C Y B E R B U L LY I N G :
Bully Prevention . . .
It’s EVERYBODY’S Business
24/7/365
TAKE ACTION
CYBER BULLYING is just what it sounds like . . . Bullying through Internet applications and technologies such as;
ƒ Instant messaging (IM) and Chat, ƒ Social networking sites, ƒ Cell phone Text,
ƒ You Tube,
ƒ Defamatory Websites and
ƒ Email 73% of teens and young adults are a member of at least one social network. In 2009,
5 trillion text messages were sent worldwide. Texting has surpassed email, phone, and
face to face conversations as the main communication vehicle for 12 – 17 year olds.
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Flaming: online fights with angry language
Harassment: repeatedly sending mean or insulting messages
Denigration: sending gossip, rumors
Outing: sharing secrets or embarrassing information
Trickery: tricking someone to sharing secrets
Impersonation: pretending to be someone else, while posting
damaging material
Exclusion: cruelly excluding someone
Cyber stalking: intense harassment that includes threats and
creates fear
75% of teens have visited a WEB site bashing another student. About 21% of
kids have received mean or threatening emails.
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Sending or forwarding sexually explicit photos, videos or messages from a mobile phone or other digital device.
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Approximately 20% teens aged 12‐18 have engaged in sexting, by either sending or receiving sexually suggestive text messages or email with nude or nearly nude photos or videos of themselves or someone they know.
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Students and staff must be alerted that they could be breaking the law if they create, forward or even save this type of message.
Pew Research Center (2009); Cox Communications (2009);
National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy (2008)
Students who sext may face charges of producing, possessing and/or distributing child
pornography, a serious crime in all states. Federal laws also treat all sexually explicit
images as child pornography. If prosecuted, students could spend their lives on a sex
offender registry.
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It can start easily—with a rumor, a photo, or a forwarded message—and just as easily spiral out of control. ƒ
An embarrassing video posted to a social networking site by someone in Kansas tonight may be watched by someone in Japan tomorrow. ƒ
Cyber bullying victims may be targeted anywhere, at any time.
Source: Hinduja, S., Patchin J. Bullying Beyond the Schoolyard: Preventing and Responding to Cyberbullying. Thousand Oaks: Corwin
Press, 2009.
1 in 10 adolescents or teens have had embarrassing or damaging pictures taken of
themselves without their permission, often using cell phone cameras.
Source: Bullying Statistics.org
Examples of Cyber Bullying
Young people often share too much information which should be kept secret, log in information for example.
Friends – or former friends – can use another person’s information to pretend to be that other person.
Ann was Barb’s friend. Ann knows Barb’s screen name
and password. Ann pretends to be Barb, and sends
hurtful, untrue messages about Carol. Carol is hurt,
but she gets mad and retaliates against Barb. Barb
seeks revenge against Carol by sending a text to a
group of friends with a picture of Carol’s head on a
pig. Ann laughs secretly.
School Safety Center: http://www.k12.wa.us/SafetyCenter/default.aspx
Using a fake identity, John creates a page on a
social networking site.
He calls it the “We Hate Betty” site.
John invites friends to post nasty and hateful
messages about Betty, all using fake identities.
Soon there are lots of mean comments about
Betty.
After a while, Betty is shown the ‘hate’ page.
Betty is devastated by the messages. She stops
attending school so she doesn’t have to see
anyone. Also, she no longer knows who her real
friends are.
School Safety Center: http://www.k12.wa.us/SafetyCenter/default.aspx
15% of all school absenteeism is directly related to fears of being bullied.
Source; Isafe: Leader in e-Safety Education
Anonymous
Bullying from a physically distant location
Infinite audience No escape – internet is available 24‐7
The speed at which it occurs
Difficult to stop/delete
Many adults do not have access to technically supervise
ƒ The prevalence of Sexual Harassment.
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• They have 24/7 access to a variety of personal technologies.
• The technologies provide a sense of anonymity.
• They may see their online personas as if they were outside themselves. (It’s not really me.)
• They see a lot of the activities as fun. (I was joking.)
