ferret What can be done?

14. Ignore it? Hope it goes away? Flickr: Stacey=)

15. Isn’t that how this all started?

16. Stand Up, Speak Out

17. Or even …

18. The drastic increase in cyber bullying has led to a surge in resources to stop, fight, and stand up to bullies

19. Academia has become involved …

20. But more importantly the tool used to bully has become a proactive agent in stopping this online menace.

21. Isn’t it time to help kids be kids again? Flickr: Ronlavine

22. After all who doesn’t miss the ease of the swing set?

23. Want more Info? Check out these sites! http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/index2.html http://www.bullyfreealberta.ca/pdf/CS_Cyberbullying.pdf http://www.bewebaware.ca/english/cyberbullying.html http://www.ncpc.org/cyberbullying http://www.cyberbullyingprevention.com/