Cyberbullying

Sandra J. Swan

iPodiPhone

laptoplaptop

PC computerPC computer

FaceBook

chatroom

blog

Role-playing games

Role-playing games

Cell phone

Cell phone

MySpaceMySpace

Instant Messaging

SkypeSharingChatting

Laughing

Crying

24/7 Media

Friends

Playing

Communicating

Researching

Downloading

Uploading

Social Networking

Harming

~Ben Franklin

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Media is good in a safe setting with adult supervision.

• School• Library• Home– Watch– Ask– Talk

Cyberbullying

• What is it?• How can I prevent it?• What are the signs of cyberbulling?• What can I do as a minor?• What can I do as a parent?• What is the school’s law?• What is Maine’s law?

Cyberbullying: What is it?

• It’s when a teen (minor) or group of teens (minors) repeatedly torment, threaten, harass, embarrass, or target another child (minor) using technology

• The four types of cyberbullies include:– The Vengeful Angel – The Power-Hungry or Revenge of the Nerds – The “Mean Girls” – The Inadvertent Cyberbully or “Because I Can”

“How could they say/show that?”

“The Vengeful Angel”• Doesn’t see themselves as a bully, just righting wrongs, • Can reflect an offline action to get revenge• generally work alone, but may share with close friends or those felt

to have been bullied

• Don’t take justice into their own hands• Fighting bullying with bullying makes things worse • See themselves as bullies, not as a do-gooder • Find out what made them do this• Solutions require the situation be reviewed; address the underlying problem • Seek counseling• These cyberbullies will try to take justice into their own hands less often if measures are put in place to help them seek justice.

NEED TO KNOW:

The “Power-Hungry” & “Revenge of the Nerds”

• May be female, or physically smaller with technical skill• Want to exert their authority• Intent is to frighten or embarrass their victims• Sometimes the kids want to hurt another kid. • Sometimes they just don’t like the other kid.• No different than the offline bullies, except the method. • Usually need an audience. • Often brag about their actions. • They want a reaction—no matter what• Empowered by hiding behind the Internet and never have to confront their victim. • Target their victims one-on-one and don’t tell friends, only with others they feel

would be sympathetic.• Don’t realize seriousness. • They also often resort to cyberbullying-by-proxy. Because of this and their tech

skills, they can be the most dangerous of all cyberbullies.

“The Inadvertent Cyberbully"

• Don’t think they are cyberbullies at all. • Pretending to be tough online, or role playing• May be reacting to hateful or provocative messages received• Unlike the Revenge of the Nerds cyberbullies, they just respond without

thinking about the consequences of their actions. Send without thinking.• They may feel hurt, or angry because of a communication sent to them, or

something they have seen online. • Respond in anger or frustration• When role-playing online, they target someone without understanding

seriousness• “Because I Can” and for the fun of it • Done to friends, joking around, but their friend may not recognize them

as friend or takes it seriously • Done alone, and surprised when accused

“Mean Girls”

• Bored or looking for entertainment • Ego-based and most immature cyberbully • Typically female

– Bully other females more than males• Usually done or planned in a group• Occurs from school library or slumber party, or family room after

school • Requires an audience • Want to be ID’d and acknowledged they can cyberbully others. • Grows by group admiration, cliques or by those who let it happen • Quickly ends if entertainment is not reached

Photoshop can allow innocent pictures to become potentially

hurtful.

Bullying Defined by Woodland School Board

For the purpose of this policy, "bullying" means any physical act or gesture intentional exclusion or isolation of others, or any verbally, written, or electronically communicated expression that:

A. A reasonable person should expect will have the effect of:

1. Physically harming a student or damaging a student's property; 2. Placing a student in reasonable fear of physical harm or damage

to his/her property; or 3. Substantially disrupting the instructional program or the

orderly operations of the school; or

B. Is so severe, persistent or pervasive that it creates an intimidating, hostile educational environment for the student who is bullied.

