Cyberbullying

What is Cyberbullying?

• When a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones.

• It is typically not a one-time communication– Unless it involves a death threat or

credible threat of bodily harm

What is Cyberbullying?• Like bullying it involves an

imbalance of power, aggression and a negative action that is often repeated

• Can happen 24/7 and reach you even when you are alone

• Messages can be posted anonymously and distributed quickly to a wide audience

Two Kinds of Cyberbullying

• Direct Attacks – messages sent directly to the victim

• Cyberbullying by Proxy – using others to help Cyberbully the victim, either with or without the accomplice’s knowledge

Who are the Parties in Cyberbullying?

• Target – A person who is the object of an intentional action

• Offender – A person who intentionally commits acts to hurt or damage someone

• Bystander – A person who passively stands by and observes without getting involved

• Upstander – A person who supports and stands up for someone else

• Harassment: Repeatedly sending offensive, rude, and insulting messages

• Denigration: Distributing information about another that is derogatory and untrue through posting it on a Web page, sending it to others through email or instant messaging, or posting or sending digitally altered photos of someone. Making offensive, hurtful, or untrue statements about a person

Common Forms of Cyberbullying

• Flaming: Online "fighting" using electronic messages with angry, vulgar language or sending angry or confrontational messages to inflame the situation

• Impersonation: Breaking into an email or social networking account and using that person's online identity to send or post vicious or embarrassing material to/about others

Common Forms of Cyberbullying

• Outing and Trickery: Sharing someone's secrets or embarrassing information, or tricking someone into revealing secrets or embarrassing information and forwarding it to others

• Exclusion: intentionally using online means to exclude a person from a group or activity

Common Forms of Cyberbullying

Common Forms of Cyberbullying

• Cyber Stalking: Repeatedly sending messages that include threats of harm or are highly intimidating, or engaging in other online activities that make a person afraid for his or her safety (depending on the content of the message, it may be illegal)

 Examples of Cyberbullying:

• Spreading rumors online• Sending mean messages or

threats to a person’s email account or cell phone

• Posting hurtful or threatening messages on social networking sites or web pages

• Pretending to be someone else to hurt someone online

 Examples of Cyberbullying:

• Taking unflattering pictures and spreading them on cell phones or the internet

• Sexting or circulating sexually suggestive pictures or messages about a person

• Stealing a person’s password and sending messages with it

– Note….NEVER share your Internet passwords with anyone, except your parents

Are you a Cyberbully?Take out a piece of paper….

• Write your name, today’s date and the title of Cyberbullying on the top of your paper

• Down the left side of your paper write the number 1-19

As we read through the following statements write Yes or No next to each corresponding number to say

whether or not you have done what the statement says

 Are you a Cyberbully?Have you ever...1. Signed on with someone else’s

screen name to gather info?2. Sent an e-mail or online greeting

card from someone’s account? 3. Impersonated someone over IM or

online?4. Teased or frightened someone over

IM?5. Not told someone who you really are

online, telling them to “guess”?

 Are you a Cyberbully?6. Forwarded a private IM

conversation or e-mail without the permission of the other person?

7. Changed your profile or away message designed to embarrass or frighten someone?

8. Posted pictures or information about someone on a Web site without their consent?

Are you a Cyberbully?9. Created an Internet poll, either

over IM or on a Web site, about someone without their consent?

10.Used information found online to follow, tease, embarrass or harass someone in person?

11.Sent rude or scary things to someone, even if you were just joking?

 Are you a Cyberbully?12.Used bad language online?

13.Signed someone else up for something online without their permission?

14.Used an IM or e-mail address that looked like someone else’s?

15.Used someone else’s password for any reason without their permission?

 Are you a Cyberbully?16.Hacked into someone else’s

computer or sent a computer virus to them?

17.Insulted someone in an interactive game room?

18.Posted rude things or lies about someone online?

19.Voted at an online bashing poll or posted to a guestbook saying rude or mean things?

 Now calculate your total score:0 – 5 Points: Cyber Saint

Congratulations! You’re a cyber saint! Your online behavior is exemplary! Keep up the good work!

6-10 Points: Cyber RiskyWell, you’re not perfect, but few people are. Chances are you haven’t done anything terrible and were just having fun, but try not to repeat your behaviors, since they are all offenses. Keep in mind the pain that your fun might be causing others!

