Strategies for Dealing with Cyberbullying in a School Setting Prevention School Policy Have clear roles for school personnel to play Establish committee that determine the specific needs of the school Purpose of policy is to protect students, staff, and educational environment of school and that cyberbullying is clearly prohibited. Policy needs to address use of school’s internet system as well as use of personal cell phones and computers while on campus. Policy needs to address cyberbullying off-campus Be aware of legal standards when crafting off-campus policy Need specific definition of cyberbullying and harassment Graduated consequences and remedial actions Procedures for investigating Clear statement that students will be disciplined if behavior results in considerable disruption of educational environment Procedures for educating students, teachers, staff, and parents about cyberbullying Institute a general Internet Safety / Cyberbullying curriculum – trains students in ways to navigate the internet and recognize cyberbullying. iSafe (http://www.isafe.org/) – general internet safety curriculum CyberSmart! cyberbullying curriculum http://www.nasponline.org/resources/cyberbullying/index.aspx Seattle Public Schools cyberbullying curriculum http://www.seattleschools.org/area/prevention/cbms.html Committee for Children – Cyberbullying prevention modules http://community.cfchildren.org/home Teach basic internet protection strategies Block the sender of IM or text messaging Log off the computer and spend time letting situation cool down Not responding to hurtful messages Establish mentoring program – pair older students with younger students Encourages students to be proactive in addressing cyberbullying Encourages leadership skills in older students Monitor at-risk students for being cyberbullied Kids who are higher risk have poor social skills and other noteworthy attributes such as learning disabilities, obesity, ADHD, anxiety, depression, and Aspergers/Autism Signs of Cyberbullying – Victim Suddenly stops using the computer Appears anxious when IM or e-mail appears Seems angry or depressed following use of computer Appears uncomfortable about going to school or out in general Avoids talking about what they are doing on computer Becomes unusually withdrawn from friends and family members Having been a victim of traditional bullying Signs of Cyberbullying – Cyberbully Quickly closes programs or switches screens when someone walks by Uses computer at all hours of the night Becomes abnormally upset if can’t use the computer Laughs excessively while using the computer Avoids talking about what they are doing on computer Uses multiple online accounts or account that is not their own Intervention Develop intervention strategies for when cyberbullying does occur (Willard, 2007) Save evidence of cyberbullying Conduct a threat assessment Assess response options and determine appropriate responses Identify perpetrator Support the victim through school support and counseling options Provide guidance on how to remove or stop the cyberbullying Seek to use informal resolution strategies like contacting parent of perpetrator, offer counseling or remediation in school, seek out underlying cause. Long-term Solutions – Digital Citizenship Eventual goal is to have students progress from an external motivation for good behavior to an internal one. This will allow students to develop an internal moral compass so they can behave as a digital citizen even in the absence of external (school) authorities. Effort needs to be sustained for multiple grades with integration into existing curriculum. First Steps: Concentrate on school climate with school-wide intervention programs focusing on anti-bullying and bolstering student self-worth. Adopting a collaborative problem solving approach to discipline and particularly cyberbullying situations Ross Green (http://www.livesinthebalance.org/) Key is to involve students within the discipline system and ensure their questions and concerns are heard. Digital Citizenship Components of Digital Citizenship (Ribble) – schools have the flexibility to modify which elements are focused on based on their needs. Recommended Group Framework for 9 Elements: - Directly affect student learning and academic performance - Affect overall school environment and students behavior (cyberbullying) - Affect student life outside the school environment. Digital Access – full electronic participation in society Digital Commerce – buying and selling of goods online Digital Communication – electronic exchange of information Digital Literacy – capability to use digital technology and knowing when and how to use it. Digital Etiquette* – standards of conduct expected by other digital technology users. Digital Law – legal rights and restrictions governing technology use. Digital Rights & Responsibilities* – privileges and freedoms extended to all digital technology users, and the behavioral expectations that come with them. Digital Health and Wellness – elements of physical and psychological wellbeing related to digital technology use. Digital Security* – precautions that all technology users must take to guarantee their personal safety and security of their network. Important – integration of lessons within the school curriculum. *denotes particular importance for cyberbullying Parent Training - Advice Communication with Parents Most parents trust their teens to do what’s right online. Roughly half of teens’ say their parents know some but not all of what they do online. One-third of teens don’t tell their parents what they are doing online and would change their behavior if they knew parents were watching. Parents are less likely to monitor teens’ activities as they get older. Teens more likely to hide what they do online from parents as they get older. *** Open communication with your child is the best way to deal with cyberbullying. If Your Child is a Cyberbully Establish very clear prohibitions about behaving in this manner. Warn against taking any action in retaliation or asking anyone else to engage in retaliation. Immediately install monitoring software, and inform your child about this. Direct your child not to access the internet anywhere but at school or at home. Take away cell phones and any other internet-enabled devices. How to Prevent Cyberbullying Keep home computer(s) in easily viewable places, such as a family room or kitchen. Talk regularly with child about on-line activities he or she is involved in. Talk specifically about cyberbullying and encourage child to tell you immediately if he or she is a victim of cyberbullying, cyberstalking, or other illegal or troublesome online behavior. Encourage your child to tell you if he or she is aware of others who may be the victims of such behavior. Explain that cyberbullying is harmful and unacceptable behavior. Outline your expectations for responsible online behavior and make it clear that there will be consequences for inappropriate behavior. Although adults must respect privacy of youth, concerns for child’s safety may sometimes override privacy concerns. Tell child that you may review his or her online communications if you think there is reason for concern. Consider installing parental control filtering software and/or tracking programs, but don’t rely solely on these tools. When Child has been Victimized Sending inappropriate language may violate “Terms and Conditions” of e-mail services, Internet Service Providers, web sites, and cell phone companies. Consider contacting these providers and filing a complaint. Consider contacting the cyberbully’s parents. If the cyberbullying is coming through e-mail or a cell phone, it may be possible to block future contact from the cyberbully. Contact your school - If the cyberbullying is occurring through your school district’s Internet system, school administrators have an obligation to intervene. Consider contacting an attorney in cases of serious cyberbullying. Contact police if cyberbullying involves acts of: Threats of violence Extortion Obscene or harassing phone calls or text messages Harassment, stalking, or hate crimes Child pornography If uncertain if cyberbullying violates your jurisdiction’s criminal laws, contact local police, who will advise you. Resources: Stop Cyberbullying http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/index2.html A Thin Line – MTV http://www.athinline.org/ National Crime Prevention Council http://www.ncpc.org/ Cyberbullying.us http://www.cyberbullying.us/ Wired Safety www.wiredsafety.org Wired Kids www.wiredkids.org Cyberbullying.ca www.cyberbullying.ca Stop Bullying Now www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov Prepared by Dan Florell, Ph.D. Eastern Kentucky University