Combating Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is an important topic to consider. The pervasiveness of the issue can be overwhelming, especially with so many different components. Based on the cyberbullying videos and readings, I was surprised to see that cyberbullying is prevalent in workplace culture as well as K-12 settings. I was not as surprised to hear the sobering statistics about K-12 bullying and cyberbullying, but the numbers certainly call for action. “In terms of cyberbullying in the K-12 sector, Cassidy et al. (2012b) found that 36% of students reported they had been victims of cyberbullying and 32% admitted to cyberbullying others” (Faucher, 2015, p. 115). The related “cyberbullying at university study found that about 25% of students and 25% of faculty respondents had been targets of cyberbullying within the last 12 months” (Faucher, 2015, p. 116). With these alarming numbers in mind, schools need to be especially vigilant in working to prevent such bullying behaviors.

There are many important issues to tackle in relation to cyberbullying, and they cannot all be addressed in one sitting. Social emotional health is one important factor to consider, as this is often damaged due to cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is often a continuation of bullying or harassment that is taking place in person as well. Many of the cyberbullying issues can be addressed through materials designed for bullying. I thought that several of the videos might be especially helpful to address these issues with students.

For younger students, this video could be effective in building empathy and showing the consequences of bullying. There is a lot of symbolism in the video which could also be incorporated in a lesson note even focused on bullying at all. It could be a useful video to use as a teaching tool in a performing arts class as well.

For older students, clips from this video would be really helpful. The video is longer, but it addresses many of the behind the scenes issues that result in bullying and the effects of the bullying. This would be a great video to use in order to show the importance of words, especially names.

I love Jon Orich’s article about high school students partnering with younger students to teach them about the importance of digital citizenship. This has wonderful benefits for the high school students, helping them slow down and analyze their perspective since they are sharing with younger students. This also gives them an opportunity to learn more about the topic. Teaching a subject is often the best way to learn about it. This is, of course, beneficial for the younger students as well since they will hear from the “experts” in the subject and have opportunities to learn in new ways. Using a digital format for the conversations is a great way to practice while learning. Depending on how school districts are set up, this idea may involve complicated logistics, but I think many schools would be willing to make this a reality. I am excited to try this!

References:
Faucher, C., Cassidy, W., & Jackson, M. (2015). From the sandbox to the inbox: Comparing the acts, impacts, and solutions of bullying in k-12, higher education, and the workplace. Journal Of Education And Training Studies, 3(6), 111-125.

Orech, J. (2012). How it's done: Incorporating digital citizenship into your everyday curriculum. Tech & Learning, 33(1), 16-18.