Cyber Stage of Bullying
An important component of Riddle’s nine elements of digital citizenship (2015), is digital ethics. Have empathy for the other person on the screen, can help people keep their actions ethical and moral. As the internet and digital communication are many times anonymous, there can be the disconnect between the communicators.
This is a major reason for the rise and outbreak of cyberbullying. In his poem “To This Day”, poet Shane Koyczan (2013), relives the pain, struggles, and perceptions of his outside world as he was bullied in school. Where words do hurt, and the pain lasts. His poem is bullying in general, but the same can be said about cyberbullying.
Shane Koyczan- To This Day … for the bullied and beautiful
The main difference is that cyberbullying last much longer and can be done unintentionally. As one of the main components, that many states, agencies, and experts agree on, is that bullying is persistent. With cyberbullying, one post is persistent with the always-on component of media online. To prevent cyberbullying and encourage kindness, I found these steps to be beneficial:
- Address bullying as something and not just play it off - According to stopbullying.gov (2012), having students aware of what bullying is, and assessing the current amount of bullying is the first step to preventing.
- Change the education system that groups kids based on ability, not age - Groups that are high risk are gifted students and struggling students. Many times I have promoted the idea of basing student groups on their skill level and not on age. Just because a student is 14, must they be in 9th grade, or could they be in a class that supports them at their level?
- Create a culture of openness and community - Having a culture where acceptance is the norm and not the path is key to removing bullying and increasing kindness. By having small groups that are support groups throughout a student’s education, a student will have a connection to the school and a support group when needed.
- Teach digital citizenship - Have digital citizenship as a required course in both middle and high school. Using this time to teach each of the 9 essential elements of digital citizenship (Riddle, M., 2015). More information about the proper conduct online is better than just blocking the use online.
References
Koyczan, S. (2013, February). To This Day ... for the bullied and beautiful. Retrieved September 29, 2017, from https://www.ted.com/talks/shane_koyczan_to_this_day_for_the_bullied_and_beautiful.
Ribble, M. (2015). Digital citizenship in schools: nine elements all students should know. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.
Aspa. (2012, February 29). How to talk about bullying. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from https://www.stopbullying.gov/prevention/talking-about-it/index.html.
Resources to prevent and learn about cyberbullying
As listed above there are ways to prevent cyberbullying. The following are few resources to learn about and prevent cyberbullying in schools.
The Cyberbullying Virus
If watching this video on YouTube, be sure to notice the comments under the video. They are exactly what the video is talking about.
Digital Drama: Guidelines for teachers
Common Sense Media: 5 Ways to Stop Cyberbullying
Jason Project - Foundation to prevent teenage suicide
Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide: Act on the FACTS - free training modules for educators to recognize and prevent teen suicide.
http://www.sptsusa.org/act-on-facts-revised-online-free-teacher-training-released/
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: CyberTip Line - if the cyberbullying is from someone that a student does not know, or becomes or appears to be leading in the direction of sexual exploitation, this information for that.
http://www.missingkids.org/home