• They do these things because they get some kind of positive personal or social feedback.
• They do not think ahead.
• Nor do they think about the impacts or consequences.
• They are naïve, still kids.
• They are making up the rules as they go.
• They are often online alone – without any adult guidance or supervision. • James, GoodWork® Project Report Series, Number 54, 2008
The Guide to Positive Student Behavior, pages 8 - 11 details the Columbus City Schools’ Board Policy on Student Computer Acceptable Use Regulation. Students accessing the internet in CCS must sign the Acceptable Use Policy along with their parent/guardian.
Ohio Department of Education Anti-bullying Policy Model
Ohio Revised Code (ORC), Sections 3313.666 and 3313.667
Harassment, Intimidation or Bullying also means electronically transmitted acts i.e., Internet, cell phone, personal digital assistance (PDA) or wireless hand‐held device that a student has exhibited toward another particular student more than once and the behavior both: 3.2.1. Causes mental or physical harm to the other student/school personnel; and 3.2.2. Is sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive that it creates an intimidating, threatening or abusive educational environment for the other student/school personnel. A child may be a victim of cyber bullying if he or she…
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unexpectedly stops using the computer
appears nervous or jumpy when an Instant Message, text message, or Email appears
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appears uneasy about going to school or outside in general
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appears to be angry, depressed, or frustrated •
complains of not feeling well, headaches, upset stomach
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shows a decline in school homework or grades
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discusses revenge
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avoids discussions about what they are doing on the computer
becomes abnormally withdrawn from usual friends and family members
42% of students have been bullied while online. Only 30% of older students tell parents.
Source: Isafe- Leader in e-Safety Education
C Y B E R B U L LY I N G
HOW TO RESPOND?
INVESTIGATE REPORTS OF CYBER BULLYING IMMEDIATELY.
REMEMBER THAT CYBER BULLYING IS BULLYING.
DEAL WITH CYBER BULLYING AS YOU WOULD WITH OTHER
INSTANCES OF BULLYING.
• If cyber bullying occurs on-campus or through the school
district’s internet system, you must take action – follow the
district’s bully prevention procedures and protocol.
• If the cyber bullying occurs off-campus, you are obligated to
take action if it causes mental or physical harm to the other
student/school personnel; and is sufficiently severe, persistent
or pervasive that it creates an intimidating, threatening or
abusive educational environment for the other student/school
personnel.
C Y B E R B U L LY I N G
HOW TO RESPOND?
INVESTIGATE REPORTS OF CYBER BULLYING IMMEDIATELY.
• Closely monitor the behavior of the students involved at school for all forms of bullying. • Follow formal bullying complaint procedures.
• Investigate to see if those who are cyber bullied need support from a school counselor or school‐based health professional. • Notify parents of students involved in cyber bullying. • Talk with all students about the negative effects of cyber bullying.
C Y B E R B U L LY I N G
HOW TO RESPOND?
Notify the police if the aggressive behavior is criminal. The following may constitute a crime:
• Threats of violence • Child pornography and sexting • Taking a photo image of someone in a place where he or she would expect privacy • Harassment, stalking, or hate crimes • Obscene or harassing phone calls or text messages • Sexual exploitation • Extortion
• Take a stand and do not join in. Make it clear that you do not support what is going on. • Do not watch someone being bullied. If you feel safe, tell the person to stop. If you do not feel safe saying something, walk away and get others to do the same. If you walk away and do not join in, you have taken their audience and power away. • Support the person being bullied. Tell them that you are there to help. Offer to either go with them to report the bullying or report it for them. • Talk to an adult you trust. Talking to someone could help you figure out the best ways to deal with the problem. Reach out to a parent, teacher or another adult that you trust to discuss the problem, especially if you feel like the person may be at risk of serious harm to themselves or others. Source: Stopbullying.gov
Take a stand and do not join in. Make it clear that you do not support what is going on.