Woodland Consolidated School’s View on Bullying—Online or Offline

“This school will not tolerate behavior that infringes on the safety of any student or staff member. Students, school staff, parents, volunteers, and community members shall not intimidate or harass another person through words or actions in the school, on school grounds, in school vehicles, at designated bus stops, or at other school sponsored activities or events.

It also applies to bullying that occurs at any other time or place that substantially disrupts the instructional program, operations of the school, or welfare of students."

"C. Cyber-bullying harassment (examples of such communications may include but are not limited to: e-mail, online chat blogs, texting, cell phones, social networking web sites like Facebook, and/or other electronic media)"

Visit our Policy @

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0Ae9F7j41rJ0sZHdnajVtel81MzZnN3ZxcHNkcw&sort=name&layout=list&pid=0B-9F7j41rJ0sMjU0ZTljZGItNmZjMy00MjBjLTkxMDMtNGExZDM1N2NkY2My&cindex=149

ORhttp://www.schoolunion122.net/woodland.htm

1. Click on the Woodland link2. Click on the School Board Policy link3. Go to the JICK page

When Should I Be Concerned?

• Are the comments using lewd language?• Are the comments vague or threatening

bodily harm?• Is this a one-time communication?• Are comments by more than one person?• Learn more and take a survey at http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/

Signs of Being Bullied

• Closes windows when you enter

• Behavioral changes• Does not want to go to

school events• Stories don’t add up• Homework not done• Won’t say who they’re

talking to

• Won’t leave house• Unexplained pictures on the

computer• Trouble sleeping• Crying for no reason• Stomach and headaches• Lack of appetite

• Find out more at – http://www.cyberbullying.org/

What can be done?

• Stop, Block, & Tell– Don’t reply. Step away from the mouse– Block the sender– Tell an adult

• Tell your internet provider/phone service• Do not agree to a meeting• Tell school so they can watch & check on victim• If it repeats or is threatening, inform police– Do not delete the messages

NOT AGAIN!!

Do I need to inform the police?

Is it only a flame? Not much can be done about it.

The closer it comes to reallife threats, the more likely you have to get involved as law enforcement.

www.stopcyberbullying.org has a thorough checklist

The Law

• They both have to be underage.• Frequency of threats• Source of threats– Does the targeted child know the offender?– Is there more than one offender?

• Threats are tricky ranging from:– You are stupid! to– I am going to kill you!

Maine P.L. 2005, Ch. 307 Statute Title 20‐

A 1001.15H (2005)“requires school administrative units to establish procedures and policies

to address bullying, harassment, and sexual harassment based on the model policies developed by Subcommittee on School and Community Climate of the Children's Cabinet.”

SP035501: Current law requires each school board to adopt a policy that addresses injurious hazing. This bill defines "cyberbullying" as injurious hazing by any verbal, textual or graphic communication of any kind effected, created or transmitted by the use of any electronic device, including but not limited to a computer, telephone, cellular telephone, text messaging device and personal digital assistant. Punishment is up to the School Board.

www.cyberbullying.us/Bullying_and_Cyberbullying_Laws.pdf

Bibliography• Parry, A. (n.d.). StopCyberbullying. Retrieved February 17, 2011, from WiredKids,

Inc website: http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/

• Besley, B. (n.d.). www.cyberbullying.org“AlwaysOn?AlwaysAware!”. Retrieved February 18, 2011, from www.bullying.org website: http://www.cyberbullying.org/

• Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2011, February). State Cyberbullying Laws. In www.cyberbullying.us. Retrieved February 19, 2011, from www.cyberbullying.us/Bullying_and_ Cyberbullying_ Laws.pdf

• Woodland School Board. (2006, October). Bullying. In WoodlandSchoolBoardPolicyHandbook. Retrieved February 20, 2011, from https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0Ae9F7j41rJ0sZHdnajVtel81MzZnN3ZxcHNkcw&sort=name&layout=list&pid=0B-9F7j41rJ0sMjU0ZTljZGItNmZjMy00MjBjLTkxMDMtNGExZDM1N2NkY2My&cindex=149

• Special thanks to Laurie Sheehan and my sixth graders

Call me---at home.