Cyberbullying

Icebreaker Activity: Choose a partner. Stand facing each other. Have both partners close their eyes. For a minute one partner will say awful things about the other while that partner listens. Pay attention to your feelings. Next, the partners will switch. Then, both partners will open their eyes and one person will say the same exact things they said before to the other person. The partners will then switch. Did it feel any different when you said things with your eyes closed than when you did with your eyes open? How might this be related to how kids feel when they are posting about others online?

Define Cyberbullying: is when someone repeatedly harasses, mistreats, or makes fun of another person online or while using cell phones or other electronic devices. How does cyberbullying differ from face-to-face bullying? “you can’t see me”: the feeling of invisibility and anonymity online encourages some people to behave more cruelly than they would offline “I can’t see you”: Since people can’t actually see the reactions of others online, it’s easy to remain unaware of other’s feelings and how they are affected by cyberbullying. Some may even consider it harmless without any negative consequences. The impact is 24/7: There is no real escape since technology is a huge part of young people’s lives. Harassment can be constant and occur at school as well as at home. The impact is immediate and massive: Cyberbullying messages can be circulated far and wide in an instant. Once something is posted, it cannot be taken back. Harassment can spread rapily and feel never-ending as countless people join in on “the fun.”

Examples of cyberbullying A teenage girl spreads vicious rumors about another girl in her online blog An 8th grade boy takes a picture of a classmate getting undressed in the locker room using his cell phone camera and uploads it to a web site for other students to see. A girl dislikes a classmate so she asks her friends to delete their friendship links on the classmate’s social networking profile. A 12th grade boy posts personal information about girls, including sexual experiences, on a web site for viewing by classmates.

Feelings students experience when they are cyberbullied Humiliation Low self-esteem Anger Depression These feelings can lead to: Poor school performance School avoidance Social withdrawal Antisocial acts Some victims have even taken their own lives

Facts/Statistics: Test your knowledge According to a survey taken in 2010 by the Cyber Bullying Research Center, what is the most popular technology utilized by adolescents? a) Cell phone b) Face Book/ social networking sites c) Emails Answer: A True or False? Adolescent girls are significantly more likely to have experienced cyberbullying in their lifetimes Answer: True - Possibly because girls are more willing to report their experiences than boys are. Perceptions of internet safety: -20% of teens report that it is safe to share personal information on a public blog or networking site. -37% of 13-17 year olds said they are “not very concerned” or “not at all concerned” about someone using information they’ve posted online in ways they do not want.

Cyberbullying Prevention Teach students Do’s and Don’ts of Cyber safety Do: Make some rules with your parents/guardians before you go online, like the time of day and length of time you can be online, and sites you are allowed to visit. Try to limit your cell phone and Internet use to a reasonable amount of time, and make sure you are keeping a healthy balance between online and in-person activities. Know who you are communicating with Change your username and password often. (Make sure to share passwords with parents as they may need this information to help you in case a serious problem occurs). Keep your profile PRIVATE Don’t: Don’t communicate with someone you’ve never met Don’t share your username or password or any other personal or private information online such as full name, school name, home address, phone number and pictures. (Don’t share your password or username with your friends). Don’t agree to meet someone in person who you met online

Cyberbullying Prevention School Counselors can utilize media to get cyber safety points across to students -Video: www.netsmartz.org/reallifestories/yourphotofate -Show a clip from the movie Cyberbully

Cyberbullying Prevention Schools can also: Establish policies- Set clear guidelines for technology use at school. Make youth aware of the consequences for online cruelty by distributing flyers or hanging up posters. Promote online safety- Increase awareness of Internet safety strategies among youth and their families by sending home informational materials and sponsoring community programs that provide practical information about how to respond to cyberbullying. Encourage reporting- Establish safe and confidential reporting mechanisms for cyberbullying incidents and make youth aware of them. Impress upon youth the destructive consequences of keeping silent about bullying and bias. Select a point person- Designate a cyberbullying “expert” at your institution, who is responsible for keeping up with laws, policies, best practices and current trends regarding cyberbullying and Internet safety; and who builds relationships with relevant community members, including local law enforcement officials that deal with cybercrimes.

Cyberbullying Intervention Tips to give students if they experience cyberbullying: Don’t respond to bullying or inappropriate messages, but save them as evidence. Block the e-mail addresses and cell phone numbers of people who are sending you unwanted messages; change your phone numbers, e-mail addresses, screen names and other online information if necessary. Tell a trusted adult. Always report online bullying, hate messages, inappropriate sexual activity and physical threats to an adult family member, school authorities or the police. For serious or continuing problems, file complaints with e-mail services, Internet Service Providers, Web sites, cell phone companies, etc. They can find the offenders, cancel their service and report them to the police if necessary.

Cyberbullying Intervention Warning signs that a students is being cyberbullied: When you notice the child/teen: becomes upset, sad, or angry during or after using the Internet or cell phone withdraws from family or friends expresses reluctance or refuses to participate in activities previously enjoyed has an unexplained decline in grades refuses to go to school or expresses anger toward a specific class or school in general increasingly reports symptoms or illness for which he or she wants to stay at home shows signs of depression or sadness

Consequences for Cyberbullying There are laws and consequences that many students aren’t aware of and need to know about if they decide to cyberbully someone. AB 746: Existing law, the Interagency School Safety Demonstration Act of 1985, defines bullying as one or more acts of sexual harassment, threats, or intimidation, directed against school district personnel or pupils, committed by a pupil or group of pupils. Under existing law, bullying, including bullying committed by means of an electronic act, as defined, is a ground on which suspension or expulsion may be based. This bill would specify that an electronic act for purposes of the act includes a post on a social network Internet Web site. The police can recover all messages- even if students deleted them. If students are using the internet to embarrass, threaten, harass or hurt others, chances are they will be caught. Many internet and cell phone service providers have rules about behavior. If students break them, their account—and every account in their home—could be canceled. If they break the law, they may also be reported to the police.

Cyberbullying Resources Make sure students and parents know the contact numbers for the school counselor, principal, school nurse, and police. See attached information sheets to give to families.

References An Educator’s Guide to Bullying Prevention Reference Guide- Kenneth Shore (2011) Anti-Defamation League (2010) - www.adl.org/combatbullying/ Cyberbullying Resource Center- www.cyberbullying.us