Watch Your Words: Steps to Preventing Cyberbullying

Michelle Boykins is the director of communications and marketing at the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), a U.S.-focused nonprofit devoted to helping people keep themselves, their families and their communities safe from crime. The organization is best known for McGruff the Crime Dog, who has been helping people "take a bite out of crime" for over 25 years. In honor of October being National Crime Prevention Month in the U.S., we asked Michelle to share her thoughts on how to prevent cyberbullying on the web.

Words can be weapons if people are not careful about how they use them. They can pierce our hearts and hurt just as much as any punch. Today, as all of us interact and engage with people on the web with greater frequency, we need to be even more aware of how we use our words. We also need to understand how we can respond to others who use harmful words or take abusive actions toward us.

Cyberbullying is defined as abusive or harassing behavior online, which includes sending or posting text or images that are intended to hurt or embarrass another person. A common misperception of cyberbullying is that it only affects teens. In fact, adults adopt cyberbullying behavior just as easily as young people. The problem transcends age and is due to a lack of respect for another person. Healthy friendships and relationships, at any age, are built on mutual respect, and a person who resorts to cyberbullying or asks you to participate is being disrespectful.

Already, Facebook allows you to easily report abuse on the site by selecting the "Report" link located near photos, videos, notes or other content you find offensive or inappropriate. This is just one step in discouraging people from behaving poorly online and potentially hurting other people. It's up to you to address cyberbullying if it occurs to you or people around you.