Cyber Bullying:
Prevent. Intervene. Protect
What is bullying?
Bullying is when someone
repeatedly and on purpose says
or does mean or hurtful things
to another person who has a
hard time defending himself or
herself.
Olweus et al. 2007
What is Cyber Bullying?
Cyber Bullying is bullying
through email, instant
messaging (IMing), chat room
exchanges, Web site posts, or
digital messages or images sent
to a cellular phone or personal
digital assistant (PDA).
Kowalski et al. 2008
Cyber
Bullying is
Bullying on
Steroids!
Cyber Bullying can involve:
sending mean or
offensive messages
repeatedly through
emails, IM, texting,
phone messages, chat
room posts, or social-
networking postings
Cyber Bullying can involve:
playing an online game
and ruining the game
for others on purpose
Cyber Bullying can involve:
humiliating people by
posting information
that is not true,
altering photos in an
offensive way, or
making fun of someone
through statements,
photos, or songs
Cyber Bullying can involve:
sending mean or offensive
messages as though they are
from someone else so that
the receiver thinks the
targeted student sent them
Cyber Bullying can involve:
creating Web sites
designed to humiliate
or embarrass others,
such as “slam books”
(Web sites that list
students’ names for other
students to make mean
comments about)
Cyber Bullying can involve:
sharing personal, often
embarrassing, information
about someone that they
would not want shared by
forwarding an email or a
photo to others
Cyber Bullying can involve:
hitting or hurting
someone while
photographing or
videotaping the person,
usually with a cell
phone, and then
sending the photos or
videos to others for
amusement
Cyber Bullying can involve:
tricking someone into
sharing personal information
and then telling others about
it through emails or text
messaging
Cyber Bullying can involve:
leaving someone out of a group by
taking the person off buddy lists or
leaving the person out of password-
protected sites
Cyber Bullying can involve:
sendingthreats intending to harm
someone or encouraging the person
to commit suicide
Let’s see if you are able to identify
what kinds of situations and
online communications could be
considered Cyber Bullying.
Read each of the following situations and
identify if it “is” or “is not” an instance of
Cyber Bullying.
Alicia sends a text message to
Tina telling her that she has a
crush on a boy in her math
class but not to tell anyone.
Tina shows the message to the
boy and sends it to everyone
else in the class.
“Is” or “Is Not” Cyber Bullying?
It is Cyber Bullying.
Reason 1: Tina shares personal
information that Alicia sends to her and
does not want shared.
Reason 2: It is embarrassing and, even
though the message is sent one time, it
really happens over and over every time
someone else receives and reads the
message.
Mike sends links to
inappropriate adult Web
sites to Sophie through email
several times over a few
months, even though she
keeps asking him to stop.
“Is” or “Is Not” Cyber Bullying?
It is Cyber Bullying.
Reason 1: Mike is using
technology to harass her.
Reason 2: Mike continues to do it
even though Sophie has asked him
to stop.
Note: Sophie should tell an adult
immediately! Sexual harassment is
against the law!
Daniel is IMing with
his girlfriend. She is
angry with him and
says some pretty nasty
things to him online.
“Is” or “Is Not” Cyber Bullying?
It is not Cyber Bullying.
Reason 1: The messages
are not repeated.
Reason 2: The messages
are not sent to anyone else.
Let’s summarize….
Both traditional bullying and Cyber
Bullying are very harmful.
CyberBullying can reach and involve
many people very quickly.
Let’s summarize….
People who might not bully
someone face to face might
cyber bully someone because
they can’t be seen and think
they are anonymous.
Let’s summarize….
Traditionalbullying involves an
imbalance of power.
Because those who cyber bully think
they can be anonymous, they might
not really be more physically or
socially powerful.
Let’s summarize….
Traditionalforms of bullying can
cause physical harm and
psychological harm.
In most cases, Cyber Bullying
causes psychological harm.
Let’s summarize….
Traditionalbullying is usually limited
to the people in the immediate area
where the bullying is taking place.
Cyber Bullying can reach many
people immediately – and often the
student who is targeted doesn’t
know who is doing it.
Let’s summarize….
Traditionalbullying usually has a
time and place, such as during lunch
on school grounds.
Cyber Bullying can happen anytime
and anyplace.
Let’s summarize….
Itis usually apparent
who is doing traditional
bullying.
It is often difficult to
find out who is Cyber
Bullying.
What are the warning
signs of Cyber Bullying?
A child may be
experiencing
Cyber Bullying if
he or she…
appears upset after using the
computer or being online.
appears upset after viewing a
text message.
What are the warning
signs of Cyber Bullying?
A child may be experiencing Cyber
Bullying or bullying at school if he or she…
1)…appears sad, moody, or anxious.
2)…avoids school.
3)…withdraws from or shows a lack of
interest in social activities.
4)…experiences a drop in grades or
decline in academic performance.
Students may cyber bully
because…..
They think people won’t know who they
are; they can be anonymous.
They can’t be seen.
They don’t have to see the other
person’s reactions.
They think everybody does it, so it’s no a
big deal.
They like making someone else feel bad.
How does Cyber Bullying
affect students, schools, and
communities?
Current research suggests that
students involved in Cyber Bullying,
are more likely to….
◦ be anxious
◦ be depressed
◦ have low self-esteem
◦ have lower grades
◦ have higher absenteeism rates
◦ Kowalski et al. 2008
How does Cyber Bullying
affect students, schools, and
communities?
Cyber Bullying affects everyone.
You may be a part of Cyber Bullying
even if you don’t know it. For
example, if you’ve forwarded an
email that makes fun of someone
to one or more friends, that is
considered Cyber Bullying.
How does Cyber Bullying
affect students, schools, and
communities?
Cyber Bullying can also affect other
people in the Bullying Circle.
Those students who bully and are
allowed to continue their behavior
are also affected.
Everyone has the right to live
his or her life without being
bullied or harassed by
someone else. It is important
to understand that even if
someone cyber bullies another
person as a joke, it may not
be a joke to the person who is
being bullied.
Help students know what to
DO FIRST.
Do not retaliate.
Off your buddy list.
Help students know what to
DO FIRST.
Figure out who it is.
Ignore it.
Respond after you think about it
carefully.
Save the evidence
Tell an adult.
