Internet Safety and Cyber Bullying

What Is Bullying?

Bullying can take place in or out of school and in person or through other means of communication. When it occurs online, in, for example, emails, text messages, or in posts on websites, it is referred to as cyberbullying. Bullying can be verbal or physical, and when physical, it can be directed against a person, a person’s property, or be used to intimidate, rather than inflict damage to the person or his or her property. Verbal bullying can include name-calling, threatening, or teasing someone, or making obscene remarks or spreading rumors about someone. Bullying can be peer-to-peer, or be done by younger people to older people or vice versa.

What is Cyber Bullying?Using communication technologies such as

email, cell phones, chat rooms, instant messaging, blogs, or defamatory personal websites to send or post repeated, deliberate, cruel and harmful text or images.

(Shek, 2004; Belsey, www.cyberbullying.ca)

What is Cyber Bullying? – WiredSafety Videohttp://youtube.com/watch?v=T38-9OCDrP4

Alabama Bullying Lawhttp://alex.state.al.us/stopbullying/

Bullying Legislation

Laws, Legislation, and Policies

The Student Harassment Prevention Act was signed on May 29, 2009 by Alabama Governor Bob Riley.

Examples of Alabama Schools' Bullying Policies Model Anti-Harassment Policy (developed by ALSDE): In

response to the derective of Act No. 2009-571, Student Harassment Prevention Act, the State Department of Education (SDE) has developed a model anti-harassment policy for local education agencies to use in the development of their local policy.

Not all bullying is this obvious!Talent Show - Cyberbullying Prevention Commercial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdQBurXQOeQ

5 Ways That Boys and Girls Bully Differently http://www.thebeehive.org/school/k-12-students/supporting-my-child-school/top-5-ways-boys-and-girls-bully?gclid=CJH17LDUv6cCFcfe4AodeRHbBQ

Boys are more likely than girls to display bullying behavior through physical intimidation. Girls bully by lashing out verbally more than physically. They leave other girls out of their circle and spread rumors by gossiping.

When boys bully, they bully girls as well as other boys. Girls usually bully other girls.

Boys tend to bully openly, making it easier to spot. Girls disguise their bullying and act out in more passive aggressive ways. Because of this, girl-on-girl bullying is harder to spot. The majority of researchers think that boys bully more than girls, but more recent studies suggest that adults simply have a harder time recognizing when girls bully.

Experts believe that boys are more likely to cyber-bully as well. Girls who are cyber-bullied are more likely to report the bullying to adults than their male peers.

Girls report more positive opinions of how their teacher’s handle bullying. Boys are more likely to think that their teachers are doing a poor job in responding to bullying problems.

5 Ways That Boys and Girls Bully The Samehttp://www.thebeehive.org/school/k-12-students/supporting-my-child-school/top-5-ways-boys-and-girls-bully?gclid=CJH17LDUv6cCFcfe4AodeRHbBQ

Both genders can bully in the form of racist, sexist or homophobic remarks.

Bullying by both boys and girls is harmful and can lead to depression, body image issues, and low self-esteem.

According to psychologist and bullying expert Evelyn Field, bullies and targets of bullies often have undeveloped assertive communication skills. Assertive communication is the open expression of your needs, desires, thoughts and feelings. It involves speaking up for your own needs while also respecting the needs of others.

Both male and female bullies often turn on their friends. Bullying usually occurs amongst younger teens and pre-teens

and usually begins to fade by the later teen years. Later primary and middle school years are the crucial years to be aware of bullying.

Cyber bullying affects many adolescents and teens on a daily basis. Cyber bullying involves using technology, like cell phones and the Internet, to bully or harass another person.

Cyber bullying can take many forms:Sending mean messages or threats to a person's email

account or cell phone Spreading rumors online or through texts Posting hurtful or threatening messages on social

networking sites or web pages Stealing a person's account information to break into

their account and send damaging messages Pretending to be someone else online to hurt another

person Taking unflattering pictures of a person and spreading

them through cell phones or the Internet Sexting, or circulating sexually suggestive pictures or

messages about a person – If convicted of Sexting – must register with sex offender registry for 20 years. Sexting is Child Pornography.

