Unit 2: Creating a Bully Free Environment Within Your School
Unit 2: The Role of Others
What are some of the emotions experienced by victims of cyberbullying? What are some commonalities they have and warning signs they show (if any)?
Unit 2 Objectives:
1. Students will be able to relate to the experiences endured by victims of cyberbullying.
2. Students will be able to recognize the chain reaction of events caused by cyberbullying.
3. Students will be able to analyze the experiences of various individuals in real life cyberbullying cases and hypothetical scenarios.
What Needs to be Completed by the End of Unit 2:
1. Read the introductory text and watch the PBS video about victims and their families.
2. Read the NY Times Article about parents struggling with the issue. Click here
3. Research two newspaper articles about two additional victims of cyberbullying and complete the corresponding questions.
4. Work within groups to read various scenarios related to cyberbullying and and answer a set of questions pertaining to each scenario.
Victims of Cyberbullying
Risk Factors
Cyberbullying is everywhere, and it really hurts. It makes you want to crawl in a hole and just stay there. It makes you feel like you are the only one and no one is out there to help you; no one can help you. - Shelby Anderson, Student, Springbank Middle School
To those people who say that it is nothing, that it is not a big deal and that it is teenagers being dramatic, that is completely wrong. It affects our lives enormously. The outcome of this harassment can lead to poor performance at school, low self-esteem and serious emotional consequences, including depression and suicide, so it is much more than just teenagers being dramatic. - Mariel Calvo, Student, Springback Middle School
Every day all across the nation, people are being cyberbullied in the comfort of their own homes. Often students who are being bullied at school go home with hopes of escaping, only to find that when they get on the Internet, the bullying continues. Like traditional bullying, much of cyberbullying is grounded in discrimination, ignorance and a lack of respect for the rights of others. People who belong to minority groups or who are perceived as different are especially vulnerable, such as those who have a disability, are overweight, are members of ethnic minority groups, or, in particular, those who identify as – or are perceived to be – lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered. It is important to remember that cyberbullying is not limited to just those who are perceived as different. Because of the anonymity associated with it, cyberbullies also tend to victimize those that they have had previous confrontations with or peers that they simply dislike.
Generally, children who are bullied have one or more of the following risk factors:
- Are perceived as different from their peers, such as being overweight or underweight, wearing different clothing, being new to a school, or being unable to afford what kids consider “cool”
- Are perceived as weak or unable to defend themselves
- Are depressed, anxious, or have low self esteem
- Are less popular than others and have few friends
- Do not get along well with others, seen as annoying or provoking, or antagonize others for attention
Warning Signs
There are many warning signs that may indicate that someone is affected by bullying—either being bullied or bullying others. Recognizing the warning signs is an important first step in taking action against bullying. Not all children who are bullied or are bullying others ask for help.
Effects
There isn’t much difference between cyberbullying and the effects of traditional bullying. Both cause significant emotional and psychological distress. In fact, just like any other victim of bullying, cyberbullied kids experience anxiety, fear, depression and low self-esteem. It is important to remember that cyberbullying has a CHAIN REACTION. Not only does the victim feel distress but the families of those bullied do as well!
But targets of cyberbullying also suffer from some unique consequences and negative feelings. Here are some of the common feelings cyberbullied teens and tweens often experience:
Feel overwhelmed.
Being targeted by cyberbullies can feel crushing especially if a lot of kids are participating in the bullying. Sometimes the stress of dealing with cyberbullying can cause kids to feel like the situation is more than they can handle.
Feel vulnerable and powerless.
Victims of cyberbullying often find it difficult to feel safe. Typically, this is because the bullying can invade their home through a computer or cell phone at any time of day. No longer do they have a place where they can escape. To a victim, it feels like the bullying is everywhere. Additionally, because the bullies can remain anonymous, this can escalate feelings of fear. Kids who are targeted have no idea who is inflicting the pain.
Feel exposed and humiliated.
Because cyberbullying occurs in cyberspace, the bullying often feels permanent. Kids know that once something is out there, it will always be out there. Additionally, when cyberbullying occurs the nasty messages or texts can be shared with multitudes of people. The sheer volume of people that know about the bullying can lead to intense feelings of humiliation.
Feel dissatisfied with who they are.
Cyberbullying often attacks victims where they are most vulnerable. As a result, targets of cyberbullying often begin to doubt their worth and value and no longer feel worthy. They may respond to these feelings by harming themselves in some way. For instance, if a girl is called fat, she may begin a crash diet with the belief that if she alters how she looks then the bullying will stop.
Feel angry and vengeful.
Sometimes victims of cyberbullying will get angry about what is happening to them. As a result, they will try to take revenge on the bully or bullies and engage in retaliation.
Feel disinterested in life.
When cyberbullying is ongoing, the victims often begin to relate to the world around them differently than others. For many, life can feel hopeless and meaningless. They begin to lose interest in things they once enjoyed and spend less and less time interacting with family and friends. And in some cases depression can set in.
Feel alone and isolated.
Cyberbullying often leads to teens being excluded and ostracized at school, which is particularly painful for teens because friends are crucial at this age. When kids don’t have friends, this can lead to more bullying.
Additionally, when cyberbullying occurs, most people recommend shutting off the computer or turning off the cell phone. But, for teens this often means cutting off communication with their world. Their phones and their computers are one of the most important ways they communicate with others. If that option for communication is removed they can feel secluded and cut off from their world.
Feel disinterested in school.
Cyberbullying victims often have much higher rates of absenteeism at school than non-bullied kids. They often skip school to avoid facing the kids bullying them or because they are embarrassed and humiliated by the messages that were shared. Their grades suffer too because they find it difficult to concentrate or study because of the anxiety and stress that the bullying causes. And in some cases, kids will either drop out of school or lose interest in continuing their education after high school.
