Cyber Bullying and the LGBT Community

Teasing, name-calling and bullying is a serious concern of many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender children as well as children with LGBT parents or guardians. As children become increasingly tech savvy at younger and younger ages, bullying is spreading beyond the walls of a school or the fence of a playground and into cyberspace. Electronic text is now a medium for what is called cyber bullying.

Anti-LGBT Bullying

Studies have found that LGBT students are twice as likely to report being bullied than non-LGBT students. A 2008 report of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network found that 42% of students said they had been verbally harassed at school in the past year because their parents were LGBT. There is no reason to think these trends will not hold true in cyberspace as well, making LGBT students and students with LGBT parents especially susceptible to cyber bulling.

• Involved, Invisible, Ignored: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Parents and Their Children in Our Nation’s K-12 Schools (February 2008) [www.glsen.org]

What is Cyber Bullying?

Cyber bullying is also called "electronic bullying," "e-bullying," "sms bullying," "mobile bullying," "online bullying," "digital bullying," or "Internet bullying.” Perpetrators of cyber bullying may use personal computers or cellular phones to harass victims through e-mail, instant messages, online bulletin boards, websites or text messages. Youth are increasingly using social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook to harass and bully their peers. Furthermore, unlike our traditional understanding of bullying as an up close, personal phenomenon, these electronic bullies can maintain anonymous in an atmosphere – cyberspace – in which supervision is more than lacking.

Cyber Bullying in the Media

Cyber bullying received a lot of attention in late 2007 when 14-year-old Megan Meier committed suicide after receiving harassing messages on MySpace. The realities of anti-LGBT harassment did not escape this story. After Megan’s death, it became clear that the messages were part of an online hoax which was partially motivated by the fact that Megan had called a classmate a lesbian. This tragic incident has drawn many people’s attention to the dangers of today’s technological world.

• When Bullies go Online, Targets are Constant, Continuous Victims (June 1, 2011)
• Kelly Huegel's Survival Guide for GLBTQ Teens  (May 26, 2011)
• Roommate Is Arraigned in Rutgers Suicide Case (May 23, 2011)
• Friend Game: Behind the online hoax that led to a girl’s suicide. (January 21, 2008)
• A Deadly Web of Deceit: A Teen's Online 'Friend' Proved False, And Cyber-Vigilantes Are Avenging Her (January 10, 2008)

Tips for Parents

To protect children from cyber bullying parents should:

• Regularly monitor the online activities of their children
• Encourage open dialogue with their children about safe and responsible internet use

The first step in addressing this issue is for parents, community members and leaders to understand cyber bullying as a real threat to children and learn about ways to prevent it. Visit the site below to learn more about cyber bullying and how to use today’s technology in the safest ways possible.