Characteristics of Cyberbullying

Access available 24 hours/day, 7 days/week—victims can no longer find solace at home

Pictures/text sent instantlyIf kids simply “turn off” their technology,

they are socially isolated.

8 Forms of Cyberbulling

Flaming: Using inflammatory or vulgar words to provoke an online fight

Harassment: Continually sending vicious, mean, or disturbing e-mails to an individual

Denigration: Spreading rumors, lies or gossip to hurt a person’s reputation

Impersonation: Posting offensive or aggressive messages under another person’s name

Outing: Posting or sharing confidential or compromising information or images

Trickery: Fooling someone into sharing personal information which you then post online

Exclusion: Purposefully excluding someone from an online group

Cyberstalking: Ongoing harassment and denigration that causes a person considerable fear for his/her safety

How, Who, and Why

Cyberbullying may occur via personal Web sites, blogs, e-mail, discussion groups, message boards, chat, instant messaging, or voice, text, or image cell phones.

A cyberbully may be a person whom the target knows or an online stranger. A cyberbully may be anonymous and enlist the aid of others, including online “friends.”

Cyberbullying may be a continuation of, or in retaliation for, in-school bullying. It may be related to fights about relationships or be based on hate or bias. Some teens think cyberbullying is a fun game.

Teens might think… They think they are invisible, so they think they can’t be

punished. No real harm has been caused online

They should have a free speech right to post

Did you know…In 2004-2005, 1,500 students in grades 4-8

were surveyed by iSafe.The results show that the majority of

students have had issues with cyberbullying or have been the initiator of the bullying.

In 2005, Patchin and Hinduja completed a survey of 1,500 adolescents.

The HarmCyberbullying can cause great

emotional harm. Damaging material can be widely

disseminated and impossible to fully remove.

Teens are reluctant to tell adults for fear they will be restricted from online activities or the cyberbully will retaliate.

Cyberbullying can lead to youth suicide and violence.

Warning SignsSadness or anger during or after Internet

use. Withdrawal from friends and activities,

school avoidance, decline of grades, and depression – even thoughts of suicide.

Indications that your child is being bullied at school.

Action Steps and Options Do not to retaliate, to save the evidence, and to ask for help if

having difficulties. Identify the cyberbully or bully group. Ask your Internet service

provider for help. There are different ways to respond to cyberbullying:

Calmly and strongly tell the cyberbully to stop and to remove any harmful material.

Ignore the cyberbully by leaving the online environment, blocking communications, or both.

File a complaint with the Internet or cell phone company. Send the cyberbully’s parents a letter that includes the

evidence of cyberbullying. Demand that the actions stop and harmful material be removed

Seek assistance from the school.

Contact the police if the cyberbullying involves threats of violence, coercion, intimidation based on hate or bias, or any form of sexual exploitation.

Despite the potential damage of cyber bullying, it is alarmingly common among adolescents and teens. According to Cyber bullying statistics from the i-SAFE foundation:

Over half of adolescents and teens have been bullied online, and about the same number have engaged in cyber bullying.

More than 1 in 3 young people have experienced cyberthreats online.

Over 25 percent of adolescents and teens have been bullied repeatedly through their cell phones or the Internet.

Well over half of young people do not tell their parents when cyber bullying occurs.

The Cyberbullying Research Center also did a series of surveys that found these cyber bullying statistics:

Over 80 percent of teens use a cell phone regularly, making it the most popular form of technology and a common medium for cyber bullying

About half of young people have experienced some form of cyber bullying, and 10 to 20 percent experience it regularly

Mean, hurtful comments and spreading rumors are the most common type of cyber bullying

Girls are at least as likely as boys to be cyber bullies or their victims

Boys are more likely to be threatened by cyber bullies than girls

Cyber bullying affects all races

Cyber bullying victims are more likely to have low self esteem and to consider suicide

Brittany’s Storyhttp://www.thinkfinity.org/digital-citizenshipConsider the unintended consequences of

posting content online that could be damaging to one's reputation or sense of self.