Feel anxious and depressed.
Victims of cyberbullying often succumb to anxiety, depression and other stress-related conditions. This occurs primarily because cyberbullying erodes their self-confidence and self-esteem.
Illness
When kids are cyberbullied they often experience headaches, stomachaches or other physical ailments. The stress of bullying can also cause stress-related conditions like stomach ulcers and skin conditions. Also, kids who are cyberbullied may experience changes in eating habits like skipping meals or binge eating. And their sleep patterns may be impacted. They may suffer from insomnia, sleep more than usual or experience nightmares.
Feel suicidal.
Cyberbullying increases the risk of suicide. Kids that are constantly tormented by peers through text messages, instant messaging, social media and other outlets, often begin to feel hopeless. They may even begin to feel like the only way to escape the pain is through suicide. As a result, they may begin to fantasize about ending their life in order to escape their tormentors.
PBS Frontline: Digital Nation Video
Now please watch the following video clip from Frontline: Digital Nation about one boy's tragedy. PBS Frontline: Digital Nation
Newspaper Article Assignment
First read the NY Times Article about parents struggling to deal with cyberbullying. You can access the article here: NY Times Article
After reading the article, please search for two additional articles about victims of cyberbullying.Once you have read two articles, please answer the following questions in a Microsoft Word document. Save your Microsoft Word document and attach it next to your name here for others to view. Please answer the following questions about EACH article.
Article 1 Title:
Article Title:
Source (Online or print)ie: NY Times Online:
Website URL:
1) How was this victim bullied? Tell the story behind the bullying.
2) What warning signs (if any) did the victim show?
3) What were some of the effects of the harassment on the victim?
4) Did the victim report the bullying to anyone? If so, what did they do? If they didn’t report it, why didn’t they?
5) What ended up happening to the victim and the bully?
6) Please list anything else you feel to be important or pertinent to share about this individuals story.
Article 2 Title:
Article Title:
Source (Online or print) ie: NY Times Online:
Website URL:
1) How was this victim bullied? Tell the story behind the bullying.
2) What warning signs (if any) did the victim show?
3) What were some of the effects of the harassment on the victim?
4) Did the victim report the bullying to anyone? If so, what did they do? If they didn’t report it, why didn’t they?
5) What ended up happening to the victim and the bully?
6) Please list anything else you feel to be important or pertinent to share about this individuals story.
- Once you have answered these questions, keep in mind what lessons can be learned from these stories! This will be useful to you later on in the mini course!!***
Scenarios
Within groups you will be assigned one or more of the following cyberbullying scenarios. Please read through your assigned scenario and then answer the following questions:
1) Who are the key players in this bullying scenario? What might have motivated this bully/these bullies to do what they did?
2) What role does technology play in this bullying scenario?
3) What other participants helped to facilitate this bullying? How?
4) What would you do if you heard this was happening to someone at your school?
5) How do you think this bullying may have affected the life of the student being bullied?
6) Do you think that the school could do anything to punish the bullies in this case? Why or why not?
Scenario #1:
In response to a dare, Cynthia secretly uses her phone to record video of Angela changing in the girls’ locker room after gym class.She posts the video to YouTube, adds a nasty comment about Angela, and sends the link to all of her friends, encouraging them to post similar anonymous comments.
Scenario #2:
Anthony’s girlfriend Melanie breaks up with him and begins dating his friend, John. Anthony begins sending daily text messages to both John and Melanie, calling Melanie nasty names and John a “traitor.” He also updates his own Facebook status everyday to reflect these same comments.
Scenario #3:
Brianna and her friend Jasmine are gossiping about another friend, Alicia, while instant messaging one night. Jasmine is angry with Alicia because of an argument they had earlier in the day, and airs her anger to Brianna, ranting about Alicia and calling her a variety of names. The next morning, Brianna has spread printouts of the instant message conversation all over the school and everyone including Alicia is reading the comments that Jasmine made in her private online conversation with Brianna.
Scenario #4:
William goes to the principal to turn in another boy, Allan, who has been dealing drugs in the school’s parking lot. Allan finds out that William has turned him in and sends him an email from his computer at home that night, threatening to physically harm him if he doesn’t go back to the principal and tell him that it was just a joke.
Scenario #5:
Christopher and Brian are a couple who decides to come out by attending the junior prom together. Over the weekend, a group of students create a “hate page” on Facebook with pictures of the two boys dancing at prom and a series of anti gay comments. By Monday morning, about 50 students have become “fans” of the page and have posted derogatory comments about the Christopher and Brian.
Scenario #6:
Ashley and Zach have been friends for a long time, but when Ashley tries to pursue a romantic relationship with Zach, he turns her down. As revenge, Ashley creates an online persona named “Christy” who frequents the forums and chatrooms that Zach enjoys. “Christy” makes a connection with Zach by claiming to share his interest in fantasy and science fiction literature and when it’s clear that Zach develops a crush on “Christy,” she then proceeds to insult Zach and make fun of him, using the personal information that Ashley knows about him to taunt him and make him feel bad about himself.
- AGAIN BE THINKING ABOUT COMMONALITIES YOU SEE THROUGHOUT, LESSONS YOU CAN TAKE AWAY, THIS WILL GUIDE YOUR LEARNING FOR THE REST OF THE COURSE!!** :) :) :)
Links
Course Home: Creating a Bully Free Environment Within Your School
Unit 1: Introduction to Cyberbullying
Unit 4: Creating a Bully Free Environment Within Your School
References and Resources
National Crime Prevention Council