Bullying Through the Use of
Electronic Media and the
Responsibility of Schools in
Regulating it
Alicia Kellier
CBSE 7201T
Fall 2012
Table of Contents:
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Introduction
Statement of the problem
Hypothesis
Literature review
Methods
References
Appendix A- Principal consent
Appendix B- Teacher consent
Appendix C- Parent consent
Appendix D- Student survey
Appendix E- Teacher survey
Introduction:
The use of electronic media, such as cell phones and
computers, to bully others is steadily on the rise. It is a
problem that has gone into unchartered territory, as we
are now seeing the full ramifications from it. Children
and teenagers are the ones that are highly affected by
this. The problem arises when students use electronic
media to bully their classmates.
Where then does the
responsibility lie when
trying to curb this specific
behavior, the school, parents,
or law enforcement?
Statement of the Problem:
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The incidences of bullying through the use of
technology is on the rise. There is a call for
school administrators to try to rectify, or police,
the growing problem. Many question whether it
is a problem that schools are able to adequately
handle, as the majority of this type of bullying
happens outside of school. A student’s right to
free speech is also in question as well as their
right to privacy.
Hypothesis:
Hypothesis 1:
If strict rules were to be put into place, such as expulsion, and it
could be proven that a child used electronic media to bully
another child, then that would be a way to take action within
the school limitations.
Hypothesis 2:
School administrators are possibly infringing on the rights of
students in regards to freedom of speech and it can also be an
invasion of privacy. What a student does in his/her free time
outside of the confines of the school is their own business,
most would say. Thus, it is not a problem that can be
monitored by schools officials.
Literature Review:
Theorists:
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The general strain theory was proposed by criminologist Robert Agnew. The nature of the
theory is that it examines the possible causes of strain in society, particularly amongst youth.
(Raskauskas, J., Stoltz, A.D. 2007), (Feshbach, N., Roe, K. 1968)
Legalities:
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Need for setting legal boundaries for schools in terms of internet use and bullying. It suggests
that every entity, including schools and the social sites, should be held liable for any acts of cyber
bullying once they are made aware of it.
(Ybarra, M., West, M.D., Leaf, P. 2007), (Worthen, M. 2007), (David-Ferdon, C., Feldman-Hertz, M.
2007), (Hoff, D.L., Shariff, S. 2007) , (Brown, K., Margaret, J., Wanda, C. 2006)
Strategies:
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Developing appropriate strategies : (Hoff, D.L., Shariff, S. 2007), (Dilmac, B. 2009)
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Encourage university research and implement teacher training and staff development.
(Willard, N. )
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Empowerment of youth in using critical thinking skills: (Boneva, B.S. 2006), (Agatston, P., Kowalski,
R., Limber, S. 2007), (Raskauskas, J., Stoltz, A.D. 2007), (Valkenburg, P., Schouten, A., Peter, J. 2005)
Literature Review:
(cont’d)
Health and Safety:
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According to the Center for Disease Control’s findings, bullying
through electronic means, is becoming an emerging health crisis.
(David-Ferdon, C., Feldman-Hertz, M. 2007), (Gross, E., Juvonen, J.,
Gable, S. 2002), (Siegle, D. 2010), (Krcmar, M.,Valkenberg, P. 1999),
(Huesmann, L.R.1986)
Media:
• In the article by Smith, Mahdavi, Carvalho, Fisher, Russel and Tippet,
it targets students aged 11-16 in its research. It compares
traditional and cyber bullying methods. The article by Kowalski and
Limber tackles the issue of electronic bullying amongst middle
school students. This article ascertains that this is the demographic
that is mostly affected by cyber bullying. (Gross, E.F. 2004), (Gentile,
D., Walsh, D. 2002), (Boneva, B.S. 2006), (Raskauskas, J., Stoltz, A.D.
(2007),
Methodology:
Participants:
Three schools, two elementary, one junior high, will be used to survey
90 students aged 9-14 and 10 teachers.
Instruments:
Consent forms
surveys
References:
 Agatston, P., Kowalski, R., Limber, S. (2007). Students’ Perspective on Cyber Bullying. Journal
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of Adolescent Health ,41,S59–S60.
Boneva, B.S. (2006). Teenage Communication in the Instant Messaging Era. Information
Technology at Home. Oxford University Press. 612–72.
Brown, K., Margaret, J., Wanda, C. (2006). Cyber Bullying: Developing Policy to Direct
Responses That are Equitable and Effective in Addressing This Special Form of Bullying, 57.
David-Ferdon, C., Feldman-Hertz, M. (2007). Electronic Media,Violence, and Adolescents: An
Emerging Public Health Problem. Journal of Adolescent Health,41 (6), S1-S5.