 Now calculate your total score:11-18 Points: Cyber Sinner

Your online behavior needs to be improved! You have done way too many cyber no-no’s! Keep in mind that these practices are dangerous, wrong, and punishable and try to be clean up that cyber record!

More than 18: CyberbullyPut on the brakes and turn that PC/MAC/text-messaging device around! You are headed in a very bad direction. You qualify, without doubt, as a Cyberbully. You need to sign off and think about where that little mouse of yours has been clicking before serious trouble results for you and/or your victim(s), if it hasn’t happened already!

ConsequencesMost students believe what they do at home cannot effect them at school….

When it comes to Cyberbulling…THEY ARE WRONG

Consequences• If we receive a report that you are

Cyberbulling another student, a referral will be written and if found to be true, discipline will be enforced

• Discipline can range from mandatory participation in the Harrassment Intervention Program (HIP) to Expulsion

• Police Officers may become involved and criminal action can be taken if the threat is serious

If it happens to you…• Ignore the messages• Do not reply to messages, especially if

you don’t know who sent it• Do not try to get back at the bully by

something mean.• Do not forward the message• Save a copy of any harassing

messages• Report bullying to trusted adult.• Report bullying that is interfering with

school to a school official or teacher

If it happens to you• Block incoming messages from the

Cyberbully• Report Cyberbullying to the offender’s

online service provider or to other authorities.

• Most importantly, do not respond to the bully, do not play their games. Do not answer emails, do not respond to posts, do not engage in a chat room exchange and do not copy what the bully is doing. Ignore the bullying and get help from parents and teachers.

If it happens to you• Save the evidence so that school

officials, internet providers and even the police can properly deal with the bully. Cyberbullying may give bullies anonymity but it always leaves evidence.

• If you get even one communication that includes a threat of bodily harm or a death threat the police should be alerted. Be aware that urging suicide is considered a death threat and the police will treat accordingly. 

 How to Help a Friend who is Cyberbullied

• Stand up to the offender when appropriate• If you see something negative, say

something– Make it clear that you think online cruelty

is wrong, and tell the offender to back off• Point out the bully’s motivation to the target

– Comfort the target by explaining that many offenders act cruelly just to gain control, power or status

• Help the target advocate• Help the target find friends and school

leaders who can help de-escalate the situation. It’s easier to stand up to cruelty when you are not alone

• Teens currently use their own methods to counter cyberbullying, and many teens respond with a variety of reactions:

• Thirty-six percent asked the bully to stop• Thirty-four percent blocked communication• Thirty-four percent talked to friends about

the bullying• Twenty-nine percent did nothing about the

bullying• Twenty-eight percent signed offline

43% of teens have

been victims of Cyberbullying

in the last year

• Teens currently use their own methods to counter cyberbullying, and many teens respond with a variety of reactions:

• Thirty-six percent asked the bully to stop• Thirty-four percent blocked communication• Thirty-four percent talked to friends about

the bullying• Twenty-nine percent did nothing about the

bullying• Twenty-eight percent signed offline

Nearly 20% of teens had a Cyberbully pretend to be someone else in order to trick them online, getting them to reveal personal information

• Teens currently use their own methods to counter cyberbullying, and many teens respond with a variety of reactions:

• Thirty-six percent asked the bully to stop• Thirty-four percent blocked communication• Thirty-four percent talked to friends about

the bullying• Twenty-nine percent did nothing about the

bullying• Twenty-eight percent signed offline

17%of teens were victimized by

someone lying about them online

• Teens currently use their own methods to counter cyberbullying, and many teens respond with a variety of reactions:

• Thirty-six percent asked the bully to stop• Thirty-four percent blocked communication• Thirty-four percent talked to friends about

the bullying• Twenty-nine percent did nothing about the

bullying• Twenty-eight percent signed offline

Only 11%

of teens talked to parents about incidents of Cyberbullying

• Teens currently use their own methods to counter cyberbullying, and many teens respond with a variety of reactions:

