When mobiles turn mean
Friday 17 June 2005
Your mobile phone can be like your best friend. Not only does it keep you in touch with all your mates, you can also play games, surf the net, take photos and even make mini movies with them.
Having a mobile might be fun, but it can also be misused and research has shown that 50 per cent of all street crime against teenagers involves mobiles.
Malicious calls or texts
It's a form of bullying that's often overlooked. But more and more people are being harassed using mobile phones, either by malicious calls or texts. One way to avoid this is to be very selective about who you give your number to, try and give it to close friends and family. If you do get abusive calls or texts, don't reply.
Keep note of when you're getting the texts and calls and the number that they're coming from. Some mobile phone companies will change your number for you, but you an easy way to put an end to it is to buy a new SIM card. Telling your parents is a good way of sharing your burden, and they'll also be able to help you report the incidents to the police.
If you're worried about being bullied through your mobile phone, there's a new website called Stop Text Bully that has loads of helpful advice and information about what to do and how to stop it.
Phone theft
As models of mobile phones get more features, they're becoming a must-have for everyone, including thieves. Try and keep your mobile hidden from view when you're out and about and if you need to make a call, do it in a brightly-lit area where there are plenty of people around. If your phone is nicked, call your mobile provider straight away and get your SIM card blocked before the thief manages to run up a huge bill on your phone. It will also lock your address book and make sure that the thief can't have access to all of your personal numbers.
Happy slapping
This new craze has been all over the news, and is one way of how someone else's mobile phone can be a menace. It involves gangs using their phones to film complete strangers getting punched or slapped. The films usually then appear on the internet on sites specially created to show them, or are messaged around for other people to see. Sometimes the attacks can be extremely vicious and several people have been seriously injured. Taking part in the act is cowardly and, if caught, attackers or those helping them could end up in jail. If you're attacked or you see someone else being attacked, you should report it to the British Transport Police as soon as you can. You can call them on 0800 40 50 40.
Peeping
Peeping is a craze that, like happy slapping, can cause distress to anyone falling victim to it. The victims tend to be girls, who are photographed on mobile phones without their consent, and sometimes without their knowledge. There have been reports of gangs taking pictures up girls' skirts and spying on girls on the beach, later putting the pics on the web for all to see. If this happens to you, talk to your local police.
