I never knew that since 2006, October has been designated as National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month. According to the Department of Health and Human Service’s website, “This year’s Bullying Prevention Awareness Month marks the 10th anniversary of its initiation by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center http://www.hhs.gov/disclaimer.html.

Since 2006, the event has grown to an entire month of education and awareness activities, and is being recognized by schools and communities throughout the world.

Bullying can be combated through education and awareness. In the context of data privacy and security, cyberbullying is a form of bullying which can be harmful and devastating, particularly to teens and young adults. Cyberbullying can be accomplished through online posts on Facebook, through emails, Twitter, Snapchat, and any other form of social media or online content.

Although somewhat dated, but still applicable, some practical tips on how to combat cyberbullying for teens are outlined in The Cyberbullying Research Center publication “Preventing Cyber Bullying: Top Ten Tips for Teens”

The 10 tips include:

1. Educate yourself
2. Protect your password
3. Keep photos “PG” (meaning only photos you would want your grandma to see
4. Never open unidentified or unsolicited messages
5. Log out of online accounts
6. Pause before you post
7. Raise awareness
8. Setup privacy controls
9. “Google” yourself
10. Don’t be a cyberbully yourself

Get involved in National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month by getting better educated on bullying in general, and cyberbullying in particular, and help eradicate the harmful effects of cyberbullying.

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