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1. Introduction
Cyberbullying is everywhere, not a day goes by without hearing about it; but what exactly is cyber bullying? Many people define cyber bullying differently; but it all boils down to using technology in a negative manner to hurt someone’s feelings. CyberbullyPro is a new, potential, defense against cyber bullying, however, there I security concerns and it will need more research. "This phenomenon is being called cyberbullying, defined as: “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices." (Patchin, 2010). Previously, cyber bullying was hard to define due to the recency of legalities against the topic; now there is a clear-cut definition, easily accessible to anyone with a computer – all you have to do is google it. There are numerous sites that help people understand the technicalities of cyber bullying as well.
2. Background
“But he said a growing problem was the incidence of parents joining in on a dispute over the Internet. "They get on Facebook and tackle the person involved," Mr. Lewis told the joint select committee on cyber-safety on Thursday. "It becomes very complicated when that happens."” ("Fed: more parents," 2011). Kids have been bullying each other for ages, but with the new, recent, technology craze, they’re finding new, more dangerous ways to do so. The government has tried to place legislature against cyber bullying, but it’s hard to determine what is and what isn’t cyberbullying. “Provisions of this new law include requirements for schools to create and implement bullying prevention plans and curricula. The bullying prevention law placed new restrictions on young people's use of any technology to bully another person. It also directed the Attorney General's Office to work with the Department of Early and Secondary Education, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and other agencies to develop the model plan and to identify the resources needed to create a school climate in which every student feels safe - in and out of school;” ("Attorney general coakley," 2011) that is one example of legislature in Massachusetts. Now, in 2011, cyber bullying is one of the most discussed issues on Capitol Hill. “Students under 10 do not need a cell phone. No QWERTY keyboard phones until they are at least 16. And challenge your family to stow all cell phones in a basket each night. Those were just a few tips for the more than 600 parents, students and community members who attended the first anti-bullying P.A.C.E. Night (Parents Accepting the Challenge to Empower) for New Hanover County Schools Thursday at Williston Middle School. Ten district schools organized the event that was paid for with district Title I money.” (Greene, 2011). CyberBullyPro is going to help prevent bullying online by allowing parents to regulate key strokes remotely from any computer (once software is installed).