Coláiste Éanna Anti-Bullying Campaign

Preventing and responding to bullying and cyber-bullying

Bullying in Irish Schools

40% of complaints to the Children’s Ombudsman in Ireland relate to school and bullying is highlighted as one of the main five issues.

(Report of Ombudsman for Children 2012)

Over half of young people stated that they would not tell anyone about bullying because they would be afraid that it would make the bullying worse

(ISPCC’s 2011 National Children’s Consultation survey involving over 18,000 young people)

Most students in a classroom or school

do not bully others regularly and are not victimized

BUT

80% of those who join in do so on the part of the perpetrator. (Frey et al. Developmental Psychology2005, Vol. 41, No. 3, 479–491)

Bullying

To understand cyber-bullying we must first understand bullying?

Bullying is understood to be any behaviour that is

deliberate, hurtful

repeated over time

For bullying to happen

There must be

A target and a perpetrator

The presence of bystanders adds to the dynamics in the process

Verbal - Slagging/name calling/teasing or verbally harassing

Social – Spreading rumours/ disrupting friendships/gossiping/excluding or isolating

Physical - Messing with or taking or damaging other peoples’ property

Violent - Physical aggression - assaulting in some way or verbal violence…either by traditional or cyber means

Some types of bullying behaviours we may see, hear or be aware of

Some indicators that someone may be being bullied - effects of bullying

Feelings of insecurity - Damage to self-confidence/self-esteem

Poor or deteriorating academic performance – withdrawal from activities

Physical injury/torn clothes or damaged property Behaviour/mood changes Stress/distress – may affect sleep or eating patterns Extreme anxiety/panic attacks, Depression/Nervous breakdown Self-Harm Suicide

Cyber-bullying

Home should be a safe place away from bullying and harassment occurring in a social context

But Through the use of technology bullying behaviour

is no longer restricted to the school yard

It is often by phone or online and out of sight and earshot of both teachers and parents

(Cyber) Bullying is…….

Unwanted Repeated over time (?) A power imbalance The targeted person feels socially excluded A threat Deliberate Used to upset people

Methods of cyber-bullying

E-mail Mobile/smart phones Text messages X box live or Play Station network Instant messaging / MSN Social networking sites Chat rooms Video sharing websites (YouTube)

Ask fm

Types of cyber-bullying

“Harassment”: Repeatedly sending offensive, rude, and insulting messages

“Cyber Stalking”: Repeatedly sending messages that include threats of harm or are highly intimidating and make a person afraid for his or her own safety

“Denigration”: ‘Dissing’ - circulating cruel gossip or rumours about a student to damage his or her reputation or friendships

“Outing and Trickery”: Tricking someone into revealing secret or embarrassing information which is then shared without consent

Types of cyber-bullying

“Flaming”: Online fights using electronic messages with angry and vulgar language

“Impersonation”: Pretending to be someone else and sending or posting material online that makes someone look bad, gets her/him in trouble or danger, or damages her/his reputation or friendships

“Exclusion”: Intentionally excluding someone from an on-line group, like a ‘buddy list’

People who behave like this….

Think it’s “funny” Don’t think it’s a big deal Are encouraged by friends (get swept along) Don’t think about consequences Think “everybody” behaves like this Think they won’t or can’t get caught

Excuses, excuses…..

“It’s fun” “Everyone does it” “He’s annoying” “We’re only playing/messing” “He’s my friend”!!!!!!!!!!!!

Being cyber-bullied

One of the most threatening aspects of being the target of Cyber Bullying is that

you can’t see the person who is bullying you and often you don’t even know who it is.

Parents’ role in preparing their children for the on-line world

Set down family rules.

Give advice for preventing and responding to bullying - and the reasons why?

Steps to prevent cyber-bullying

Be careful when posting pictures of yourself.

Don’t share Your Passwords Private /Personal information on line.. Worries or anxieties you have

Why not?

You may not really know how private your online conversation is

orwith whom you are sharing them

There may be some who have access to your conversations who are not your friends and . . .

who will share your information with THEIR friends . .

These in turn, may share them with their friends . . .who do not even know you and . . .

These others may share them with their friends . . .

Parents' advice to their children as to what they can do

Bullying on the phone…..

Never reply to bullying or harassment by phone

Put yourself in control - store the messages as evidence

Block the sender - phone networks allow you to do this

Tell someone you trust that the bullying is going on

If it continues….

If the Cyber Bullying continues, report the problem to the school and/or depending on severity, the Gardaí.

Even if the sender’s number is hidden the exact time and date are attached to messages and enable the Gardaí to check with the service provider and trace the sender of the message

Responding to online Bullying

Never reply to online bullying or harassment Put yourself in control - store and print out messages and

keep them as evidence, noting exact time and date if possible

Block communication with the person who is bullying : (a) by email, by adding her/him to your “blocked list” (b) on social networking sites (e.g. Facebook) by (i) reporting the bullying to the site

administrators and (ii) changing your privacy settings to

exclude her/him If Cyber Bullying continues, report the problem to

parents/teachers and depending on severity, the Gardaí

Attitude is everything!(or a large part of it)

Research shows that those who Cyber Bully are often the same people who bully people directly

One of the biggest drawbacks of online communication is the inability to recognise when “the line” has been crossed. Those who engage in

online banter may become de-sensitised to the harm they are causing others and enjoy the thrill

of the descent into serious and destructive aggression

Questioning Attitudes Maintaining Standards

Challenging the attitudes that drive the behaviour

- Why do we do these things? “It’s fun” - “For Whom?” “Everyone does it” - “Everyone?” “He’s annoying” - “He is not his behaviour!” “We’re only playing/messing” - “Playing with him or using him as a plaything?” “He’s my friend”- If that’s how you treat your friends…

There are no excuses

Encourage your children …

To support their friends in a positive way

To refuse to pass along Cyber Bullying messages, even if asked to do so

To not text, email, blog or communicate in any other way when angry or upset.

To maintain friendships off line in order to help stop Cyber Bullying

Bystanders to (cyber) bullying

One of the most important steps to be taken to combat (cyber) bullying will be empowering

student bystanders-who-are-part-of-the-problem

to become

student bystanders-who-are-part-of-the-solution.

Why should they act?

Frequently, the only people who know that a student is being victimized are other students.

Students who are being victimized often do not tell adults for many reasons:

Too distressed Think its their fault Fear consequences ……….Students who report that such (cyber) bullying isoccurring may literally be saving the life of another

student.

Remember

The Internet holds tremendous promise for creating a better world –

a more peaceful and respectful world. But this world cannot be created through laws or

through technology protection measures. We have to focus on empowering our

young people with the values, skills, and motivation to make safe and responsible choices in their online world.

(Willard N, M.S., J.D., Director Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use)