What Students Need to Know About Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is the act of harassing another person via the Internet. This may include sending threats, taunting, sexual harassment, or posting negative comments to one's social networking website. With the numbers of young people engaging in social networking increasing, it is important to teach students to address cyberbullying properly.
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Define Cyberbullying
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Many students may not recognize what cyberbullying is and inadvertently engage in it. Teach them that harassment of another individual online in a way that makes them uncomfortable constitutes cyberbullying. Demonstrate this by mirroring real life examples with those that occur online. For example, you and another teacher may act out a student teasing another student in class and simulate doing so online. State that teasing online is the same as teasing in person. List the ways that students may harass others online, including making negative comments on another's photos.
Privacy Settings
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Students should be aware that they may be the victims of cyberbullying by people they do not know. As such, include a lesson on establishing appropriate privacy settings. Students should note that their profile on any social networking site should be viewable by friends and family only. Teach them to limit the types of photos they post and the privacy settings on their photos. Facebook, for example, allows other users to view your photo albums, even if they are not your friend, by default. Teach students to change their privacy settings so that their albums and profile pictures are viewable to friends or family only.
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How to React to Cyberbullying
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There are a number of initial reactions one may have when realizing they are being cyberbullied. However, students should know that they should not also engage in the bullying by retaliating. Teach students to block a person from their buddy or friend lists immediately following the incident. They should also tell a parent or teacher if they believe they have been harassed online by someone whether they know the person or not.
Other Steps to Take
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Teach students steps to take in the event they experience continuous cyberbullying. Students should take screen shots of negative comments or other incidences of cyberbullying, for example. They should also print out any emails or harassing conversations as evidence. They may also create new accounts and ensure that only approved friends and family members can locate them. Lastly, they should document the time and date the cyberbullying occurred in order to show school administration or other authorities.
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References
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