Some Well-Known Examples

Ryan Halligan-student born in Poughkeepsie, NY, who committed suicide after being bullied online. http://www.ryanpatrickhalligan.org/

Some Well-Known Exampleshttp://youtube.com/watch?v=HFsfDLCkfQU

CNN Story Megan Meier-student in St. Louis, MO who

was a victim of a My Space hoax. Another teen’s parent made up an account and “friended” Megan only to “dump” her later. She committed suicide last year. Video 5:43

Recap Many cyber bullies think that bullying others online is funny. Cyber bullies may not realize the consequences for themselves

of cyberbullying. The things teens post online now may reflect badly on them later

when they apply for college or a job. Cyber bullies can lose their cell phone or online accounts for

cyber bullying. Also, cyber bullies and their parents may face legal charges for

cyber bullying, and if the cyber bullying was sexual in nature or involved sexting, the results can include being registered as a sex offender.

Teens may think that if they use a fake name they won't get caught, but there are many ways to track some one who is cyber bullying.

Sexting is a felony - Child ponography – if convicted – must register on the sex offender list .

NO ONE – has the right to make another person feel left out, feel inferior, or feel fear.

Faces of VictimsMore real life stories: http://www.netsmartz.org/reallifestories

Don’t Laugh at Mehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTNVXlirF4Y

Resources: http://learningtogive.org/lessons/unit187/lesson1.html http://storybookipedia.sblc.wikispaces.net/Don't+Laugh+At+Me-+Activities

HandoutVictim Bully

In the Movies – Everything Works outYou Again -

http://movieclips.com/osUp-you-again-movie-trailer-1/

and http://movieclips.com/4uNmF-you-again-movie-our-experiences/

17 Again - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJYKW48Vubw&feature=related Video1:49 – 1:55

Karate Kid I Start at 11:00 -

plus Remake – Netflix – online

Mean GirlsMax Keeble’s Big

MoveBack to the Future

My BodyguardStand By MeHeathersLucasFerris Bueller’s Day

OffThe Breakfast ClubRemember MeDiary of a Wimpy Kid

LiteratureBullying Books on Amazon -

http://www.amazon.com/Bullying-books/lm/TGB5IZPC74JZ Glendale Library Book list for Bullying

broken down by Teens, Juvenile and DVD. http://library.ci.glendale.ca.us/About_Bullying.asp

Embracing a Child – Books for Kids - http://www.embracingthechild.org/bully.html

Children’s Books about Bullying - http://www.best-childrens-books.com/childrens-books-about-bullying.html

LiteratureBooks about Bullying for older kids -

http://www.santaclaracountylib.org/kids/lists/bullies_older_kids/index.html

Discussion and Activity Book about Bullying

- http://www.thebullybook.com/ PBS.org listing of Books about Bullies -

http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/friends/bullies/print_books.html

Bulling Books by Grade Level - http://www.bulliesinbooks.com/

Resources for CyberBullying Stop Online Social Aggression -

http://www.aaronjmeyer.com/storage/cbnparent.pdf Bullying by Gender Research http://spi.sagepub.com/content/27/2/157.short Bullying Statistics - http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/cyber-bullying-

statistics.html Bully Police - http://bullypolice.org/ Local School Fight to Stop Bullying using Classic Literature -

http://www.fox23news.com/news/local/story/Greene-Co-school-uses-classic-kids-book-to-fight/lhgDttuLlk6AlxJNSa77FQ.cspx

High School Guidance Lesson Plan - http://www.aaronjmeyer.com/storage/individual-lesson-plancyber.pdf

Ellen’s Resources to Stop Cyberbullying - http://ellen.warnerbros.com/2010/10/resources_to_help_stop_bullying_0930.php

Parent Resource on Cyber Bullying - http://www.olweus.org/public/bullied_child.page

Ryan’s Resources - http://www.ryanpatrickhalligan.org/resources/resources.htm http://www.cyberbullying.us/cyberbullying_warning_signs.pdf How to Deal with a Bully - http://www.ehow.com/videos-on_5286_deal-bully.html Tech Dictionary - http://techdictionary.com/ Netsmartz - http://www.netsmartz.org/reallifestories Too Common Story - http://old.digizen.org/cyberbullying/fullFilm.aspx