CYBERBULLYINGFrom the Schoolyard to the Cyberyard: Bullying

Enters a New Age

Bill McHenry, PhD, LPC, NCCRandy Thomason, BAAS, LCDC, Graduate student

What is Cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying can be defined as the willful and repeated harm inflicted through the medium of electronic communication tools (Sbarbaro, 2011).

Another definition is: when an individual or group is bullied, embarrassed, threatened or harassed by another individual or group using interactive technologies.

Cyberbullying is a complex problem

Reviewing some of the original cases reveals multiple factors and possible outcomes

Client response specificity

Gyslain Raza: The Star Wars Kid

Credited as being the first case of cyberbullying

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBLhAm9vW10

Cyberbullying crossed over into verbal abuse by his peers

Megan Meier

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujDGEorx0uU

Illustrated that adults can be involved and many of the other core cyberbullying concepts

How bad is it?

Cyberbullying and Suicide

Some research indicates that victims of cyberbullying are twice as likely to attempt suicide than those who have not.

Cyberbullies are one and a half times as likely to have attempted suicide.

A new term called cyberbullicide is a reference used when cyberbullying and suicide are found to be directly or indirectly correlated.

Cyberenvironments

Social Networks Facebook Twitter Linkedin Pinterest MySpace

Gaming sites Xbox Live Playstation Network

Cell phones Text IM

Chat rooms Bash boards Other web sites

Ratemyprofessor.com

Children’s websites Club Penguin KidzWorld Webkinz

Common Types of Cyberbullying

Flaming – Sending hostile messages in an attempt to frighten or anger.

Harassment – Repeatedly sending messages that are insulting.

Vilification – Attempting to damage someone’s reputation by gossiping or posting hurtful information.

Impersonation – Hacking into someone’s account and posing as them.

“Trolling” – Responding to another’s post in a sarcastic or degrading way.

Outing and Trickery – Sharing personal information, secrets, photos, etc. without their permission.

Exclusion – Leading someone to believe that they are a part of a group but then intentionally excluding them.

Cyberstalking – Watching for the victim to be online, repeatedly sending intimidating messages, and participating in other behaviors that threaten the person’s sense of security.

“Trolling”

Is often justified by the one doing it because its not “serious.”

Can cause the individual to feel unsafe about posting anymore.

Can lead to a pack mentality with others joining in the behavior.

Common types of cyberbullies

Those who strive for power (Power Bullies and Mean Girls)

Those who want to defend another (Cyber Vigilantes)

Those who do it on accident (Inadvertent Cyberbully)

Those who seek vengeance on another because they have been cyberbullied.

“Power bullies” and “Mean Girls”

Typically are coming from a place of inferiority.

Are primarily motivated to “prove” their superiority over their peers.

Have the faulty belief that this “proof” will resolve their personal feelings of inferiority.

“Cyber Vigilantes”

Usually focus on the “protection” of their peer and do not see the harm in their actions.

Since attention and power are not their primary intentions they usually work alone.

“Inadvertent Cyberbully”

Pain and impulsivity are the primary motivating factors with this class.

They differ from the “Cyber Vigilante” in that they do not intend to inflict pain and do not recognize the potential destructiveness of their actions.

Online Disinhibition Effect

The perception that someone will remain anonymous increases their belief they can say and do anything.

Adds to them feeling more powerful.

http://www.ncpc.org/resources/files/audio/megan.mp3

Common differences between bullies and cyberbullies

Usually are more physically imposing than their victims

Must be willing to face their victims in the moment

Their audience is limited to those who witness their act

Will not fall into any specific physical profile compared to victims

Can hide behind the cloak of the internet and bully at any time

Their audience can include any people with access to the bully’s act (can go viral).

Developmental Factors

Age at which children are interacting online is decreasing

Children are having interactions with peers they do not have the ability to process

Consequences

Similar issues as to what victims of traditional bullying experience

Increased social anxiety and depression

Decreased self-esteem and school performance

Feelings of hopelessness and powerlessness

Lack of trust in immediate peer group

Preventing Cyberbullying

Know school policies and local laws

Designate a school “cyberbullying expert”

Take a more active monitoring position

Educate students on the consequences

Have a response plan in place

Involve parents and community members

Preventing Cyberbullying

Develop a supportive environment by: Teaching students

to respect others. Empower students

to take a stand against all bullying.

Enlist the help of older students to serve as mentors for younger ones.

Encourage diversity and attempt to mix social cliques.

Attempt to engage students who seem unconnected to peers.

Foster empathy by providing assignments that help students recognize how victims may feel.

Responding to Cyberbullying

Investigate Consult Law

Enforcement Notify the bully’s

parents Provide support to

the victim Educate Reach out

Intervention Strategies

Provide consequences Beware the problem of

punishment (may stop the immediate behavior while teaching the offender to be more careful next time)

Consequences could be more prosocial

Attempt to involve as many of the “bystanders”as possible

Group counseling strategies

Group counseling benefits according to Yalom: Altruism Cohesiveness Instillation of hope Universality Identification Guidance Interpersonal

learning

Evelyn Field’s approach Regulate feelings

(respond assertively) Understand your role Build self-esteem Become a confident

communicator Create a personal

“power pack” Develop a support

network

Robinson and Maines’s Approach

Step One: Meet with the target, identify friends and potential allies, secure the victim’s confidence and approval for moving forward

Step Two: Meet with all parties involved (minus the target for now), including the cyberbully, if possible

Step Three: The counselor expresses concern for the target but does not discuss the cyberbullying

Step Four: The counselor explains their desire to help the target improve in school/life, reiterates that no one is in trouble

Step Five: The counselor asks members to brainstorm ways to help the target

Step Six: The counselor thanks the members and indicates a follow-up session will be held in approximately one week

Step Seven: The counselor follows up with members individually

Neurocounseling’s Impact on Cyberbullying

Therapeutic Approach

Neurobiological Impact

Helps to Resolve in the Victim

Person-Centered Dopamine, Oxytocin Inability to trust, relationship formation, willingness to take risks

CBT Increases gray matter Ability to regulate obsessive thoughts

SFBT Organization and production of neurons

Ability to utilize reframes

REMD Memory processing Ability to process experiences that were previously unavailable

Neurocounseling continued

Therapeutic Approach

Neurobiological Impact

Helps to Resolve in the Victim

Adlerian/Individual Increased neuro-connections between prefrontal cortex and hippocampus

Regulation of emotional responses to perceived stimuli

Erikson’s Life Stages Increased neurogenesis in previously underutilized areas of the brain

Increased ability to develop new skills

Narrative Therapy Increased activity in the dorso-medial prefrontal area of the brain

Self-empowerment and the ability to make meaning

Guided imagery, mindfulness, and meditation

Increases neurogenesis and synchronization of neurons

Self-awareness, foster more stable and reproducible mental states

References Bauman, S. (2011). Cyberbullying: What counselors need to know.

Alexandria, Virginia: American Counseling Association. Cyber Bullying Research Center Cyberangels.org Hinduja, S., Patchin, J. (2009). Bullying beyond the schoolyard.

Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press. Luxton, I. D., June, J. D., & Fairall, J. M. (2012). Social Media and

Suicide: A Public Health Perspective. American Journal Of Public Health, 102(S2), S195-S200. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2011.300608

McHenry, B., Sikorski, A., McHenry, J. (2014). A counselor’s introduction to neuroscience. New York: Routledge.

National Crime Prevention Association Netbullies.com Patchin, J., Hinduja, S. (2012). Cyberbullying: Prevention and response.

New York: Routledge. Stopbullying.gov www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/bullying-and-suicide.html