26 May 2023
On the 15th of April, I underwent professional development, targeted at Cyberbullying, and learnt how as a school community we can implement preventions and interventions targeted at cyberbullying. Outlined below is a summary of what I learnt.
- A statistic I saw stated that 1 in 4 kids are bullied, whilst 1 in 5 kids are cyberbullied which is shocking as it reveals that a kid can experience bullying whilst at school but also once they get home. This represents the ruthless cycle of bullying that can be 24/7 for these kids.
- Students face a significant number of online risks which take different shapes and forms such as: harassment/stalking, exposure to pornography, grooming and catfishing, and even identity theft. Whilst the concept of sending intimate and explicit images is common amongst the teenage year group (14-18). Statistics reveal that only 5% of students partake in the sending of explicit and intimate images.
- Youth can be extremely vulnerable whilst dealing with cyberbullying. As it is far easier to retaliate, the role between a victim and antagonist can switch very easily which can make an investigation into cyberbullying quite difficult. It is important to encourage your kids that if they are experiencing cyberbullying to not retaliate but instead tell somebody, and take a screen shot of it. More challenges that are faced whilst dealing with cyberbullying include; the social impact it has in the classroom, gender differences (it is easier for a male to bully a female and vice versa), the fast pace of technology, the number of different platforms and exposure points an adolescent can be cyberbullied on (social media platforms, gaming rooms, messengers, shameful posts).
- Cyberbullying can have a range of different effects on a child or young adolescent. It can involve long-term effects that can progress into mental health issues requiring professional help.
- The E-safety Commissioner does not define cyberbullying as a once off incident but instead a reoccurring incident.
Application
A key tip to approach cyberbullying is the concept of spreading awareness among all stakeholders at the school.
Teaching students how to report cyberbullying:
- Do not retaliate, this will only switch the role of the antagonist to the victim.
- Tell a person that you trust: friend, teacher, school counsellor or chaplain.
- Collect evidence: screenshots, webpage address, explicit comments, etc.
- Report the incident to the social media platform, and if that does not work report it the E-safety Commissioner after 48 hours.
- Prevent further contact with the person. Start by blocking them on social media platforms.
- Get the required support that is needed by speaking with someone who can help.
- Supporting children and young adolescents to report cyberbullying when they see it prevents further cyberbullying, even when they are not the victim.
Another crucial tip is to spread awareness of the dangers of the online world at home and at school. This can include using resources such as: Deadly Online, Rewriting Your Story, and Young and Safe (all found on https://www.esafety.gov.au/). These resources, share real life stories of children who have been affected by cyberbullying and teach them to safely navigate the web.
Parents
It’s important for parents to create a safe environment where discussions on e-safety are able to take place and are normalised. Listening to a child when they have either been the victim of cyberbullying or have been the bully themselves is important. It is also important to support the child by assisting them to process what has happened by letting them understand the impact of the events and/or what they have done wrong. The most crucial step for a parent though is to support their child by focusing on the behaviour rather than the technology.
Matthias Stickl (School Chaplain)
