Cyber bullying is a deliberate, repeated, act of bullying targeted at a specific person or group of people. It involves the use of information and communication technologies such as online communities (blogs, IM, websites), cell phones (text messaging, voice messages, threatening calls), computers (e-mail), etc. Cyber bullying is intended to harm the target person(s) and is becoming widespread in our world of ever increasing technology.
Facts: (courtesy of cyberbullying.ca)
“99 per cent of Canadian students have used the Internet”
“48 per cent of Canadian students use it for a least an hour a day”
"nearly 60 per cent of Canadian students use chat rooms and instant messaging"
"This is the "Always On" generation (*74% of connected young people use instant messaging several times a week. -Pew Report ). "
As teachers, we will continue to see an increase of technology, which will result in an increase of cyber bullying. Unfortunately in the school setting, cyber bullying usually has to be proven to have happened from a school computer and not from a home computer. Is that fair to our students? In this story (http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/bullying/cyber_bullying.html), the bullying could not be proven to have happened at school so the school administrator's hands were tied and the student ultimately left the school to be home schooled. He went on to excel but not all students are able to break free from the bullying that has haunted them and may ultimately cause harm to themselves or others.
We will need to be aware of the various forms of technology that we use within our teaching and that our students have access to both at the school and at home. It is beneficial to our students that we discuss cyber etiquette and especially the harm of cyber bullying with them. Students need to become aware of the damage that could be done if they use cyber space as a place to bully and even though it is not done face-to-face, cyber bullying is the same as bullying someone on the playground or in the classroom. It can actually be worse because cyber space is growing in popularity and news/gossip travels fast on the internet. We already teach our students social skills within the school setting and now we also need to include social skills in cyber space so that our students will be informed.
Cyber bullying is an issue will not be solved tomorrow but as teachers, we can inform our students of how to be respectuful of their peers both in the classroom and in cyber space through our classroom teaching.
We will need to be aware of the various forms of technology that we use within our teaching and that our students have access to both at the school and at home. It is beneficial to our students that we discuss cyber etiquette and especially the harm of cyber bullying with them. Students need to become aware of the damage that could be done if they use cyber space as a place to bully and even though it is not done face-to-face, cyber bullying is the same as bullying someone on the playground or in the classroom. It can actually be worse because cyber space is growing in popularity and news/gossip travels fast on the internet. We already teach our students social skills within the school setting and now we also need to include social skills in cyber space so that our students will be informed.
Cyber bullying is an issue will not be solved tomorrow but as teachers, we can inform our students of how to be respectuful of their peers both in the classroom and in cyber space through our classroom teaching.
Some websites to consider:
This website gives information on what cyber bullying is, ideas for prevention, and has links to other helpful sites.
http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/
http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/
A website which also gives information on cyber bullying and prevention as well as specific information that kids, tweens, teens, parents, educators, and law enforcement can read about.
A website called Committee for Children which has information on cyber bullying as well as many other issues which may arise for children. The website description is that "Committee for Children is a nonprofit leader in teaching safety and social and emotional learning".
28 comments:
I'm starting to think we need a unit on issues in technology education for high school students. Some of it would fit in with English class (eg. evaluating sources) and others might fit better with CAPP class (cyber bullying), but all of it should included in mandatory courses (if they were in electives like InfoTech, not all students would learn about these issues).
-Mela
I agree with Mela here. I think that this is a major topic and needs to be covered with other forms of bullying in schools now. We live in an age where you don't ever have to talk to someone to destroy them. We need to instill a sense of responsibility in students for the power that the internet can give them.
Blake.
I too agree that this topic needs to be more frequently addressed in class. I could be part of CAPP classes or even included in social responsibility (at younger ages). I like how you included statistics. It really makes me see what a serious issue this really is
~Lindsey
Absolutely with this "plugged-in" generation students need to be taught proper boundaries. As with anything new there are growing pains. The anonymity that cyber space provides of course increases the challenge to enforce those boundaries. We must remember simply bein removed from the environment does not undo the harm caused by the bullying incident.
Cyber bullying is a challenging situation for a teacher to remain on top of. The majority of this bullying will often not occur at school rather at home computers. I agree that this issue needs to be addressed with students. Discussing the harm of cyber bullying with our students is essential. I also believe that parents need to become more aware of cyber bullying.
-Kathleen
Cyber bullying in its simplest form, is just another avenue for the bully's to lay prey. Ultimately it boils down to the respect and understanding before it begins. More awareness of the issue needs to be given, allowing the seemingly 'hidden' bullying to be brought out and extinguished.
Hello,
I love your question about is it fair to our students who are being cyber bullied and the proof? Yes you need proof but it should be very highly talked about and taken serious in our school system, evetually there will be a way to provide the proof, but those students shouldn't be written off because there is know proof. I think that being cyber bullied now a days is as or more hurtful when it is a rumor going around the school.
Natalie
im really surprised at those statistics. I don't know if anyone else was, but 99% of Canadian students have used the internet?? Anyways, I think that the school and/or classroom teacher should set strict guidelines about what sites and programs are blocked from students (chat rooms, MSN, IM,etc.). There is no reason why students need to be on any of these sites/programs at school in the first place. Again, stressing to the students that bullying of any form can have long lasting effects on people, even when they believe that they are just teasing. Bring in these stories about students having to leave school and share them with your students so that they can get a sense of how it might feel to be bullied. I have seen cyber bullying be addressed in a CAPP class included in a particular bullying lecture/class.
Dayna
This is a very important topic and just another form of bullying which is just as difficult. There are no magic words or strategies that would terminate this quandary, as teachers we do need to stay on top of things. It is also important to build "relationships" with your students so that they will feel comfortable in coming to you id they fall victim to cyber bulling.
