Cyber Bullying

Education 331Mark GiardineJoanne GreidanusDoug WagterLisa VandenHaak

What is cyberbullying? an electronic message sent or posted with deliberate repeated and hostile behaviour by an individual or group that is intended to harm others

Statistics show… a 2005 Media Awareness Network Survey

showed that 34% of students reported being bullied and 27% of those children were bullied over the internet

other surveys report that between 12% and 25% of students have been cyber-bullied

30% of students who report cyber bullying are also victims of cyber bullying

Forms of Cyber bullying

email instant messaging chat rooms/bash boards small text messaging (PDAs) web sites voting or polling booths

http://www.cyberbullying.ca/

Bullies, victims and bystanders

Bullies can inflict pain through:1) Direct bullyingovert attacks involving

physical or verbal aggression 2) Indirect bullyingsecretive, covert attacks

involving gossip or exclusion 3) Reactive bullyingfeel provoked into attack4) Proactive bullyingcalculated, planned and

predatory in nature (popular kids)

Bullies, victims and bystanders

Victims: 1) are withdrawn2) are introverted3) suffer from low self-esteem4) do not possess the skills/capabilities to

oppose bullies5) can play dual roles, experiencing

incidences of both bullying and victimizing

Bullies, victims and bystanders

Bystanders:1) can encourage or discourage a bully by

their actions2) should be taught skills to help intervene

in acts of bullying3) should be held accountable for their

lack of action"He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it

as he who helps to perpetrate it.” (Martin Luther King)

http://www.bullyonline.org/workbully/bystand.htm

Taking action against cyber bullying

What can teachers do?

Bullying often begins at school

Set a positive example Believe and support victims of bullying Use authority appropriately Create a safe learning environment Seek to change the school or board's bullying

policy to include harassment perpetrated with mobile and Internet technology.

Seek to update the school or board's computer Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) to specifically prohibit using the Internet for bullying.

Avoiding the issue leads to:

a negative classroom experience inhibited learning experiences increased anxiety, depression, emotional and

mental distress and absenteeism feelings of tension and fear in students“Bullying strikes at the very values on

which the entire curriculum is based, interfering with students’ ability or desire to learn.”

http://ltc.umanitoba.ca/wiki/index.php?title=Identifying_Types_of_Bullying_and_the_Role_of_Teachers

Teachers are victims too one in seven teachers have been

cyber bullied of those, 68% have received

unpleasant emails 26% have been the subject of

abuse on websites 28% have received abusive text

messages.

Anti-cyber bullying classroom strategies

Books can begin discussions Presentations such as Bisons Against

Bullying Role playing Reaffirming positive actions Awareness of computer activity Teach students about the

consequences of cyber bullying (legislation, emotional)

What about the consequences?

“Today's young Internet users have created an interactive world away from adult knowledge and supervision. Because bullies tend to harass their victims away from the watchful eyes of adults, the Internet is the perfect tool for reaching others anonymously - anytime, anyplace.”

http://www.bewebaware.ca/english/cyberbullying.html

Canadian LegislationUnder the Criminal Code of Canada, it is a crime to

communicate repeatedly with someone if your communication causes them to fear for their own safety or the safety of others.

It is also a crime to publish defamatory libel which is designed to insult a person, and injure the person’s reputation by exposing him or her to hatred, contempt or ridicule.

A cyber bully may also be violating the Canadian Human Rights Act if he or she spreads hate or discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or disability.

http://www.bewebaware.ca/english/cyberbullying.html

Students should learn that: cyber bullying is against the law wireless words are not exempt from the

law the written word cannot be taken back the written word carries a heavier

responsibility the punishment for cyber bullying is up

to five (5) years in prison

http://bullying.suite101.com/article.cfm/it_is_against_the_law_to_bully

Taking Action on Cyber bullying

What can parents do?

Be Aware

Your child might be being bullied if:

she is spending long hours on the computer he closes windows on the computer when you enter the

room she is secretive about internet use you notice behavioural changes – attitude, dress or habits he has trouble sleeping she has stomach and head aches he fears leaving the house your child gives explanations that don’t make sense she is acting out aggression at home

http://www.cyberbullying.ca/

Get Informed!! learn everything you can about the

internet know what your children are doing

and/or posting online discuss internet safety issues with your

children encourage your child to come to you if

anybody says or does something online that makes them feel threatened or uncomfortable

encourage your child to develop a moral code about internet use

remind children that anything they post on line can be read by anyone including parents

Take Action

watch for signs that your child is being bullied

be available for conversation about the topic

if the bully is a student at your child’s school, meet with the principal

report any incident of harassment to the police and your ISP

Help Yourself guard contact information take immediate action block sender messages never reply to harassing

messages save any harassing messages

and send them to your ISP speak out against bullying don’t open messages from

unknown senders give yourself a break from

technology

How is your “netiquette?”

http://www.digizen.org/cyberbullying/fullFilm.aspx

Let’s fight it together

Referenceshttp://www.aama.ca/docs/cyberbullying.pdf

http://www.bewebaware.ca/english/cyberbullying.html

http://www.bullyonline.org/workbully/bystand.htm

http://bullying.suite101.com/article.cfm/it_is_against_the_law_to_bully

http://www.cyberbullying.ca/

www.canada.com/topics/lifestyle/backtoschool/story.html

http://www.gizmodiva.com/entry_image/0809/12/texting.jpg

ltc.umanitoba.ca/wiki/index.php

References, cont’dhttp://www.mediaawareness.ca/english/resources/educational/

teaching_backgrounders/cyberbullying/cyberbullying_law2_h4.cfm

http://www.reputationdefenderblog.com

http://www.stopcyberbullyingonline.com

http://www.teachingtimes.com/articles/cyber-bullying-teachers.htm

Estévez, E. M. (2009). Psychological adjustment in bullies and victims of school violence.

European Journal of Psychology of Education , 473-483.

Improving the transfer to secondary school: how every child's voice can matter.(2008).

Support for Learning , 178.

Santrack, J. W. (2007). Educational Psycology - Second Canadian Edition. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.