Cyber+Bullying

Cyber bullying is the “//willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices//.” (Hinduja & Patchin, Cyberbullying: Identification, Prevention, and Response, 2010) Cyber bullying includes harassing, threatening, and humiliating peers through messages, websites, pictures, or videos. Cyber bullying is different than traditional methods of bullying because the victim often doesn’t know who the bully is, the victim can be bullied from a remote location, and the hurtful action can go viral on the internet for all to see. (Hinduja & Patchin, Cyberbullying: Identification, Prevention, and Response, 2010) Below is an interesting video that shares some scary statistics on cyber bullying in teenagers. One very scary statistic is that victims of cyber bullying are more likely to suffer from depression and attempt suicide. (MySecureCyberspace, 2010) media type="youtube" key="0oGFh0mwrjM" height="218" width="393" align="center"

Schools need to be aware of cyber bullying within their student population and discipline students when appropriate. There have been many legal cases in which schools have successfully disciplined students for cyber bullying off-campus. Schools should also have a clear cyber bullying/ online citizenship policy stated in the contract before passing out iPads to students. Depending on the state, schools can be found liable if cyber bullying took place on a school provided device or on the school internet. Below is a current (July 2012) summary of cyber bullying laws by state. (Hinduja & Patchin, State Cyberbullying Laws, 2012)   Although schools will never be able to prevent cyber bullying, schools can take a proactive approach through educating students, parents, and teachers. Parents are often unaware of cyber bullying because they do not have the computer skills necessary to monitor online interactions. Cyber bullying should be covered in the parent-education night as discussed previously. Teachers should be given professional development on cyber bullying in how to teach students about it, identify changes in student behavior possibly caused by cyber bullying, and the steps to take after identifying cyber bullying. Finally, teachers can teach students about cyber bullying, the state laws, and how to report it. There are many pre-made resources online for teachers that can be used in the classroom. Below are a few resources for teachers to use.

Resources for Teachers:
 * Digizen.org
 * CyberBullyingResearchCenter.us
 * MediaSmarts.ca
 * DCSF document on cyber bullying for teachers

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