Angela
I too agree with Mela that a class on these issues would be beneficial. I think its a bit of a cop out when the school won't get involved bcs it wasn't a school computer, ect. What I want to know is where are the parents in all this? When a child bullies another at school or away from school, parents are contacted, does that not apply to cyber bullying?
Sarah
Talking about appropriate uses of technology is something that I think is important for students. If children are taught from a young age that bullying someone using technology is wrong and harmful they might remember this when they are on the computer. I agree that teachers need to teach students how to be respectful using technology, but parents also need to support this at home.
-Rebecca
Talking and building relationships with your students is one key way to stop the bullying as Anglea said. Cyber bullying is bullying and when students begin to realize that name calling across the play ground or online is the same thing. Taching respect for each other would go a long way to minimizing cyber bullying.
I also agree that this type of technology education should be included into the curriculum. Cyber bullying is so tricky because a person can do it in the comfort of their own home. I would like to see this topic as part of a school wide "bullying" campaign seen in many schools. I think this is only going to get more popular and we are going to have to address it in our own classrooms!
Leslie
I also agree with Mela, but this is becoming such a large issue that it could come close to making up its own class. The issue needs to at least make up a large part of a CAPP class because these issues need to be dealt with.
- Clay
As Leslie said, cyber bullying can be done in the comfort and privacy of one's own home, therefore removing it from yester-year's bullying arena of the schoolyard or hallways where a teacher or other adult was often nearby to intervene. What also makes this form of bullying so dangerous is that it allows such distance between the bully and the victim causing it to appear less personal and therefore less harmful. Quite the opposite is true, however, as it can quickly spread via the internet and soon everyone is "in on it," whether they want to be or not. It would be much harder, I imagine, to have to look someone in the eye and insult or berate them than to sit alone in front of a computer, type a few derogatory comments, then hit 'send.'
Like racism, bullying in any form needs to be addressed! It fits in to the social responsibility piece of the curriculum and can be dealt with by school authorities when it occurs at school. If the bullying occurs at home or outside of school property then who has the authority to address the situation. I have heard of situations where the principal has stepped in to address the situation because the parent/guardian has not... I think this is a good choice on the part of the principal because leaving incidences will only cause a reoccurrence in the future!
Tammi
Cyberbullying is a difficult thing to teach, I'm sure if you brought the subject up in a very comfortable atmosphere students would admit to being cyberbullied. Getting comforable and being knowledgable about this subjects are the first steps towards diminshing this crippling problem.
I totally agree with Mela. I think it would be great to have even a workshop in technology uses in the classroom. I remember in grade 7 my older brother was being bullied...over ICQ or msn, I am not too sure now, but it turned into this huge thing at our middle school, and the kid had to write an apology letter to my brother.
cyber bullying is just one more thing that parents and teachers need to look out for and educate children about. Before we can educate others, we need to know how it happens, why it happens and how we can stop or prevent it from happening. We keep saying we need to educate others, but I need the education first.
Jackie
I was surprised at how difficult it was for David Knight’s family to get the site removed. The situation seems rather hopeless when no one can be held accountable. I have noticed that an anti-bulling bit referring to persons that cyber bully as chickens has been playing on T.V., let’s hope we can get the message through to our students that all forms of bulling are not acceptable.
Patti
Cyber bullying, like any type of bullying, is a major issue in schools today. I really like the idea of having a unit for students regarding technology issues including bullying. Technology is everywhere and is fast and easy to access. The best we can do to stop this form of bully is to educate the students around the harms of bullying and try to create a safe relationship with students so that they feel comfortable coming forward if they are be bullied online.
-Alyson
I wonder how we, as teachers, might be able to bring this issue up with parents so that they too are aware of this problem and how to deal with it?
Mela and I did the same topic and it seems that this is becoming more of an issue then actual physical bullying. Students are getting incriminating pictures sent around about them, gossip and so on which seems to travel faster then word of mouth. Students in my grade 8 class last year were always texting at school, even though there was a no cellphone rule, and facebook was not allowed. I agree with Mela it would be great to have a unit or workshop on cyber bullying, it should also be integrated into CAPP which Mela also suggested.
Thanks for all the comments! I agree that we need to make sure that we teach about bullying and include cyber bullying because it is becoming an increasing epidemic in our schools (even though we quite often do not know about it). We really do need to make our students aware and create relationships so that they know to come to us. As well, parents need to be kept in the know about how scary this topic is and can become for their child. Information is key.
Brianne
I agree with both Blake and Mela, there really should be some sort of class that we take to deal with these new issues that are surrounding technology. We are taking two technology classes so that we become more comfortable with using it, but I'm learning more about the problems and issues that are associated with technology from these blogs.
Kimmy
Wow. What an awful story. It is so frustrating that kids spend their time ripping down other kids. Evidently, cyber bullying is a particularly effective way in that the bullies are able to strike out and hide. This is a very huge topic of discussion for students, teachers, parents and communities. There needs to be more accountability for what kids are doing on the internet whether in school or in their free time.
Jasmine
Great food for thought girls.....I think Mela and Michelle's comment on mandating instruction on cyber bullying and appropriate use of technology should be made available for all students from K - 12. Educate, educate, educate......
The site on David's situation got me thinking about how I might incorporate this topic in my teaching.
This is a good topic. I have not personally encountered a situation involving cyber-bullying, but I have definately heard some horror stories. Preventative measures need to be taken with in the school system regarding the damaging effects of cyber-bullying.
Is administration allowed to get involved even if the bullying took place outside of the school setting?
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