Dilmac, B. (2009). Psychological Needs as a Predictor of Cyber Bullying: a Preliminary Report
on College Students. Educational Science: Theory and Practice, 9(3), 1307-1325.
Dooley, J.J., Pyzalksi, J., & Cross, D. (2009). Cyber Bullying Versus Face-to-face Bullying. A
Theoretical and Conceptual Review. Journal of Psychology, 217(4),182-188. doi:
10.1027/0044-3409.217.4.182
Feshbach, N., Roe, K. (1968). Empathy in Six- and Seven-Year-Olds. Child Development, 39,1:
133–45.
Gentile, D., Walsh, D. (2002). A Normative Study of Family Media Habits. Applied
Developmental Psychology. 25, 157–78.
Gross, E., Juvonen, J., Gable, S. (2002). Internet Use and Well-Being in Adolescence. Journal
of Social Issues. 58:1, 75–90.
Hinduja, S., Patchin, J. W. (2011). Cyber Bullying: A Review of the Legal Issues Facing
Educators. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 55(2), 7178.
References:
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Hoff, D.L., Shariff, S.(2007). Cyber Bullying: Clarifying Legal Boundaries for School
Supervision in Cyberspace. International Journal of Cyber Criminology 1(1), 76115.
Huesmann, L.R. (1986). Psychological Processes Promoting the Relation between
Exposure to Media Violence and Aggressive Behavior by the Viewer. Journal of Social
Issues 42,125–39.
Kowalski, R.M., Limber, S.P. (2007). Electronic Bullying Among Middle School
Students. Journal of Adolescent Health 41 S22–S30
Krcmar, M., Valkenberg, P. (1999). A Scale to Assess Children’s Moral Interpretations
of Justified and Unjustified Violence and Its Relationship to Television Viewing.
Communication Research. 26:5, 608–34.
Merrell, K., Gueldner, B., Ross, S., & Isava, D. (2008). How Effective are School Bullying
Intervention Programs? A Meta-analysis of Intervention Research. School
Psychology Quarterly, 23(1), 26–42.
Patchin, J. W. & Hinduja, S. (2011). Traditional and Nontraditional Bullying Among
Youth: A Test of General Strain Theory. Youth and Society, 43(2) 727-751..
Raskauskas, J., Stoltz, A.D. (2007). Involvement in Traditional and Electronic Bullying
among Adolescents. Developmental Psychology. 43:3, 564–75.
Siegle, D. (2010). Cyber Bullying and Sexting: Technology Abuses of the 21st
Century. Gifted Child Today, 33(n2) 14-16.
References:
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Smith, P. K., Mahdavi, J., Carvalho, M., Fisher, S., Russell, S., & Tippett, N. (2008). Cyber
Bullying: Its Nature and Impact in Secondary School Pupils. Journal of Child
Psychology and Psychiatry, 49, 376–385.
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Valkenburg, P., Peter, J., Schouten, A. (2006). Friend Networking Sites and Their
Relationship to Adolescents’ Well-Being and Social Self-Esteem. CyberPsychology &
Behavior. 9:5,584–90.
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Willard, N. (2007). The Authority and Responsibility of School Officials in
Responding to Cyberbullying. Journal of Adolescent Health, 41(Suppl):S64–S65.
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Worthen, M. (2007). Education Policy Implication From the Expert Panel on
Electronic Media and Youth Violence. Journal of Adolescent Health, 41,S61–S63
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Ybarra, M., West, M.D., Leaf, P. (2007). Examining the Overlap in Internet Harassment
and School Bullying: Implications for School Intervention. Journal of Adolescent
Health,41:S42–S50.
Appendix A:
Date__________
Principal Consent Form
My name is Alicia Kellier and I am a graduate student at Brooklyn College. I am
currently conducting an action research project that delves into the topic of bullying through the
use of electronic media. I am seeking your permission to conduct interviews through surveys with
the students in your school. The surveys are completely voluntary and would involve a parental
consent letter beforehand.
I assure you that all data that will be collected will only be used for the purpose of my
research paper and will be shared with the students and faculty at Brooklyn College. It is a
completely anonymous survey that will not include the school’s name, teacher’s name, or the names
of the students that participate. The procedure involves the cooperating teacher administering a 10
minute survey to the students that they are to answer openly and honestly. There is no
compensation involved and is strictly to help me garner information for my research.
Your assistance in this academic endeavor is greatly appreciated. Should you require any additional
information please contact me at 718-916-8172.
