In the Zone This Month: November 2009

Cyberbullying and Schools: Exploring the Problems and Identifying Solutions

Technology is not the enemy. What needs to be addressed is respect for one another.

by Kathy Cameron

Traditional bullying meets cyberspace

Immediately after the shootings at Columbine High School in 1999, there was a marked increase in research on bullying and in laws regarding bullying.[1] Although bullying has been endured by generations of young people, the medium through which bullying occurs today has changed. Cyberbullying is emerging as a global concern. The increased presence of the Internet and cell phones has enabled bullies to target their victims at all hours of day and night, creating a situation where victims cannot escape the bullying. There are many statistics that have varying degrees of reliability, but the bottom line from these studies shows that cyberbullying IS happening, it is almost definitely happening at your local school, and its prevalence is increasing.

Traditionally, bullying has included actions such as note-passing, hitting or tripping someone, creating rumors, name-calling, shunning, taunting, social exclusion, and manipulation of friendships. Cyberbullying may be defined as using any online method to demean, threaten, belittle, or otherwise bully another person. cyberbullying can also be done via cell phone. Comments can be posted on the Internet, in places publicly accessible by virtually anyone, and the bully can remain anonymous. The bully can be someone the victim knows or the bully can be a stranger. In some cases, the bullies have even found to be a sibling of the victim.[2] Bullying has always been a complex issue, but technology has brought the issues into new spaces and into new situations. Technology is advancing at a rapid rate, and it is difficult, or perhaps even impossible, for policymakers, researchers, and educators to keep up with the changes that are occurring.

Used properly and responsibly, technological advances are wonderful, but unfortunately, there are people who use technology to harm others. Today’s young people have grown up with cell phones and the Internet. They are part of their culture. The Internet gives students a lot of power along with anonymity, a worldwide audience, and a difficult-to-ignore medium, because people carry cell phones all the time and can use them access the Internet. Once posted, videos and photos can be downloaded and saved to computers, so even if they are removed from the Internet, they can still exist on computers and can resurface. Videos and photos can be taken in embarrassing situations, such as when showering in a gym or using the toilet or can be modified or taken out of context so as to embarrass or misrepresent a person. Students can post using someone else’s screen name or even an alias, making identification of the bully difficult.

Millions of children are victims

According to Shaheen Shariff, author of Cyber-Bullying: Issues and Solutions for the School, the Classroom, and the Home, one-third of all teens and one-sixth of all preteens have had mean, threatening, or embarrassing things written about them online and over two million kids never tell anyone.[3] Cyberbullying has been devastating for many young people, even to the point where some have taken their own lives. Other students who have been cyberbullied have exhibited signs of depression, anxiety, somatic complaints, and poorer academic performance.[4] Because students spend the majority of their waking hours at school, schools are in a position to have a significant impact on cyberbullying, either risking tacitly condoning it or stepping up to be part of the solution. Students cannot perform to their best ability at school if they are afraid or if they believe that they do not belong or are hated.

Freedom vs. safety

One major issue regarding cyberbullying is the definition of the space in which it occurs as public or private. Online social networking sites are both public and private to an extent. A student can have his or her own space on a site and post comments there. At what point does the students’ free speech become cyber-libel? Do teachers and school administrators have the right to discipline a student for remarks made on a website concerning another student if those remarks were posted outside of the school property and school hours? These are difficult questions to answer in a country that values its right to freedom of expression, yet also wants to create a safe environment in which students can be educated.

Essentially, the debate regarding cyberbullying is rooted in the constitutional principles of equality, freedom of expression, privacy, and safety. Even though the initial bullying comment or posting might have occurred outside of school, the fact that peers can view and spread the content during school cements the fact that this is an issue schools must address. Students must understand how freedom of speech affects the opportunity to express oneself online. They must be engaged in discussions about whether it is okay to say untrue or otherwise hurtful things about people online simply because one can. They must think about whether free speech can go too far to the point where it infringes on the safety and security of others.

Another major implication for cyberbullying is that students do not get a tangible experience of how their actions affect others—they can hide behind aliases and screen names and say things that they would never say face-to-face because they do not have to deal with the real person at the receiving end of their harassing comments. Whereas the bully of previous generations tended to be a big guy who looked menacing, to engage in cyberbullying, one does not need to be menacing or fast, because the perpetrator can hide behind a computer or cell phone.

Parents tend to place their focus on preventing their children from accessing unsuitable material online or from being targeted by pedophiles. Although most parents did not grow up with computers and cell phones, their children might have had access to these technologies since childhood. This gap in experience can affect parents’ ability to fully understand the dangers and uses of the Internet: “Parents, at least initially, tend to view the Internet as a helpful tool to aid their children with homework. Similarly, in parents’ eyes, cellular phones are a means for kids to call home in emergencies. Children and youth, on the other hand, perceive the Internet, cellular phones, and related technologies as critical tools for their social life.”[5}

Some may believe that imposing strict limits on use of technology or blocking certain sites will solve the issue of cyberbullying. Technology is not the enemy. What needs to be addressed is respect for one another. Shariff stated: “We need to consider how we can empower [students], through engaging educational endeavors that develop respect and trust and enable informed and thoughtful decisions when they use technologies.’[6] Shariff suggested that, because bullying has always been in existence, it is not the technology that needs to be addressed, but rather “it is those impulses that we need to address so that teens become more thoughtful about their actions.”[7] Near-constant access to Internet or cell phones means that students can be more reactive when they become upset, rather than pausing to think about how their actions can affect others. They can easily send a hate-filled text message or post a mean comment on the Internet before they have taken the time to cool down from what angered them or to consider the consequences of their actions.