• Thirty-six percent asked the bully to stop• Thirty-four percent blocked communication• Thirty-four percent talked to friends about

the bullying• Twenty-nine percent did nothing about the

bullying• Twenty-eight percent signed offline

10% of teens were

victimized because someone posted

unflattering pictures of them

online, without permission

• Teens currently use their own methods to counter cyberbullying, and many teens respond with a variety of reactions:

• Thirty-six percent asked the bully to stop• Thirty-four percent blocked communication• Thirty-four percent talked to friends about

the bullying• Twenty-nine percent did nothing about the

bullying• Twenty-eight percent signed offline

13%of teens learned that a Cyberbully was pretending to be them while communicating with someone else

• Teens currently use their own methods to counter cyberbullying, and many teens respond with a variety of reactions:

• Thirty-six percent asked the bully to stop• Thirty-four percent blocked communication• Thirty-four percent talked to friends about

the bullying• Twenty-nine percent did nothing about the

bullying• Twenty-eight percent signed offline

Nearly 30%

of teens wanted to seek revenge on those who Cyberbullied them

• Teens currently use their own methods to counter cyberbullying, and many teens respond with a variety of reactions:

• Thirty-six percent asked the bully to stop• Thirty-four percent blocked communication• Thirty-four percent talked to friends about

the bullying• Twenty-nine percent did nothing about the

bullying• Twenty-eight percent signed offline

Teens currently use their own methods to counter Cyberbullying, and many teens respond with a variety of reactions:

• 36% asked the bully to stop• 34% blocked communication• 34% talked to friends about the

bullying• 29% did nothing about the bullying• 28% signed offline

• Teens currently use their own methods to counter cyberbullying, and many teens respond with a variety of reactions:

• Thirty-six percent asked the bully to stop• Thirty-four percent blocked communication• Thirty-four percent talked to friends about

the bullying• Twenty-nine percent did nothing about the

bullying• Twenty-eight percent signed offline

Over 70%of teens said that

being able to block Cyberbullies was

the most effective method of prevention

• Teens currently use their own methods to counter cyberbullying, and many teens respond with a variety of reactions:

• Thirty-six percent asked the bully to stop• Thirty-four percent blocked communication• Thirty-four percent talked to friends about

the bullying• Twenty-nine percent did nothing about the

bullying• Twenty-eight percent signed offline

81%of youth said

that others Cyberbully

because they think it’s funny

• Teens currently use their own methods to counter cyberbullying, and many teens respond with a variety of reactions:

• Thirty-six percent asked the bully to stop• Thirty-four percent blocked communication• Thirty-four percent talked to friends about

the bullying• Twenty-nine percent did nothing about the

bullying• Twenty-eight percent signed offline

Cyberbullying victims were almost TWICE as likely to have attempted suicide compared to youth who had not experienced Cyberbullying

• Teens currently use their own methods to counter cyberbullying, and many teens respond with a variety of reactions:

• Thirty-six percent asked the bully to stop• Thirty-four percent blocked communication• Thirty-four percent talked to friends about

the bullying• Twenty-nine percent did nothing about the

bullying• Twenty-eight percent signed offline

TAKE BACK THE POWER

• Teens currently use their own methods to counter cyberbullying, and many teens respond with a variety of reactions:

• Thirty-six percent asked the bully to stop• Thirty-four percent blocked communication• Thirty-four percent talked to friends about

the bullying• Twenty-nine percent did nothing about the

bullying• Twenty-eight percent signed offline

STAND UP

AGAINST CYBERBULLYIN

G

Reflection EssayOn the other side of your paper, please take the rest of the period to answer the following question:

Think back to all of the activities that took place during “Celebrating Differences Week” including this lesson. What is one thing that had an impact on you and why?

Remember to use your RACE writing strategies:Restate the QuestionAnswer the QuestionCite – cite where and when the activity took placeExplain – how it had an impact on you

Make sure you re-read your response and check for clarity before turning it in to your teacher.

Sources• http://

www.cyberbullying.us/cyberbullying_and_suicide_research_fact_sheet.pdf

• http://www.ncpc.org/newsroom/current-campaigns/cyberbullying

• http://www.violencepreventionworks.org/public/cyber_bullying.page

• http://teenadvice.about.com/od/schoolviolence/a/cyberbullying1.htm

• http://www.ncpc.org/resources/files/pdf/bullying/cyberbullying.pdf