Unit 1: Creating a Bully Free Environment Within Your School
Unit 1: Introduction to Cyberbullying
Unit 1 Objectives:
1. Students will be able to define cyberbullying and identify the dangers of it (verbal)
2. Students will be able to create a Wordle document that cites examples of how cyberbullying can take place at the elementary, middle and high school level. (verbal)
3. Students will be able to compare and contrast cyberbullying to traditional forms of bullying (intellectual)
What Needs to Be Completed by the End of Unit 1:
1. Complete the Pre-assessment located down below.
2. Read the Introduction to cyberbullying text and watch the accompanying video.
3. Brainstorm as many examples of cyberbullying that you can think of in a Wordle document.
4. Link your Wordle for the rest of the class to view.
5. Discuss and answer with your classmates the following questions: After reading the text, watching the video, and completing this unit’s activities: What answers from your pre-test would you change? What were you most misinformed about? What were you most surprised to learn about cyberbullying? What was the most eye-opening aspect of the unit for you?
Pre-Assessment: How Much do You Know About Cyberbullyng?
Directions: Before you begin this course, it is important to have a clear understanding as to how much you already know about cyberbullying. Please answer the following questions before reading any further. You may chose to answer them on a separate sheet of paper or a Microsoft Word Document. This is solely for your use only and will not be graded by anyone else. After completing the unit, we will revisit your original answers and make any necessary changes.
1. Which of the following constitutes cyberbullying?
a. Bullying that happens on Facebook or another social networking site
b. Bullying that happens through text messages
c. Bullying using unauthorized video footage
d. All of the above.
2. In most schools, cyberbullying is more common than other types of bullying.
a. True
b. False
3. Cyberbullying can happen anonymously.
a. True
b. False
4. Which of the following might an individual who is cyberbullied experience?
a. Depression and anxiety
b. Suicide
c. Dropping out of school
d. All of the above
5. How many states have laws that specifically address cyberbullying?
a. none
b. 32
c. 50
d. 6
6. There is a federal anti-bullying law.
a. True
b. False
7. When can a school administration intervene and impose disciplinary action for cyberbullying?
a. Anytime that it occurs, no matter when or where
b. When students are discussing it in school
c. When a student feels unsafe coming to school
d. B and C only
What is cyberbullying? What Makes it Different from other forms of Bullying?
Bullying has long been a fixture and area of concern in our nation’s schools. Within the last decade, the prevalence of new digital technologies has greatly increased and thus created a breeding ground for a new form of harassment known as cyberbullying to occur. The Oxford Dictionary defines cyberbullying as “the use of electronic communication to harass or bully another person, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature.” (Oxford University Press, 2013). This could occur through a variety of mediums including the Internet, text messages, social media websites, or e-mail.
The issue has become widely publicized by the mass media within the last few years due to a string of teenage suicides induced by cyberbullying. Perhaps most notably, was the story of 18-year-old Rutger’s University freshman, Tyler Clementi who jumped to his death in September 2010 after discovering that his roommate had secretly filmed a sexual encounter of him and broadcast it live across the Internet. Clementi is just one of a growing number of teens who made the decision to end their lives in order to escape the incessantness of cyberbullying.
It is clear that something needs to be done to address the issue and prevent further tragedies from occurring. However, the role and responsibility that schools have in the prevention of cyberbullying is not as clearly defined as that of traditional bullying mainly because most occurrences take place off school grounds and during non-school hours. Furthermore, it is difficult to monitor as the perpetrator can remain anonymous and the victim is often afraid to report anything. Even with legislation in place such as New York State’s Dignity for All Students Act that legally requires school districts to take action against bullying and cyberbullying, the problem remains complex.
What makes cyberbullying different from other forms of bullying?
In order to begin studying cyberbullying, it is important to have a clear understanding as to what cyberbullying is and what separates it from traditional forms of bullying. Dr. Daniel Olweus, a Norwegian psychology professor has been one of the leading pioneers in bullying research since the 1970s. In his book Bullying at School: What We know and What we Can Do he writes, "A person is bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself."
He goes on to outline several forms that bullying can take:
1.verbal (derogatory comments, name calling),
2. physical (hitting, kicking),
3. social exclusion or isolation,
4. spreading of false rumors or lies,
5. stealing money or other possessions,
6. threatening,
7. racial bullying,
8. sexual bullying (on the basis of sexual orientation)
9. cyberbullying.
Although cyberbullying can encompass several kinds of the aforementioned forms of bullying, Olweus defines it at as a separate entity entirely because of the unique characteristics associated with it. Cyberbullying is different from traditional offline bullying in five ways:
1) Anonymity:
The bully can remain anonymous, which is typically not the case with traditional bullying. Most victims of traditional bullying can clearly identify who the perpetrator is.
2) Accessibility:
The bullying can occur at any time whether it be during school hours or not. The victim could not be able to accept the relentlessness of it at any time.
3) Punitive fears:
Cyberbullying victims often do not report the incidences out of fear of retribution from their tormentors, and fear that their computer or phone privileges will be taken away.
4) Bystanders:
Most traditional bullying episodes occur in the presence of other people who assume the role of bystanders or witnesses. Witnesses in the cyberworld may receive and forward emails, view web pages, forward images sent to cell phones, etc. The audience for cyberbullying could reach into the millions.
5) Disinhibition:
Since technology users can remain anonymous, adolescents often feel inclined to engage in behaviors that they would not in face-to-face settings.
Now please view the following video:
Wordle Brainstorm Activity
Now after having been introduced to cyberbullying, go to Wordle.net to list all the examples you can think of of how cyberbullying can occur. Wordle is a Web 2.0 tool that allows you to type in text to create a "word cloud." Be as specific as possible. For example write, "A bully could make up a fake Facebook page making fun of someone" instead of "through the computer". Try and write as many examples as you can think of. There are plenty! The idea here is for you to see just how many different forms it can take. Feel free to play around with your Wordle and change the font, color, style etc til you see fit. When you have finished please, please save it to the Wordle gallery and link to it here next to your name for others to see.
Discussion: Wrap Up
Discuss and answer with your classmates the following questions: After reading the text, watching the video, and completing this unit's activities: What answers from your pre-test would you change? What were you most misinformed about? What were you most surprised to learn about cyberbullying? What was the most eye-opening aspect of the unit for you? Please post an original post by clicking on the discussion tab at the top of the page. Then respond to at least TWO classmates.
Links
Course Home: Creating a Bully Free Environment Within Your School
Unit 2: Putting Yourself in the Victim's Shoes
Unit 4: Creating a Bully Free Environment Within Your School
References and Resources
National Crime Prevention Council