Permission granted: Yes___________
No___________
Signature__________________________________
Appendix B:
Date__________
Teacher Consent Form
My name is Alicia Kellier and I am a graduate student at Brooklyn College. I am
currently conducting an action research project that delves into the topic of bullying through the
use of electronic media. I am seeking your permission to conduct interviews through surveys with
the students in your class and through you taking a brief survey as well. I have already attained
permission from the principal to interview some teachers, and I seek your permission as well. The
surveys are completely voluntary.
I assure you that all data that will be collected will only be used for the purpose of my
research paper and will only be shared with the students and faculty at Brooklyn College. It is a
completely anonymous survey that will not include the school’s name, or your name. The procedure
involves the cooperating teacher administering a 10 minute survey to the students that they are to
answer openly and honestly. It also involves your participation in a brief survey. There is no
compensation involved and is strictly to help me garner information for my research.
Your assistance in this academic endeavor is greatly appreciated. Should you require any additional
information please contact me at 718-916-8172.
Permission granted: Yes___________
No___________
Signature__________________________________
Appendix C:
Parental Consent Form
My name is Alicia Kellier and I am a graduate student at Brooklyn College. I am
currently conducting an action research project that delves into the topic of bullying through the
use of electronic media. I am seeking your permission to conduct a survey with your child. I have
already attained permission from the principal and your child’s teacher, and I seek your permission
as well. The surveys are completely voluntary and anonymous. It will be conducted in class along
with other students. The survey should take no more than 5-10 minutes.
I assure you that all data that will be collected will only be used for the purpose of my
research paper and will only be shared with the students and faculty at Brooklyn College. It is a
completely anonymous survey that will not include the school’s name, your name, or your child’s
name. The procedure involves the cooperating teacher administering the survey to the students that
they are to answer openly and honestly. There is no compensation involved and is strictly to help
me garner information for my research. Your child’s academic record will not be affected.
Your assistance in this academic endeavor is greatly appreciated. Should you require any additional
information please contact the school or myself at Likellier@aol.com.
Permission granted: Yes___________
No___________
Signature__________________________________ Date______________
Appendix D:
Student Survey
1. Do you have a computer at home?
Yes ____ No____
2. Do you have a cell phone?
Yes ____ No____
3. Do you know what the term bullying means?
Yes ____ No____ Not Sure_____
4.Have you ever bullied another student?
Yes____ No____
maybe_____
5. Have you ever hit anyone on purpose?
Yes____ No____
If yes, how many times? 1___ 2-3 ___ 4+____
6. Have you ever knowingly kicked anyone?
Yes____ No____
If yes, how many times? 1___ 2-3 ___ 4+____
7. Have you ever pushed/slapped/or tripped someone on purpose?
Yes ____ No____
If yes, how many times? 1___ 2-3 ___ 4+____
8. Have you ever seen another student getting bullied?
Yes ____ No ____
If yes have you ever stepped in to help them?
Yes____ No____
Appendix D: (cont’d)
9. Have you ever bullied someone on the internet?
Yes ___ No____
10.Have you ever bullied someone by texting them?
Yes ____ No____
11. Have you ever bullied someone on facebook, youtube, twitter, or myspace?
Yes_____ No ____
12. Do you ever say mean or unkind words to people so you can hurt their feelings?
Yes____ No____ Sometimes___
13. Have you ever participated in bullying someone online?
Yes ____ No____
14. Have you ever been bullied?
Yes____ No____
If yes, how?
Online___ By phone___ in person___
15. How old are you?
______
Appendix E:
Teacher Survey
1. Have you ever witnessed bullying in school?
Yes ____ No ____
If so, how often?
1-3/week___ 4-7/ week___ 8+/week___
2. Do you know any students that have been bullied through the use of electronic media? (i.e., computers, cell phones)
Yes____ No ____
3. Do you think that bullying through the use of electronic media is a problem in schools today?
Yes____ No ____
4. Do you think that traditional forms of bullying is a problem in schools today?
Yes_____ No_______
5. Do you think that it is the obligation of schools to implement rules in regard to traditional forms of bullying?
Yes ____ No ____
6. Do you think that it is the obligation of schools to implement rules in regards to bullying through the use of electronic media?
Yes ____ No ____
7. Whose legal responsibility is it to protect kids from being bullied on the internet? (you may choose more than 1 answer)
Parents____ Teachers____ School administration___ Police___
Whose moral responsibility is it?
Parents____ Teachers____ School administration___ Police___
8. Does your school currently have a plan in place to punish children who are found to have bullied children on the internet or through cell phones?
Yes ___ No___ Don’t know ___
Does your state? Yes____ No ____ Don’t know ____
9. Does your school currently have a plan in place to punish children who are found to have bullied children, through traditional methods, in
schools?
Yes ____ No ___
Does your state? Yes ____ No ____
10. Comments on electronic bullying vs. traditional bullying: