by Gina Cacace
What is cyber bullying?
While some may think that cyber bullying is just regular bullying ("kids being kids") that happens online, studies have shown that cyber bullying is more pervasive and impacts children and teens more than offline bullying.
Bullying has entered the digital age. The impulses behind it are the same, but the effect is magnified. In the past, the materials of bullying would have been whispered, shouted or passed around. Now, with a few clicks, a photo, video or a conversation can be shared with hundreds via email or millions through a website, online profile or blog posting (Lenhart, 2007).
Cyber bullying exists in many forms but here are the most common:
- sending threatening messages (text messages, emails, instant messages, blog comments, etc.)
- tricking a person into sending embarrassing information (the Megan Meier story is a tragic example of this)
- having private correspondence forwarded without consent
- posting embarrassing or doctored photos without consent
- spreading rumors online
- impersonating a teen online by setting up fake profiles, hacking accounts or sending emails (Wright et al., 2009 & Lenhart, 2007).
This video, put together by WiredSafety.org introduces cyber bullying and gives the accounts of teens who have experienced it:
What can I do if I suspect that a student or child is being bullied online?
WiredSafety.org recommends that teens adopt the following policy:
The consensus amongst scholars is that cutting off Internet privileges is not the way to deal with cyber bullying (Hayes, 2008). It will only lead victims to shield the abuse from their parents and caretakers because they fear being "out of the social loop." Chibbaro (2007) recommends that caretakers print and save messages that involve cyber bullying and monitor their child's computer use. Any instances of cyber bullying should be reported to school officials and the victim and perpetrator (if known) should be offered counseling.
Jodee Blanco (2008) put forth some guidelines of things you should never say to a bullied child:
- stop - do not respond to the messages or harassment
- block - take measures to keep the person from contacting you
- and tell - tell a parent or school official
"I never once wrote back, because I knew they wanted a reaction. I also blocked the screen name of whoever sent the message. Finally, I told my mom. That was the hardest part, I wanted to handle it on my own." - Mary Ellen, 19, victim of frequent cyber bullying (Hayes, 2008).
The consensus amongst scholars is that cutting off Internet privileges is not the way to deal with cyber bullying (Hayes, 2008). It will only lead victims to shield the abuse from their parents and caretakers because they fear being "out of the social loop." Chibbaro (2007) recommends that caretakers print and save messages that involve cyber bullying and monitor their child's computer use. Any instances of cyber bullying should be reported to school officials and the victim and perpetrator (if known) should be offered counseling.
Jodee Blanco (2008) put forth some guidelines of things you should never say to a bullied child:
- Ignore them
- They’re just jealous
- I know how you feel
- Twenty years from now you’ll look back on this and laugh
- Be patient
How does social networking fit into all of this?
Looking for more information about cyber bullying?
We've picked the most authoritative, current and non-biased resources that will help parents, teachers and school librarians anticipate and deal with cyber bullying effectively.
Websites:
STOP cyberbullying
This informational website, aimed at teens, parents, teachers and law enforcement is sponsored by WiredSafety.org. It is divided into developmentally appropriate pages for students that explains cyberbullying clearly. It has additional resources for caretakers about how to prevent and deal with cyber bullying in their community.
WHS Bull Dogs Wiki on Cyberbullying
We've picked the most authoritative, current and non-biased resources that will help parents, teachers and school librarians anticipate and deal with cyber bullying effectively.
Websites:
This informational website, aimed at teens, parents, teachers and law enforcement is sponsored by WiredSafety.org. It is divided into developmentally appropriate pages for students that explains cyberbullying clearly. It has additional resources for caretakers about how to prevent and deal with cyber bullying in their community.
This is a great wiki put together by the school library of that has resources for teachers, students and parents. Putting together a similar site for your school will be a great way to spread awareness about cyber bullying and ensure that the school's policy is well known.
Books:
Cyber-Bullying: Issues and solutions for the school, the classroom and the home by Shaheen Shariff
Shariff's book is aimed at parents and teachers and provides guidance on how to balance freedom of expression with respect for others, how to monitor Internet use while respecting privacy and ideas for mediation between victims of cyber bullying and their perpetrators. Shariff is an educator with extensive experience in law and policy studies who is recognized as an expert on cyber bullying.
cyberbullying and cyberthreats: responding to the challenge of online social aggression, threats and distress by Nancy E. Willard
This is an indispensable guide for school administrators as it provides research into the legal implications of cyber bullying and how cyber bullying relates to issues of free speech. In its appendix it includes example policies for school district Internet use, example student Internet use agreements, parent and student guides to identifying and dealing with cyber bullying.
Generation MySpace: Helping Your Teen Survive Online Adolescence by Candice M. Kelsey
Kelsey argues that social networking sites are not just a passing fad with teens but that they view them as their entire life and derive their self-worth from them.This book is an essential tool for parents who have trouble communicating with their teens as it includes sample dialogues on how to approach sensitive topics, quizzes on how to understand teen Internet lingo, explanations about parts of social networking profiles and gives parents a behind the scenes look at social networking sites like MySpace and areas that are subject to exploitation by predators and cyber bullies.
This book would make a great addition to any school library media center as it is easy to use and aimed at anyone ages 11 and up. It has games, activities and quizzes for students to identify cyber bullying and learn how to effectively deal with it. Teachers can develop lesson plans around the activities and materials included in this book.
If you are a parent of a child who is being bullied online, this book will help you navigate your legal options on how to protect your child and seek punishment for the bully. Written by a lawyer, this book examines the different ethical dilemmas inherent in the anonymous Internet and provides advice on how to prosecute cases against cyberbullies.
Fiction Books:
This novel explores what happens when an online school newspaper is hacked by a cyber bully who spreads rumors and harasses the students. This would be a great book to read with students and start a discussion about what is free speech and what is harassment and cyberbullying.
It is appropriate for grades 5-8.
Bad Apple by Laura Ruby
This novel by Laura Ruby explores what happens when a cyber bully sets up a website spreading rumors about the main character, Tola. The novel is set up with comments from her parents, teachers and fellow classmates which gives the book an interesting form that will keep readers engaged. Teens would respond well to this novel as the main character is sarcastic and witty. This would be a good book to read with your older teen to discuss what happens when rumors are spread online and how to appropriately deal with them.
Grades 8 and up
Magazines:
This recent article from the New York Times Upfront is a great way to start a discussion in the classroom about what teens should share on social networking sites and the ways to avoid being a victim of cyberbullying. Lynda Lopez, 19, shares what happened when she posted information on Facebook that was used against her. Teachers and parents can use this article as a starting point for discussions on what to share online and how to protect oneself from cyber bullies.
This recent article from the School Library Journal gives parents, teachers and librarians guidelines for how to make sure that teens use the Internet safely. It recommends that parents and teachers be aware of the cyberbullying policy in schools and ensure that any instance of cyberbullying is taken seriously. It includes links to different services that help to monitor teen computer use.
Associations:
National Crime Prevention Council - Cyberbullying Campaign
This organization is committed to educating teens and parents about the dangers of cyber bullying. They produce publications, public service announcements, training materials and sponsor partnerships between law enforcement and communities to fight cyber crime, including cyber bullying.
cyberbullying research center
This association is headed by two prominent researchers in the cyber bullying field who are committed to providing communities with the most up-to-date information about cyber bullying. Read the Latest Cyberbullying Headlines section to stay up to date with the latest research, legislation and cases of cyber bullying.
This association is headed by Nancy Willard (a lawyer and prominent expert in cyber bullying) and provides resources for teachers and school administrators about developing cyber bullying policies. They also provide consulting services where they will provide assessment of a policy, review cases of cyber bullying and provide training for teachers and school administrators.
Scholarly Articles:
School Counselors and the Cyberbully: Interventions and Implications by Julia S. Chibarro
Professional School Counseling, Volume 11, Issue 1 October 2007
Chibarro outlines school policies for dealing with cyber bullying that include school sanctions such as loss of computer privileges, detention, etc. She also recommends that policies should allow students to be able to report cyberbullying anonymously.
Cyber Bullying: Overview and Strategies for School Counselors, Guidance Officers, and All School Personnel by Christine Suniti Bhat
Australian Journal of Guidance & Counseling, Volume 18 Issue 1 2008
This article gives specific guidelines for the different partners in youth development on how to work together to address cyber bullying. School counselors should take the role of education teachers and parents about what cyber bullying is and be the spokespeople for developing comprehensive school policies about cyber bullying. It also recommends that parents monitor their child's computer use and keep have conversations about cyber bullying with their teens.
Cyberbullying: What School Administrators (and Parents) Can Do by Andrew V. Beale and Kimberly R. Hall
The Clearing House, September/October 2007
Beale & Hall put forth recommendations for school administrators on how to prevent cyber bullying such as: educating students & parents, advertising the school's policy online, establishing relationships with local law enforcement, and establishing a school wide anti-cyber bullying task force to develop programs and spread awareness. Parents should be familiar with common acronyms used by teens (Internet speak) and be sensitive to their teen's privacy.
References:
Bhat, C.S. (2008). Cyber Bullying: Overview and strategies for school counselors, guidance officers, and all school personnel. Australian Journal of Guidance & Counseling, 18 (1), pp. 53-66.
Chibbaro, J.S. (2007). School counselors and the Cyberbully: Interventions and implications. Professional School Counseling, 11 (1), p. 65-67.
Hayes, S. (2008). Cyberbullies R 4 real: bullies have a new strategy for the 21st century. Current Health 2, 34 (8), pp 16-21.
Lenhart, A. (2007). Cyberbullying and Online Teens, Pew Internet & American Life Project. http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2007/Cyberbullying.aspx
Wright, V.H., Burnham, J.J., Inman, C.T. & Ogorchock, H.N. (2009). Cyberbullying: Using virtual scenarios to educate and raise awareness. Journal of Computing in Teacher Education, 26 (1), pp. 35 -42.
Bhat, C.S. (2008). Cyber Bullying: Overview and strategies for school counselors, guidance officers, and all school personnel. Australian Journal of Guidance & Counseling, 18 (1), pp. 53-66.
Chibbaro, J.S. (2007). School counselors and the Cyberbully: Interventions and implications. Professional School Counseling, 11 (1), p. 65-67.
Hayes, S. (2008). Cyberbullies R 4 real: bullies have a new strategy for the 21st century. Current Health 2, 34 (8), pp 16-21.
Lenhart, A. (2007). Cyberbullying and Online Teens, Pew Internet & American Life Project. http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2007/Cyberbullying.aspx
Wright, V.H., Burnham, J.J., Inman, C.T. & Ogorchock, H.N. (2009). Cyberbullying: Using virtual scenarios to educate and raise awareness. Journal of Computing in Teacher Education, 26 (1), pp. 35 -42.