Respect for others must be modeled by adults

Shariff discovered that some students believe that the school environment itself can encourage bullying. “The students have made it clear that, if they were in a school environment where the adults were kinder to them, where they could be kinder to others and where they were happy, there might be less bullying.”[8] Another way schools can encourage bullying is to refuse to believe that a “good” student could be a bully. Bullies can appear to be the sweetest and nicest students, but when they are with their peers or in cyberspace, they can be very cruel. Educators must take all claims of bullying seriously and investigate without calling the victim a liar, tattle-tale, or complainer. Cyberbullying “boils down to issues of mutual trust and respect, which my own research suggests are almost absent in many schools.”[9]

Addressing cyberbullying before it becomes a major problem at school is important to maintaining a healthy and positive atmosphere for learning for the students. Middle school and junior high are notoriously difficult years for students as they struggle to find their social niche. Cyberbullying not only compounds and increases the problems that already exist for students of that age, but the hateful comments that hide behind the screen of anonymity can actually be devastating to some students. School personnel must understand the types of ways students commit acts of cyberbullying and some of the ways they can address the issue at school. Since cyberbullying is relatively new, there are no long-term studies to show ways that are effective in reducing or eliminating its presence. Following are some examples of ways cyberbullying occurs and some suggestions for addressing cyberbullying in the schools.

How do students commit acts of cyberbullying?

Sending e-mails, text messages, or instant messages or making posts on websites that contain threats or insults directly about a person that would almost never be said in person.
Stealing passwords or screen names and assuming the identity of someone else to send out harassing messages.
Creating a profile using someone else’s name and personal information and impersonating them. According to Shariff, 40% of children engaged in online identity play, pretending they are someone else.[10]
Building websites, sometimes password protected, specifically to target specific teachers or students and often including derogatory and untrue information. Websites can also be created to conduct polls, encouraging viewers to vote on issues such as who they think is the fattest kid or ugliest girl in school.
Using the digital camera or video camera on a cell phone to take and distribute inappropriate photos or videos.
Creating an alias, pretending to be romantically interested in a person, then ending the relationship and/or sharing the story with others to humiliate the one who was tricked into thinking it was a real romance.
Changing the password on the victim’s account so they lose access to their e-mail or instant messaging lists.
Logging on to the victim’s social networking site and changing information in the profile to embarrass the victim.
“Outing” a person who may have shared sensitive, personal, and often embarrassing information with someone they considered to be a friend.
Sending a large number of text messages to the victim’s phone, leaving a slew of harassing messages and often a large phone bill.
Using photo-editing software to edit a photo of a person to make a photo where they appear to be nude or to have some other embarrassing quality.
Signing a victim up on a pornographic or otherwise objectionable website so they will receive unwanted offensive and harassing e-mails.
“Happy-slapping” someone: one or more people beat up another person and someone captures it with their camera phone. The video is posted on the Internet.
Threatening to hurt or kill the victim.
Encouraging someone to take their own life through suicide.

What can schools do to reduce or eliminate the presence of cyberbullying among their students?

