In previous post, we've talked about bullying, both how parents can help a child who is being bullied and what to do if your child is the bully. Both are important. As any parent of a child with special needs or who feels different because of being gay... being gifted... being overweight, there is an increased risk of being bullied and picked on. But a study  released in the summer of 2010 also showed that children with ADHD are more likely to bully other children.

In the past, when we talked about bullying, we thought about the bully on the playground, the one who took lunch money and threatened and intimidated other children. Certainly we did not want our children to be bullied, to go through their school day feeling afraid. But we could work with the school and offer our children a safe haven at home. When they were home, they were in a secure environment, they were loved and accepted. They had nothing to fear, until cyber bullying. Just as we are able to reach out to the whole world from our living room, the whole world is also able to reach us through computers and cell phones. Our children no longer have a safe refuge from bullies.

What is Cyber Bullying?

According to OLWEUS, a bullying prevention program, " cyber bullying is bullying through email, instant messaging, chat room exchanges, website posts, or digital messages or images sent to a cellular phone or personal digital assistant." Cyber bullying, like bullying, is repeated, unwanted behavior meant to be intimidating and involves negative actions, such as name-calling, socially isolating someone or threats by one person toward another who is not able to defend himself or has difficulty defending himself. In cyber bullying, however, these actions are done via the computer or cell phone. According to the National Crime Prevention Council, almost one half of all teens have been victims of some sort of cyber bullying.

Some of the common forms of cyber bullying include:

• Pretending to be someone else and posting or sending embarrassing or humiliating comments about someone.

• Spreading lies about someone.

• Sending hurtful or sexual text messages or emails to someone repeatedly.
  Uploading and posting pictures of someone without their consent or knowledge  or refusing to take down pictures of someone after they have asked. This can include posting pictures of someone in compromising situations or digitally altered pictures.

• Fighting with someone online with vulgar or angry language. This is sometimes called "flaming."

• Hacking into someone's email or social networking accounts or setting up an email account with someone else's name and using it to send hurtful messages or post embarrassing pictures of others in order to make this person a social outcast.

• Posting or texting embarrassing secrets about someone to others. Some cyber bullies will trick people into sharing embarrassing information and then forward it to others.

• Intimitating, threatening or using language in emails, texts or on social networking sites that makes someone afraid for their physical safety.

The website, Prevent Cyberbullying states that over 60 percent of cyber bullies are under the age of 18. Although this type of bullying can occur using a variety of technology, most harassment happens on social networking sites or through instant messaging.