Sticks and stones may break my bones but ‘texts’ will never hurt me!

Tackling cyber-bullying in Australian Schools

Introduction…

Young people spend an average one

hour and 17 minutes per day online

64% of this time was spent on Social

networking

and other related online

communication activities.

Australian governments Internet use

and social networking report 2008

Cyberbullying is:

The use of the internet or other digital communication devices to insult or threaten someone

Conducted Via:•email

• mobile phones (text, pics & calls)

•instant messaging (such as MSN)

•chatrooms and message boards

•video hosting sites (like you tube)

•social networking sites (like facebook)

•Webcams

•virtual learning environments

Behaviours include:

• Anonymity/pseudonyms

• Masquerading

• Flaming

• Harassment

• Outing

• Exclusion

Prevalence

of

cyberbybull

ying

Traditional v’s cyber bullying

Similarities

• unwanted

• Hurtful

• imbalance of power (real or perceived)

• intent to insult or threaten someone.

• carried out by individuals or peer groups

Differences

• Allows anonymity

• 24/7/365

• Large audience potential

• Permanency

Consequences for the victim

• Depression

• Anxiety

• greater interpersonal difficulties

• higher absenteeism

• lower academic performance

• negative impacts on self confidence, self

esteem, friendships & family relationships

• higher levels of anger, fear, frustration,

embarrassment, suicidal thoughts and self

harming

Consequences for the perpetrator

• higher levels of antisocial, violent and/or criminal behaviour in adulthood

• Suspension/expulsion

• Possibility of legal ramifications if charged for assault, threats, extortion, stalking, harassment and indecent conduct or misuse of telecommunications

• All of the above affecting productivity as a positively functioning member of society in the future

consequences for the school• Schools have a duty of care: physical and

psychological

• offence for a person (staff or student) to be assaulted, stalked, harassed or intimidated when attending, entering or leaving school premises.

• Can schools be charged for breach of duty of care for cyberbullying?

What happens if the bullying occurs outside of school but is planned at school?

What if it is carried out using school issued computers or over school virtual learning environments?

What if it Involves groups of students from different schools? What if the perpetrator or victim is a not student? What if parents are alerted to the bullying first but take no

action?

The law is yet to catch up

Mobiles and Social Networking @ school.

Yes or No?

Old school New school

Whole school policy in consultation with staff, parents and students

whole school environment needs to be fostered where students feel comfortable reporting and talking about incidences of bullying and cyber bullying

make explicit acceptable and unacceptable types of online behaviour, expectations of students and consequences of cyberbullying

Recommendations: taking action through policy

Recommendations: taking action via classroom and school

programs

EnglishMathematics PDHPE

MusicScience

CAPADesign &

TechHISE

STUDENTS STAFF PARENTS

KEY DER-NSW DOMAINS AND THEMES OF DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP

Recommendation: taking action as individuals

1. Do you know of any specific examples of cyberbullying that have occurred in our school? What digital tools were used? What types of behaviour were manifest?

2. How far do you believe a schools duty of care extends? Where does responsibility lie for students, parents, government and telecommunication companies?

3. What cyberbullying prevention strategies do we currently implement in our school? What could we do in the future?

Discussion questions

Resources

Read:.

• Campbell, M. A. (2005). Cyber bullying: An old problem in a new guise? Australian Journal of Guidance and Counselling , 15 (1), 68-76

• Price, M., & Dalgleish, J. (2010). Cyberbullying: Experiences, impacts and coping strategies as described by Australian young people. Youth Studies Australia , 29 (2)

Browse:• NSW Digital Citizenship http://www.digitalcitizenship.nsw.edu.au/

• Australian Communication & Media Authority CYBER(SMART:) http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/

View:• ‘Tagged’ http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/tagged/

• ‘Cyber Safe: Identifying and Combating Cyber Bullies’- VEA 2007 (found in our school clickview collection online)