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Bullying these days has taken on a whole new level. You read about it in the papers and watch it on the news; more and more kids these days are falling victim to high school bullying. What's more disturbing is that victims are getting younger. The sad thing about this is that oftentimes, parents don't know that their teens are being bullied until they take matters into their own hands. According to a 2009 survey by the CDC, almost 20% of students in grades 9-12 reported being bullied within school premises. Of this figure, most are female students. Bullying can cause depression, and depression can drive young people to suicide. Parents are right to be concerned because suicide claims 12.2% of deaths annually among young people.

The sad fact is that most instances of bullying remain unreported, and thousands of teens live with the feeling of dread every day before they go to school.

Bullying these days don't just mean getting shoved up against the lockers or having your lunch money taken by a bigger kid. It means much more than that. Young people these days use the internet and electronic media to communicate with the world, which creates more avenues for unwanted intrusions. While the internet has made it easier for young people to develop friendships, it also makes them more vulnerable to bullying, and with repercussions that can last a long time.

Young people these days can use electronic media as a tool to embarass, threaten, harass, and subject their peers to psychological and emotional torture. It only takes a few seconds to take an embarassing photo and post it publicly online. Once a photo is posted on the internet, it becomes extremely difficult to remove. A future employer may find the photo by doing a simple search of one's name. The extent of damage this kind of cruelty can bring to a person can really be far-reaching.

It's also a lot easier to gang up on a person when hiding behind the relative anonymity offered by the internet. A socially awkward teen may be considered an easy target online. It's easy to make cruel, threatening comments online where people most feel at liberty to say whatever they want to say without fear of authority figures that they would usually fear offline.

Cyber-bullying can come in many forms. Here are just a few examples of how teens can get bullied online:

1. Posting damaging rumors about somebody in a public site (message boards, status updates, tweets, etc.)
2. Posting someone's embarrasing photos or videos or distributing them through email.
3. Sending threats through email, text, chat, or private messages.
4. Creating a fake account of someone, especially when there is an intent to use this identity to inflict harm.
5. Posting personal information on a website for the purpose of causing embarrassment.

Being bullied may cause physical injuries or, especially in the case of cyber-bullying, social and emotional distress. Young teens who are victims of bullying whether online or otherwise are more at risk for mental health problems as well as psychosomatic complaints. They are also more likely to become bullies themselves, at some point in their life. According to studies conducted by the CDC, young people who become bully-victims (victims of bullying that later become bullies themselves) are more likely to suffer mental and behavioral problems than those who are just bullies or just victims.

1. Talk to your teen - Whether it's online or offline, talking to your teen about bullying is important. When teens are being bullied on the internet or through their mobile phone, they're afraid to tell their parents because they're afraid their internet and phone privileges will be revoked. It's important to find ways to address the problem without punishing or antagonizing the victim.
2. Establish boundaries and rules - Young people often cannot draw the boundaries of acceptable behavior by themselves. Parents should take the lead and teach their teens what kind of behavior online and offline is acceptable, and which ones aren't. If teens do not have clear boundaries, they will not be able to become advocates for their own rights. Establishing boundaries and rules helps teens understand what kind of treatment they really don't need to take from anyone, and what kind of action they can take to defend themselves in such cases.
3. Connect with teachers and school staff - Most of your teen's social interaction happens at school. It's important to work closely with teachers, counselors, and school administrators in order to continually be educated about the issues that teens face these days, especially those related to bullying. Parents may also work collaboratively with school staff on projects that are aimed towards preventing cyber bullying.
4. Educate yourself - Many parents don't know how to protect their teens from online threats because they are not familiar with the technology. For example, if parents don't have an idea on how far-reaching social networking sites can get and how this can be used for cyberbullying, they won't be able to anticipate potential issues and provide guidance and boundaries that will protect their teens.

It's not healthy to shield children from all kinds of threats that they may encounter in life. Probably one the first threat they may need to face in their life is high schol bullying. Rather than only attempting to control the environment, parents should try their best to prepare their teens by teaching them how to handle these kinds of aggression. It's also equally important to provide them a safe haven at home, that they see their home as a safe place to retreat and collect themselves before they face the challenges of the world outside.