How to tackle cyberbullying

NARRATOR: Cyberbullying - online bullying leaves people offended, slandered and emotionally damaged. A widespread phenomenon, particularly among young people. But unlike in the real world, cyberbullies often remain unknown, using the anonymity of the Internet. It makes the problem difficult to tackle. While perpetrators may see it as a bit of fun, victims can often suffer the consequences for years. Users of social networks such as Facebook are most affected. Bullies will often publish the names, addresses and telephone numbers of their victims in an attempt to intimidate them.

Thirteen-year-old Anna knows only too well what it feels like to be bullied online. Like thousands of other youngsters, the high school student has been subjected to insults and abuse online. She was the victim of bullies on the German social network, SchülerVZ

ANNA: "They made lots of nasty comments, like stupid cow, fat cow or you stink. They also made fun of the name I used on the website."

NARRATOR: Even to this day, Anna doesn't know what prompted her bullies to pick on her.

ANNA: "It really affected me when people would insult me directly. It hurt and it was hard to cope with and get through. I cried a bit and it was pretty rough."

NARRATOR: Anna was afraid. That is why she no longer wanted to walk home alone from school and confided in her mother.

ANNA'S MOTHER: "Of course, I was concerned. I asked her if she felt up to going to school by herself, which she managed to do. Still, I picked her up from school for a week."

NARRATOR: Unfortunately, Anna's story is far from unusual. But not all victims tell their parents what's going on. The first reputable study on the issue was recently published and showed that the number of victims of cyberbullying is increasing. Dr. Stephanie Pieschl from the University of Münster in Germany has noticed a dramatic trend.

DR. STEPHANIE PIESCHL: "The study showed that 36 percent of school children have been affected by cyberbullying. That means that they had been insulted or called names at least once online. The study shows that cyberbullying isn't some isolated phenomenon, but that it's widespread throughout German schools."

NARRATOR: Anna’s experience at the hands of her cyberbullies has left its mark. The 13-year-old was unable to simply brush off the comments and worried that they would tarnish her reputation.

ANNA: "My profile page is visible to all my friends, as are any comments that people leave there. It was there for everyone to read."

ANNA'S MOTHER: "First of all, I looked at her account. We let it go for a day and then another until it become too much for Anna to handle. That's when we decided to block the bullies from being able to leave any more comments. Of course, all that meant was that they tried to get around it by using a different account. I also made sure I copied any comments they left and printed them out so that we would have physical proof of what they had done. On the Internet, of course, it's easy to delete any comments that people have left, so it was important for me to have concrete evidence we could use."

NARRATOR: Cyberbullying takes place on a number of different platforms. In Germany, bullies often turn to popular social networks like SchülerVZ and Facebook. There are as many motives as there are bullies. Often, it's simply about personal differences. A desire for revenge or jealousy can also motivate the online bullies. Those who use the Internet to bully or slander others, however, often come to the attention of the police. Cyberbullying, whether it's done anonymously or not, is a crime.

GÜNTER WITTIG: "Of course the Internet isn't a lawless place. The law makes no distinction between bullying in the classroom and bullying on line. It's still an offense."

NARRATOR: Back in Leipzig, Anna's cyberbullying has come to an end. The 13-year-old solved the problem with the help of her mother. No sooner had she shown her mother the messages she'd been getting, than a plan of action was launched.

ANNA'S MOTHER: "As soon as I knew what was going on, I went to the school. The school reacted very quickly. In the end, we had a big meeting with parents and children together. The discussion went very well and all those who had been bullying my daughter apologized. I'm very happy that Anna felt able to come to me and that we were able to sort it out so quickly."

NARRATOR: Raising awareness is the key to preventing cyberbullying from spreading. That's why academics have developed prevention programs for schools. Using these resources, teachers can inform themselves and their students about the issue and prevent more pupils from becoming victims.

PIESCHL: "The aim is to equip pupils with some social media skills. Part of it is about explaining to pupils what is and what isn't acceptable online, but another part is about showing them the technological tools they can use if they do become victims. I am pleased to say that we have evaluated this program and that it really works."

NARRATOR: Anna is just one of many victims of cyberbullies. Education will be key to reducing the number of victims in the future. Parents, too, need to educate themselves about the Internet, social networking and the real danger of cyberbullying.