Cyber Safety Tips

thank you for posting this ((muffy))) ive been so busy!

((yw))((nowheretorun))))))) no worrys
heres a few a posted yesterday on another post
http://wiredsafety.org/cyberstalking_harassment//
http://www.haltabuse.org/help/isit.shtml

Muffy, Wired Safety is a good one. Thank you for posting that link.

Year ago I joined an online group that was "DID Supportive". We grew to know each other over years on that forum. Trust grew as did seeing each other almost as sisters. We all exchanged phone #'s since there were never that many of us. Suddenly, one woman that was always my friend turned on me, thinking I had somehow robbed her of support. Her T was also a member of this site. It came to a head one night when this "friend" called me at 2 am and threatened to kill herself and proceeded to attempt to "call out" evil parts of me. She was involved in SRA and knew what she was doing. Every time I hung up the phone, she would call again. I begged her to stop but she just laughed. I stopped answering the phone but she pm's me and said her "group" was everywhere and knew where I was and could get to me at any time. I literally had a breakdown that night. I had another friend call the police in the town the other woman was from to make sure she was safe. This only infuriated her more. It was months of being terrorized before her T finally made it stop, but her T put all the blame on me. I guess I was incredibly stupid.
These things are so harmful and dangerous. Please all, be very careful who you trust.

((((Calista+12))))))))))))) Im so sorry that happened to you. No you were not stupid. You were trusting. It is very true about being careful who you trust. As i learned that lesson the hard way. Which is why I am seemingly preaching about this.
You are so very right it can be harmful and dangerous.
As always my adise is do not give out your phone #. e mail. address. real name ,. unless you are very sure about the person. If something does happen keep all records of it and block that person right away. and notify the police.
No one has the right to do that to another .
Take care of you and be safe kind one.

Calista and Muffy,

i am glad to see you each are taking matters like these seriously and helping to educate us all on what can be done to prevent ourselves from becoming ensnared in these harmful peoples webs... im reminded of a book i read so many years ago that deals with depressed peoples environments and how it is important during times of vulnerability we must take extra caution with whom we spend our time with... unless there is a strong flame of hope, depressed people often influence and affect each other in unintended and negative ways with simple comments like 'i feel like giving up' or 'there's just no use' and the like... sometimes they will share methods of self harm with each other rather than focusing on more positive and life affirming topics.. so, always be careful and on the lookout people!

nowheretorun
very true. I know in my own life if surounded by neg talk ..I tend to become neg.
With my son who has suffered years with it . I have to be very careful how i word things for him. With my sister too . Who has had depression since the age of 14.
Its very important what we say to each other . IRL and online.
Supporting and knowing there is hope and that each person matters can turn a persons thought process around.
As always becareful be safe IRL and online
((((((everyone))))))))))))))))))))))

Ya hopefully after reporting it there is regulation to help eliminate it.

((seeker )) welcome to pc.... all as i can say that if we as ppl do not keep trying and reporting it. Then no laws will ever be put in place.
My prayer my wish is that someday it is regulated . THat way no one ever has to suffer as i have , my kids have, and so many others have,.
every person can make a difference. I believe that.
If i did not after what happened to me I never would have come back to the net.
"never give out e mail. phone#. addresses. ((unless you know the person and trust them)))))
" block a person if they are harrassing you and report it if you can"
Stay safe.

Cybercrime: A secret underground economy



ty for posting this (((((muffy)))))))

we need to be aware of cybercriminals ability to create false identities, as in the case of William M. Dinkel ... those with unhealthy and harmful intent are able to create any illusion about themself

Anyone who goes online is at risk

“If we do not take a firm and co-ordinated stance now, cyber crime will keep evolving and cause even more harm.”

http://www.timeslive.co.za/news/article133622.ece

read your post was looking on net and found this
http://www.ccmostwanted.com/

thank you for that link muffy lot of information there.. i was attracted to this:

SUMMIT COUNTY - Forget the name-calling on the playground, the way of bullying someone today is much more far reaching through photo manipulation, ridiculing text messages and mean MySpace pages.

In other words, along with increased access to technology comes increased cyberbullying - something the schools are working to combat and make parents aware of.

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/2...NEWS/104060086

another thing we who are recovering from MI need to bear in mind:

How Energy Vampires Drain Your Spirit

11 Ways to Protect Yourself From Negative Influences


http://psychology.suite101.com/artic...nergy_vampires

I read this on the home page of pc. I do think in these times it applys to all of us here on the web. How sad that any group or person would be bullyed online or irl.

imo its wrong and can cause great harm ...stay safe (everyone))))))))) ))))))))))
and know with all my heart I care....and you matter........
http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/03...gbt/11980.html