Do not watch someone being bullied. If you feel safe, tell the person to stop. If you do
not feel safe saying something, walk away and get others to do the same. If you walk
• Tell your child not to respond to rude e‐mails, messages, and comments. • Save the evidence, such as e‐mail and text messages, and take screenshots of comments and images. Also, take note of the date and time when the harassment occurs. • Contact your Internet service provider (ISP) or cell phone provider. Ask the website administrator or ISP to remove any Web page created to hurt your child. • If harassment is via e‐mail, social networking sites, IM, and chat rooms, instruct your child to “block” bullies or delete your child’s Take
a stand and do not join in. Make it clear that you do not support what is going on.
Docurrent account and open a new one. not watch someone being bullied. If you feel safe, tell the person to stop. If you do
not feel safe saying something, walk away and get others to do the same. If you walk
• If harassment is via text and phone messages, change the phone number and instruct your child to only share the new number with trustworthy people. Also, check out phone features that may allow the number to be blocked. • Get your child’s school involved. Learn the school’s policy on cyber bullying and urge administrators to take a stance against all forms of bullying. • Make a report to www.cybertipline.com, and if you feel something illegal has occurred, inform law enforcement.
TAKE ACTION:
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Requires a change in the school climate and in norms for behavior. A comprehensive, school‐wide effort involving the entire school community Encourage individual differences and change the social norms with regard to bullying. It must become “uncool” to bully, “cool” to help out students who are bullied, and normative for staff and students to notice when a child is bullied or left out. This requires the efforts of everyone in the school environment—teachers, administrators, counselors, other non‐teaching staff (such as bus drivers, nurses, school resource officers, custodians, cafeteria workers, and school librarians), parents, and students. 9 Provide time and opportunity for students to learn about the dangers of cyber bullying during the school day.
9 Discuss cyber bullying with students. They may be knowledgeable about cyber bullying and they may have good ideas about how to prevent and address it.
9 Educate school staff and parents about cyber bullying, its dangers, and what to do if someone is cyber bullied.
9 Be sure that your school’s expectations and guidelines address cyber bullying.
9 Closely monitor students’ use of computers at school.
Nearly 9 out of 10 LGBT youth reported being verbally harassed at school in the past year because of their
sexual orientation. Of those who did report the incident, 31.1 percent said the school staff did nothing in
response.
Source: GLSEN, 2007 School Climate Survey
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Our youth live in a digital world.
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They do not always distinguish between real and cyber or digital experiences in the same way as adults . They often see them as the same.
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As a result, what schools see and discipline as a fight or physical conflict may actually be the result of ongoing cyber bullying.
School Safety Center: http://www.k12.wa.us/SafetyCenter/default.aspx
Middle school victims of cyber-bullying score higher on a suicidal ideation scale. Teen
suicide was the 3rd leading cause of death among young adults and adolescents 15 to 24
years of age.
• Help your child understand bullying. Explain what bullying is. It is more than physical; it can be done in person or over the phone or computer. • Keep open lines of communication with your child.
Check in with your child and listen to any concerns about friends and other students. • Encourage your child to pursue their interests. Doing what they love may help your child be more confident among their peers and make friends with other kids with similar interests.
• Teach your child to take a stand against bullying.
Give guidance about how to stand up to those who bully if it is safe to do so.
Over 70 percent of teens said being able to block cyber bullies was the most effective
method of prevention.
• Talk to your child about seeking help from a trusted adult when feeling threatened by a bully. Talk with your child to identify a trusted school staff member your child can go to for help and role‐play what they should say. Assure your child that they should not be afraid to tell an adult when someone they know is being bullied. • Know what is going on in your child's school.
Visit the school and school website, participate in teacher conferences and open house, join the PTA listserv or mailing list, get to know the parent consultant or other parents, school counselors, and staff. Contact the school by phone or e‐mail if you have suggestions to make the school a safer and better learning place.
Source: Stopbullying.gov
Almost 80 percent of teens said that they either did not have parental rules about
Internet use or found ways around the rules.
C Y B E R B U L LY I N G :
Bully Prevention . . .
It’s EVERYBODY’S Business
24/7/365
TAKE ACTION