Cyberbullyinginformationandadvice

forteachersandprincipals

Theinformationinthisguideappearsonlineathttp://www.cyberbullying.org.nz/teachers/

Whatiscyberbullying?

Cyberbullyingisbullying.It'susingtheinternet,amobilephoneorothertechnologylikea
digitalcameratohurtsomebodyorembarrassthem.

Whatdoescyberbullyinginvolve?

Bullyingin'cyberspace'coverstheuseoftheinternetorotherdeviceslikemobilephones,
camerasorgameconsolestodoanyofthefollowing:

Sendanonymoustextsorpicturemessagestoamobilephone
Postnastyorthreateningcommentsonthevictimssocialnetworkingprofileon
popularwebsiteslikeBeboandFacebook
Hackexistingwebsiteaccountsorcreatefakeprofilesforpeopletheywantto
intimidateorembarrass.
Circulatephotosorvideosofpeopletheyaretargetingthesecanberealimagesor
digitallyalteredtocauseoffenceorembarrassthevictim.
Scareorembarrasstheirvictimsandvictimsmayfeelupsetorashamed.
Spreadrumoursortrytoisolateothersusingthisnewtechnology.

Howiscyberbullyingdifferenttootherformsofbullying?

Cyberbullyingisbullying.Butwherefacetofacebullyingendedwhenthetargetgothome
fromschoolorwork,cyberbulliescanusetheinternetortheirmobiletocontinueattackson
victimsatanytimeofthedayornight.

Youngpeoplearegrowingupwithaccesstomoreandmoretechnology,oftenusingthe
internetandmobilesasthemainwaytoreachfriends.Ifthreatscontinueoutsideofschool
itmaymakethetargetfeelliketheresnoescape.

Ifmessagesaresentanonymouslythiscanmakethebullyingfeelmoreintimidating.Andif
thebullyingoccursonlinetheharassmentcanbeintensified,especiallyifpublichatepages
orembarrassingvideosarepassedaroundtheschoolcommunity.

Iscyberbullyingabigdeal?

Yes,verymuchso.In2007,around20%ofsecondaryschoolstudentsintheYouth2007
studyreportedtheyhadbeencyberbulliedinthepastyear.

Theeffectsofcyberbullying
Studentswhowerebulliedwerearound3timesmorelikelytobeanxiousanddepressed
thanstudentswhodidnotreportbeingtargetedbybullying(Youth2000study).

UKresearch(Smith,2008)foundthattheeffectsofcyberbullyingweresimilartofaceto
facebullying,andthatsomecases(i.e.,thoseinvolvingvideosofthetarget)maybeworse
thanfacetofacebullyingexperiences.Theallday/allnightpotentialofcyberbullyingcan
beassociatedwithparticularlyhighdistressandnegativestudentoutcomes.

Cyberbullyingandthelaw
Cyberbullyingcanbeacriminaloffenceunderarangeofdifferentlaws,includingsections
249252oftheCrimesAct.TheageofcriminalresponsibilityinNewZealandis10years.If
youngpeoplecommitanoffencetheymayfacewarnings,policediversions,oraFamily
GroupConference.Youngpeopleover16whocommitanoffencearetreatedasadultsby
thecourts.

EducationLawinNewZealand(EducationAct1998)includestheNationalAdministrative
Guideline5,whichsaysthatschoolsaretoprovideasafephysicalandemotional
environmentforstudents.Thisincludesaddressingbehaviours(suchascyberbullying)that
occuroutsideschoolbutwhichhaveimplicationsforstudentswellbeingwhileatschool.

WhatcanIdotopreventcyberbullyingamongstmystudents?

Cyberbullyingisbullying.Applyschoolpolicyonbullyingtocyberbullying.

UsetheLetsFightitAllTogetherandAtaDistanceresourcestoaddresscyberbullyingwith
yourstudents.

RegisterforyourfreeDVDathttp://www.cyberbullying.org.nz/order.php

Classroominterventions

Continuetopromotesafeandresponsibleuseoftechnologyinyourlearning
environment
Developaclasscontractwithyourstudentsthatincludesappropriatebehaviour
online/onmobilebothinsideandoutsideofschooltime.
EnsureallstudentsunderstandyourschoolsICTUseAgreements(templatesare
availablefromNetSafe).

Makesureparentsandcaregiversareinformedaboutwhatcyberbullyingmeansand
thatitisnottoleratedamongyourstudents.
Createapledgeinyourclassroomtobepositivebystanders

FormoreadviceonstayingsafeonlineseeourNetBasicswebsiteandlinkstopopularNew
Zealandwebsitesandservicesathttp://www.cyberbullying.org.nz/links.php

Are'bystanders'important?

Bystandersarepeoplewhodonotstartabullyingsituationbutseeithappening.

Bystanderscanhelporhinderbullyingsituations.

75%ofpeer(bystander)actionsinaUKstudy(OConnell,Pepler,&Craig,1999)were
successfulinstoppingbullying.

The4typesofbystander
Therearefourtypesofbystanders(Salmivalli,1999):

*Assistants:joininonbullyingandhelpthebully
*Reinforcers:laughandencouragethebullybutdontpersonallyattackthetarget
*Outsiders:dontgetinvolved,butseeithappen
*Defenders:Trytostopthebullyingonbehalfofthetarget

Howbystanderscanhelp

Defenderscanbeveryeffectiveinaddressingcyberbullyingsituations.Cyberbullying
defenderscanavoidthephysicaldangersofinterveninginfacetofacebullyingsituations.

Bystanderscaninterveneanonymouslybytellingsomeone/reportingabuseandsecretly
bytalkingdirectlytothetargetwithoutanaudience.

Bystanderstoacyberbullyingsituationhelpthepersonbeingbulliedbylettingthemknow
thattheysupportthem.

Bystanderscansavetheevidenceofthebullyingandreportthebullyingtosomeonewho
canhelp(e.g.,aprincipalatschool,aparentorcaregiver,etc.).

Whatdoprincipalsandteacherssay?

Finally,aresourcethatreflectsNewZealandschoolsandtherealitythatourkidsfacein
the21stCentury.'AtaDistance'isanexcellentclassroomresourcefromwhichtoinitiate
discussionswithchildren.Itclearlyshowschildrenacceptablestrategiestodealwith

cyberbullyingandbullyingingeneral.'AtaDistance'sitswellwiththe'KeepingOurselves
Safe'resource.

DonBiltcliff.Year5/6Teacher,MangereBridgeSchool,Auckland

Bullyingisaseriousissueinallschools.Cyberbullyingisaninsidiousmethodofdestroyinga
youngpersonsconfidenceandsenseofwellbeing.ThisDVDoffersapractical,compelling
resourceforteacherstousetoengageclassesinunderstanding,discussingandaddressing
theissuesofcyberbullying.Ihighlyrecommendit.

DavidLett,DeputyPrincipalMountRoskillGrammarSchool,NetSafeBoardMember

AtaDistancestandinguptocyberbullying

WatchtheNewZealandmadeshortfilmaboutcyberbullyingat
http://www.cyberbullying.org.nz/atadistancefilm/.

AllNewZealandstateandstateintegratedschoolscanregistertoreceivefreecopiesofthe
'Let'sFightitTogether'and'AtaDistance'filmsonDVD,alongwiththecompanionresource
packs.

Pleaseregisteryourdetailsathttp://www.cyberbullying.org.nz/order.php.Youcanalso
watchtheUKshortfilmLet'sFightitTogether',createdbyChildnetInternational,at
http://www.digizen.org/cyberbullying/fullFilm.aspx.