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Cyberbullying
Together we can #EndBullying
Help TELUS ensure the digital space is a safe place by taking the TELUS Wise Digital Pledge. Users can take the Pledge on this page and learn more about…
Read articleNimmi Kanji
Director - Social Purpose Programs, For Good and TELUS Wise
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. PREVNet, a national research and knowledge mobilization hub that partners with researchers and organizations focused on fostering healthy relationships among children and youth, recently released a report (in partnership with TELUS) about young Canadians’ experiences with electronic bullying and sexting.
According to PREVNet, in 2020, 40% of youth said they had been electronically bullied at least once (compared to 42% in 2015) in the previous four weeks. On the surface, these stable stats seem promising, especially with youth spending more time online during the pandemic. But any cyberbullying is too much, and work still needs to be done to prevent it.
TELUS Wise has developed many bullying-prevention resources (created in partnership with organizations including PREVNet and MediaSmarts) geared toward educators, parents and youth, and to mark National Bullying Prevention Month, we’re profiling our top 5.
This guide provides a definition and explanation of cyberbullying and offers advice and tips to prevent or reduce the impact of cyberbullying including:
For parents with kids that are experiencing cyberbullying, the guide highlights signs of cyberbullying, actions you can take and how to help kids stand up to cyberbullying if they witness it.
This tip sheet is geared more towards kids and youth that may be experiencing cyberbullying themselves or witnessing it happening to someone else. It offers tips specific to experiencing cyberbullying, witnessing cyberbullying and how to be kind online.
In honour of Pink Shirt Day in 2021, an international day dedicated to end bullying, tech expert Amber Mac interviewed Matthew Johnson, Director of Education for MediaSmarts. TELUS Wise partner, MediaSmarts, is a not-for-profit centre for digital and media literacy. They discussed a wide variety of topics focused on staying safe online and creating friendly online experiences including:
Also created in partnership with MediaSmarts, this workshop operates from the premise that we all have the power to make an impact and intervene when we witness cyberbullying. The workshop focuses on:
You can access the TELUS Wise impact workshop online or book a virtual workshop here.
The PREVNet report also examined the incidences of sexting. According to the findings, 56% of youth reported consensually sending sexts to a partner at least once since COVID-19 started (62% of 16 – 18 year olds compared to 36% of 12 – 13 year olds). Fifteen per cent of youth reported that they had forwarded a sexual image and/or video of another person without the consent of the original sender since COVID-19 started. The act of forwarding someone else’s sext without their permission is illegal and a severe form of cyberbullying.
This Parent’s Guide focuses on that issue. Specifically:
You can find more information about how to discourage this common “culture of sharing” at telus.com/HowWouldUFeel.
Cyberbullying is a real concern for parents and their kids who live so much of their lives online. With the right resources, a commitment to ongoing education and the courage to have tough conversations, you can help your kids have positive experiences online and learn what it means to be responsible, caring and safe digital citizens.
Help TELUS ensure the digital space is a safe place by taking the TELUS Wise Digital Pledge. Users can take the Pledge on this page and learn more about…
Read articleLearn about the importance of youth voices and online experiences, resilience and cyberbullying.
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