Cyberbullying is no easy task to talk about, yet it is one of the most talked about things in our society. It has the power to make people feel insignificant, small, and unloved. It has the power to embarrass, belittle, and take the lives of those we love, leaving us shattered and in pain wondering why we didn’t notice the signs. But, if we help to spread awareness, in our schools, and in our communities, while having strong support groups of parents, teachers, and students, then maybe we can change the impact cyberbullying has on others.
During the early part of each school year, we teachers are required to teach some form of cyberbullying and let students know that it is not cool to do. We share videos of those who have taken their lives because of it, and we have discussions in our Advisory class to talk about those tough conversations. We define it, look at examples of it, and sometimes there are tears shed for those we’ve lost. The Principal even comes on over the intercom to talk about it as well. It is something that is difficult to talk about because we all know it’s wrong, but yet still do it without even noticing.
According to Hinduja and Patchin (2015) many educators feel that they aren’t fit to teach this type of stuff nor do they even know where to place it in the curriculum. But, even though a lot of school don’t have the resources (Hinduja & Patchin, 2015) it is up to us to teach it. In today’s society, students will eventually come across the dark corners of the web, and what they do next, depends on the education they receive (Hinduja & Patchin, 2015).
31% of students get bullied in the classroom, while 11.4% are bullied outside of school (Brewer & Kerslake, 2015) and 11.5% are bullied by multiple sources while 40% don’t even know the identity of their of the bully. If we as teachers and parents, by getting them involved, can find ways to promote safe, online practices by teaching and informing students by establishing clear rules and guidelines, then we can maintain a safe and respectful school climate (Hindjua & Patchin, 2015). There are also many ways to promote proper use while getting the students involved as well.
By law, it is required that we get involved immediately when cyberbullying is presented. But we as educators can only do so much. By doing other things like teaching students to think before they post, tell relatable stories to have them connect, and seek help from professionals, then we can be on the right track towards positive online interaction.
As previously stated, cyberbullying is one of, if not the toughest conversation to have with your children and students in education. But if we can continue to spread awareness online, in our communities and schools, and get the support of parents while getting other students involved, then hopefully we can save the lives of those who don’t think it is worth living. Hopefully there we can make positive social change, and make cyberbullying a thing of the past.
References
Brewer, G., & Kerslake, J. (2015) Cyberbullying, self-esteem, empathy and loneliness. Computers in Human Behavior Retrieved from Brewer_Cyberbullying_Self-esteem_Empathy_Loneliness.pdf
Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J.W. (2015) Bullying beyond the school yard Preventing and responding to cyberbullying Chp. 6 Preventing Cyberbullying 143-184
Let Them Learn 