Have students complete anonymous questionnaires about cyberbullying to assess its impact at their school.
Be sure educators and parents are aware that cyberbullying exists and help them understand its seriousness.
Teachers must model the behaviors they expect to see in their students. They must treat each other and the students with respect, even when in disagreement.
School districts should mandate that educators receive professional development education regarding cyberbullying in schools and how laws may apply.
Make cyberbullying an academic endeavor. Have students research the etymology of bullying, the history of bullying, and school censorship controversies involving freedom of expression and supervision. Ask them to come to decisions about where the lines crossed over to become cyber-libel and criminal expression.
Lead students in discussion and dialogue about how to avoid predators, how to avoid crossing the line with peers in joking that becomes cyberbullying, and how to speak up against cyberbullying and other discriminatory forms of expression.
Teachers can create writing assignments where students assume various roles in a cyberbullying situation and discuss their reactions to the behaviors.
Instruct students in positive things they can do to support a classmate who is being cyber-bullied. This support could include sending positive messages to the student, refusing to participate in the cyberbullying, and inviting the student being bullied to spend time with them.
Enlist students to present anti-cyberbullying presentations to their peers.
Refrain from zero-tolerance approaches. They can convey a lack of caring, a sense of intolerance, and a lack of responsibility and can lead to inconsistency when faced with very smart and talented kids who might engage in cyberbullying. Find an approach that can work across the board.
Provide assistance and support for children who bully and children who are bullied.
Do not require an intervention between the child who bullied and his/her victim. The power issue still may remain and the experience could be very painful for the victim.
Involve parents in discussions about cyberbullying. Parents and school administration can work together to help children understand how far they have crossed the line toward becoming criminally and legally liable for their words and actions. Parents also should be informed regarding their potential liability for their children’s online behavior.
Encourage parents to talk with their children about each new piece of technology that enters their home, including maintenance, safety, and forbidden uses. These discussions should not only happen one time, but should be revisited periodically so children are reminded of the importance of safe use.
Encourage parents to share in their children’s Internet use. They should ask questions about what they are doing online, keep an eye on the screen, help them find resources, stay in the same room—even on another computer, and go online together. This suggestion is not to imply an invasion of privacy, but rather an awareness of the types of things their children are doing and the emotions they may be displaying while using the Internet. For example, if a child becomes upset or secretive during or after Internet use, the parent should engage the child in discussion, rather than simply ignoring the mood change or chalking it up to “those teenage years.” Avoid having computers in children’s bedrooms where they are difficult to monitor.
Encourage parents to stay calm and avoid reactive responses, such as banning the medium through which the bullying occurred, if one of their children confides in them regarding a cyberbullying incident. Even though it is difficult, staying calm can help children feel comfortable bringing other difficult issues to the parent in the future, rather than keeping future things a secret out of fear of the reaction. Parents should thank the child for telling them and to assure them that they did the right thing in confiding in them.
Encourage students to guard their personal information, including passwords. Make sure they understand that friends should absolutely never be privy to knowledge of each other’s passwords. Parents, however, should require their children to either tell them their passwords or at least have an agreed-upon location where they are all written down. If any unfortunate situation should occur, parents can use the passwords to obtain information about their child’s communication. The recommendation that parents have their children’s passwords is not to encourage an invasion of privacy, but rather to have access to information that could be valuable should a disaster occur.
Involve students in developing the codes of conduct and policies for the school, especially regarding bullying.
Schools must set clear policies regarding the use of cellular phones during school and then must stick by those policies. If students are texting during school and those text messages are used to cyber-bully, the school must be prepared to issue consequences.
Raise awareness of the issues associated with cyberbullying and how they affect the environment of the school and the students and faculty within the school.
Instruct students to never reply to harassing messages. They should leave the area (chat room, game, instant message, etc.) immediately. Messages, however, should be saved as evidence in case the situation escalates. Teach children to print out any threatening e-mails or instant messages that they receive and to refrain from deleting the messages. The messages should be shared with their parents. If the sender is not known, the Internet Service Provider can be contacted for assistance in tracing the perpetrator’s identity, but they should be notified as soon as possible. If children receive an offensive or frightening image or picture, instruct them to turn off the monitor, but not the computer, and tell a parent.
Encourage students and their parents should be encouraged to “oogle” their name regularly to monitor their web presence.
Provide resources for parents on the steps to take to have social networking sites removed if have been set up for cyberbullying. This information can usually be located in the FAQ page of each social networking site.
Contact the police when cyberbullying includes physical threats.
Instruct students that Internet abuse can result in prosecution.

Select Digital Resources

The International Cyberbullying Project website includes various resources on cyberbullying, including laws and resources, news articles, and videos that show ways cyberbullying occurs and affects students. The content is very good, but the site does not appear to have been updated in about a year. Weblink >
Let’s Fight It Together. This site by Childhood International includes a good video with handouts and a lesson plan on cyberbullying. Weblink >
Ryan’s Story. This site was created in memory of a teenage boy who took his life because of the cyberbullying he experienced. The site includes valuable tips for parents, including a reproducible handout, information on laws, and personal testimony as to the effects of cyberbullying. Weblink >
Help Delete Online Predators. This website is part of a partnership between the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Ad Council. Although it is mostly geared toward dealing with Internet predators, there is a section about “online lingo” that is relevant to the issue of cyberbullying. Weblink >
Cyberbullying.org. This is a Canadian website with resources, examples, and cyberbullying news articles from around the world. Weblink >

What are some solutions you have found to work in your school? Post your comment on the Principal’s Office blog to help all schools work toward a solution.

Kathy Cameron, former graduate assistant for The Ohio State University P-12 Project, is a candidate for the DMA in flute performance from Ohio State. She is currently on the music faculty at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.

References

Kowalski, Robin M., Limber, Susan P., & Agatston, Patricia W. (2008). Cyber Bullying. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, p. 153. (See review in Professional Readings.)

Kowalski, Limber, & Agatston, p. 75.

Shariff, Shaheen. (2008). Cyber-Bullying: Issues and solutions for the school, the classroom, and the home. New York: Routledge, 71. (See review in Professional Readings.)

Kowalski, Limber, & Agatston, p. 126.

Kowalski, Limber, & Agatston, p. 2.

Shariff, p. 6.

Shariff, p. 77.

Shariff, p. 83.

Shariff, p. 208.

Shariff, p. 69.

The Ohio State University

www.osu.edu

Monthly Checklist

Blog Box

Search this site