Now that school has begun, Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood would like to remind parents to be mindful of their children’s online activities, and be on the lookout for cyberbullying.
According to www.stopbullying.gov, cyberbullying occurs when children bully each other via electronic technology in the form of text messages, emails and social media posts.
“Parents, you should familiarize yourself with today’s new and popular social media sites and applications that are being used utilized by our young people on a daily basis,” Hood said in a release. “Be conscious of what is being posted on the Internet by your own child as well as by their friends. The inundation of social media apps and sites among our students today allows many of the social distresses and conflicts encountered at school to carry over into the virtual world after school. Various apps and sites allow users to post comments anonymously giving anyone the chance to say anything, even if it is harmful to another person. Students believe they are hiding behind the anonymity of the Internet. This often provides more opportunities for cyberbullying to occur and can lead to uncomfortable learning environments at school.”
According to the release, cyberbullying can be used to get revenge or help boost one’s self-esteem by putting others down.
“Be on alert for bullying behaviors exhibited by your child online or at school, whether they are the bully or being bullied,” Hood said in the release. “If you discover that your child is the bully, get to the root of the behavior and end it before someone gets hurt.”
According to Mississippi Code Ann. 97-45-17, a person shall not post a message for the purpose of causing injury to another person. A violation of this law may result in a felony conviction and a five-year prison term.
“I want to encourage parents and teachers to take an active role in helping to inform our children and students that posting messages with the intent to cause anyone harm is intolerable in this state and has grave consequences,” Hood added in the release.
A brochure entitled “What Parents Should Know: Cyberbullying,” can be found at www.agjimhood.com.