Experts Offer Advice On Countering Cyber-Bullying
CHICAGO (WBBM) -- As part of "Social Media Week Chicago," two experts on Cyber-bullying spoke at the Illini Center on South Wacker Drive on Monday.
Sometimes, you can bully yourself, by the things you post.
Chicago Kent College of Law Professor Lori Andrews says 35 percent of prospective employers check out social networking sites. So, pictures of women in sexually suggestive poses, or holding a drink, can turn prospective employers away. Andrews says such pictures have also been responsible for women losing custody of their children in divorce cases.
So, she says, think of what you post online as written in pen - it can't be erased.
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As for cyber bullies who are posting negative thoughts about you, many times they are doing so anonymously.
Andrews and Chicago attorney Peter Baugher say Intenet law is out-dated, because it doesn't do enough to go after the anonymous cyber-bully and they are drawing up federal legislation to change it.
Andrews says when it was first crafted, Internet law didn't think anyone could ever be completely anonymous online.
Baugher would like to see anonymous posts be moved to the bottom of search results. That way, their abusive posts may never even be read.
Baugher suggests that when it's not easy to have a service provider remove negative posts about you, try this: make sure there are plenty of good posts about you that can crowd out the negative ones.
