Cyberbullying is harassment transmitted via electronic devices, such as internet and texting. The intensity can range from mild to severe. Any kind of bullying is intended to make the target feel vulnerable, frightened and/or miserable. The cyber component is just a new twist on an old miserable misdeed.
I’ve only had anything approaching cyberbullying happen to me a few times in online classes when students became irate and rude. One student in particular crossed the line from needing to be reprimanded for being excessively rude to being reported for scaring me. But once the class ended, I never heard from him again; and would be thrilled to keep it that way. I was pleased that my supervisor did check back with me to make sure the harassment didn’t continue. While some of my online students may have not liked the feedback they earned, I don’t think I’ve ever actually been a cyberbully myself. ;)
Schools face some real dilemmas about cyberbullying. Any activity making some students feel vulnerable, frightened and/or miserable is going to impact the educational environment. Student welfare is a prime concern for the schools. But that in and of itself doesn’t make it the school’s responsibility to stop the bullying. The issue becomes murkier as the question arises of whether or not the bullying is occurring on campus. If the messages are sent from school computers, over a school’s internet signal or from student cell phones operated on campus, then the school’s situation is clear: the school can and should intervene and hold the perpetrator accountable for violating as many codes of conduct as can be proven. But the course is not so clear if outside of school hours the students are using private resources to send harassing messages. It simply falls outside of the school’s jurisdiction. But even if the legal responsibility is lacking, shouldn’t the school do something? Well, that’s where it gets murky.
First of all, how would a school know if cyberbullying is occurring off campus? Well, we can ask them. That’s the best way to know what is happening. Letting students know that harassment online or via texts is wrong and they don’t have to put up with it is the first step towards preventing or stopping it. Victims need to know that this isn’t just something they have to endure and perpetrators need to know they are doing something reprehensible. I don’t think it is valid to presume young teens are already clear on those points.
As a teacher, I will address cyberbullying in my classroom by being emphatic that any harassment of people is wrong. That if everyone isn’t laughing, then it wasn’t funny… period. And then explicitly state that being harassed is something no one should put up with, and the best defense is to stay calm, confident and talk to people. Keeping it to oneself is playing into the hands of the bullies, so coming to me, or any of the other adults available to help, is the first step towards taking the power back from the cyberbullies. Additionally, we have to be constantly watching for indications that a student may be suffering from harassment that has gone beyond the normal realm of school life. When someone is clearly being beaten down, whether from cyberattacks or any other harassment, then we have to step in and offer whatever help and services are available.
I did find an interesting piece addressing how parents should cope with a child they’ve learned is a cyberbully. This might be a good bit of advice to have on hand, since if we are expecting cyberbully victims in our classes, we’ll probably also have their tormentors passing through our doors as well. If so, we’d hope the opportunity to stop them can be maximized when it arises.
When Your Child Is the Cyberbully, Parker-Pope, June 29, 2010
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