Cyberbullies and LGBT

By Psych Central News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on March 9, 2010
Cyberbullying is on the rise: Children and teens are being bullied through the Internet in chat rooms, on social networking websites, via email and even through mobile phones.
New research has found that approximately one out of every two lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youths are regular victims of this new form of bullying. It is thought that such cyberbullying causes psychological and emotional distress to victims — producing thoughts of suicide in some who are repeatedly victimized.
“There’s a saying that we’ve now changed to read, ‘Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can kill,’” said Warren Blumenfeld, an Iowa State assistant professor of curriculum and instruction and the study’s lead author.
“Especially at this age, this is a time when peer influences are paramount in a young person’s life. If one is ostracized and attacked, that can have devastating consequences — not only physically, but on their emotional health for the rest of their lives.”
In the online survey of 444 junior high, high school and college students between the ages of 11 and 22 — including 350 self-identified non-heterosexual subjects — 54 percent of the LGBT and allied youth reported being victims of cyberbullying in the 30 days prior to the survey.
Cyberbullying includes attacks such as electronic distribution of humiliating photos, dissemination of false or private information, or targeting victims in cruel online polls.
Among the non-heterosexual respondents, 45 percent reported feeling depressed as a result of being cyberbullied, 38 percent felt embarrassed, and 28 percent felt anxious about attending school. More than a quarter (26 percent) had suicidal thoughts.
The results underscore the helplessness felt by victims of cyberbullying. Forty percent of the non-heterosexual respondents indicated that their parents wouldn’t believe them if they were being bullied online, while 55 percent reported that their parents couldn’t do anything to stop it. Fifty-seven percent also indicated that they didn’t think a school official could do anything to stop it.
“They feared that there might be more retribution by ‘tattling,’” said Blumenfeld, who was bullied as a teen for being gay.
“One of the things we found is that the LGBT students really want to make a difference,” said Cooper, who authored her doctoral dissertation on minority stress and the well-being of sexual minority college students. “They want their stories told. They want people to know what they’re going through, but they don’t want the repercussions of being bullied. So being able to respond to this survey was very helpful.”
One in four of the LGBT and allied students responded that they needed to learn how to deal with cyberbullying by themselves. More than half also feared telling their parents about the cyberbullying because they might restrict their use of technology, which Blumenfeld says is often the “lifeline to the outside world” for many young LGBT students who have been ostracized by their peers at school.
The ISU study also proposes strategies for cyberbullying prevention. Eighty percent of the survey’s respondents indicated that their peers should do more to stop it.
“One of the strategies coming out of this study — since respondents expect and want their peers to step in more — is that we should find ways on our campuses to empower young people to speak up and act as allies,” Blumenfeld said.
“In bullying circles, it’s empowering the bystander to become the upstander to help eliminate the problem.”
The researchers recommend developing social norms programming at schools that focus on peer influences that correct misperceived societal norms.
The ISU researchers plan to author additional papers on their analysis from this survey. They also have submitted a new grant proposal to extend their research to a larger national sample that would include face-to-face interviews and focus groups.
The research was co-authored by Robyn Cooper, a research and evaluation scientist at ISU’s Research Institute for Studies in Education (RISE). The study is being published in this month’s special LGBT-themed issue of the International Journal of Critical Pedagogy.
Source: Iowa State University

(((Muffy))) - thanks for posting this and I think you should also post this in the LGBTQ forum as well.

At the beginning of the year my daughter was cyber bullied by 2 of her classmates. She was friends with a boy from her Karate class - he seemed very nice. I'm usually a good judge of character and he really fooled me. His parents divorce last summer and he moved to live with his father, which meant he had to change schools. So his mother asked if it would be alright, if she requested him to be in my daughters class. He kept asking my daughter to be his girlfriend(they're only 12). She always told him "no" and he started telling all the other kids, they were 'going out'. She kept telling everyone he's lieing and they're 'just friends'. He became angry and told her "we're not friends" which was fine with my daughter, but she didn't know this would make them enemies. He teamed up with another girl who was jealous of my daughter and they started bullying her at school and cyber bullying her on MSN and Facebook. You wouldn't believe the awful swear words and slander they typed out to her. We copied and printed out everything - I gave a copy to his dad and the principle. This all happened for a month and it was a terrible way to start the school year.

Luckily it stopped and those kids are blocked from her computer and she has safety settings in place now. The boy also moved back to his old school and is now living with his mother.

I think cyber bullying is a real problem and the worst case I heard of occured in the U.S. when a mother falsely befriended a former friend of her daughter and pretended to be a boy, interested in this girl. Her intentions were to get her completely enthralled with this 'pretend boy' and then brutally 'drop' her. The poor young lady became so devastated that she committed suicide. Thanks again Muffy

(LynnP))))))))))))))) As the net grows it becomes a bigger and bigger issue. Im so sorry that happened to your daughter. Its a very good thing you kept everything as that is the correct thing to do. Its a shame that ppl ahve to behave this way and take it to the net or anywheres. Its effects on the net can be so much worse as there is not much defence for it. Making the person its happening to , to feel helpless at times.
In my thoughts regulations need to be put into effect. And they will as more and more ppl complian. Our young children need to be protected and adults too.
ALways remember to keep everything.
and stay safe

I agree with regulations but how would they be implemented I wonder?

Im not sure LynnP there are places to report cyber bulling now.
If you go back threw this thread you will see them. You can also report it to the police
we as ppl adult have to start sticking up for kids and voicing our thoughts
If we were out on the streets and things were said like sometimes are said on the net
you would be able to call the police, imho the thought that ppl can attack anyone they want on the net is wrong..... I know you feel the same kind one
(Lynn and daughter)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

some links lynn

(((((lynnP)))))))))))) )))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
Heres another one i found
http://www.modernmom.com/article-481...#jumpToArticle

http://www.coppa.org/coppa.htm

See any possible connections here?

Can you explain what you mean by this? Now we're both confused. i don't mind talking straight forward.

(((Muffy))) - thank you for those links - so nice of you to do that for me.

A boy whose parents got divorced turns into a bully? Might be related.