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.