KIDS AND TEENS CAN STOP CYBERBULLYING By Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley March 14, 2008 I had the opportunity recently to join the Anti-Defamation League and speak with members of the 14th annual New England Youth Congress on an emerging problem that many young people face but which parents are just beginning to learn about: cyberbullying. The generation coming of age today has been raised in a world of information and communication. Technology has changed the way we all live, work, study, and socialize. It’s made a lot of things much easier, and young people today are very adept at using it. For these children, teens, and young adults, the virtual world of the internet is every bit as relevant to their social lives as the real world is: profile sites, chat rooms, and message boards are, in many ways, the schoolyards and cafeterias of the 21st century – they are places to meet, socialize, and share interests. Unfortunately, they can also be the places where kids and teens are teased, threatened, and intimidated. Like anything else, high-tech communication can be abused, and with these advances, it’s become easier than ever to harass someone anonymously and from a distance. This can be in the form of vicious emails, messages sent from one person pretending to be another, or posting someone’s personal information without permission in inappropriate places. At its least harmful, cyberbullying can be embarrassing to the victim. At its worst, it can lead to threats and violence. Well over a third of surveyed high school students nationwide have experienced it, and that number continues to grow even after cyberbullying was linked to the suicides of young people in several jurisdictions. As a prosecutor and a parent, I was disturbed to hear stories of adults contacting young teens because a private cell phone number was posted to an explicit web site. I was shocked to learn how prevalent this and other forms of cyberbullying are among young people today, and I was very willing to meet with some concerned young people and enlist their help in putting an end to it. Parents, teachers, and school administrators have to take an active role in responding to cyberbullying. They need to be aware of their children’s internet use and ensure that private information stays private. They also need to know that harassment and intimidation in the virtual world is every bit as unacceptable as the same behavior on the street or in a school. The notion that “it’s just words” doesn’t hold water – words carry weight, and there are laws against criminal threats, harassment, and intimidation. Just as powerful as adults, though, are the peer leaders who can help stop cyberbullying at its source. A few strong-minded young men and women who refuse to tolerate hateful or abusive behavior can lead by example and make a difference for other kids who might be too scared or ashamed to speak out. To young people who are growing up in an online world, the Internet can be a much larger, more frightening playground than the one their adults knew decades ago, but through knowledge and communication, we can work together to make it safer for kids, teens, and young adults today and in the future. Return to the Press Releases page.