What is cyberbullying? The Cyberbullying Research Center defines it as, “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices” (Cyberbullying Research Center). I think what stands out to me the most regarding Cyberbullying are the statistics related to teens. “Nearly half of U.S. teens have been bullied or harassed online, with physical appearance being seen as a relatively common reason why. Older teen girls are especially likely to report being targeted by online abuse overall and because of their appearance” (PEW Research Center). “While bullying existed long before the internet, the rise of smartphones and social media has brought a new and more public arena into play for this aggressive behavior” (PEW Research Center). In their report, the PEW Research Center “measures cyberbullying of teens using six distinct behaviors:
- Offensive name-calling
- Spreading of false rumors about them
- Receiving
explicit images they didn’t ask for
- Physical threats
- Constantly
being asked where they are, what they’re doing, or who they’re with by someone
other than a parent
- Having
explicit images of them shared without their consent”
So how do we address
this with our students? I think by making
them aware of what Cyberbullying is and having open and honest discussions
related to this most pressing topic will go far. Sharing the YouTube video, “Is it
Cyberbullying?” by Stopbullying.gov would be a great start to open up the lines
of communication.
Of course making sure
students understand that they can share concerns or issues they may be
experiencing with a trusted adult who can advocate for them is crucial as
well. In our school district, we introduce
our primary-aged students more to the side of digital safety twice a year by
showing and discussing the issue. Over
time, as students grow older, I hope the discussion is shaped more around cyberbullying
issue as well as how to be a good digital citizen. Be Internet Awesome is also a great source that
was shared with me recently that is “empowering kids to be safe, confident
explorers of the online world” (Be Internet Awesome).
REFERENCES
Be Internet
Awesome. (n.d.). Google.
https://beinternetawesome.withgoogle.com/en_us/
StopBullying Gov. (2021, August 24). Is it cyberbullying? [Video].
YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtfMzmkYp9E&t=1s
Vogels, E.A. (2022, December 15). Teens and Cyberbullying
2022. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/
internet/2022/12/15/teens-and-cyberbullying-2022/
What is cyberbullying?
(n.d.). Cyberbullying Research
Center.
https://cyberbullying.org/what-is-cyberbullying
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