How Educators Can Combat Bullying

Bullying has always been a problem among kids, both face-to-face and with every communication medium they have access to from paper, to the playground, to the mobile phone to the Internet. Recent media attention to cyberbullying (which includes harassment via texts, email, and social media) sometimes implies that bullying is new. As you know, its not. Bullying has long been a problem. The behavior is the same. The way they do it has changed. We think that online behaviors like bullying are simply a reflection of whats going on between kids offline. Because adults typically only see the online instances, they may think that the mediums that connect kids are the problem. Online media can magnify the problem, because they have the ability to reach a broader audience, but it doesnt create the problem. However, because online bullying can happen faster and travel farther, it requires quick acts of good online citizenship from educators and from students themselves to prevent or at least reduce the problem. Facebook is committed to addressing instances of bullying that occur on its site, but any online measure must be combined with appropriate offline education and reinforcement from parents, teachers and friends.

Bullying at School
School yard bullying has always been an issue, but the use of the Internet and social media is a game changer. Cyberbullying is defined as bullying that incorporates texting, email, websites, the Internet and social media. Because of the viral nature of social media, educators need to realize that this form of bullying multiplies and magnifies very rapidly. Immediate steps need to be taken once cyberbullying starts to occur. Facebook recognizes that teachers need to know what steps to take if they see evidence of cyberbullying, just as they would if they saw inappropriate behavior in the cafeteria or school hallways. Its important to talk with students about thinking before they post, and about standing up for anyone they may see being targeted by bullies--online or off.

Learn More: www.FacebookForEducators.org

Teaching Digital Responsibility

We want to emphasize the need for educators to talk with their students about appropriate online behavior, and to take rapid action to head off instances of bullying online, just as they would if they saw inappropriate behavior in the cafeteria or school hallways. For this reason we advocate that your school develop a social media policy so that students, parents and teachers are clear on what behavior is and isnt acceptable. This may be difficult for students. But with teaching and encouragement, we believe young people can rise to the challenge. In the event that legal action is taken, online services and Internet Service Providers can be required to provide identity information to the proper authorities. These online traces can be used as evidence against students if they are involved in cyberbullying. Responsible digital citizenship is no different than the responsibility that we have offline to be good citizens and protect the welfare of our students when emotional or physical harm is being inflicted.

Facebook Pages Bullying Resources for Educators

Facebook Safety StopBullying.Gov No Name Calling Week GLSEN BullyBust BullyingUK Cyberbullying Research Center ConnectSafely.org

http://www.facebook.com/fbsafety http://www.facebook.com/StopBullying.Gov http://www.facebook.com/nonamecallingweek http://www.facebook.com/GLSEN http://www.facebook.com/upstander http://www.facebook.com/BullyingUK http://www.facebook.com/cyberbullyingresear ch http://www.facebook.com/connectsafely

Learn More: www.FacebookForEducators.org

Reporting Bullying on Facebook

Facebook recognizes that teachers need to know what steps to take if they see evidence of cyberbullying, just as they would if they saw inappropriate behavior in the cafeteria or school hallways. Its important to talk with students about thinking before they post, and about standing up for anyone they may see being targeted by bullies--online or off. If bullying takes place on Facebook, you can report it here: https://www.facebook.com/help/?page=178608028874393 If physical threats are made, you should immediately notify appropriate local law enforcement agencies. For information about what behavior is allowed and not allowed on Facebook, please read the Facebook Community Standards.

Learn More About Facebook for Educators

You can learn more about using Facebook in the classroom by downloading our free Facebook for Educators guide. You can find it at www.FacebookforEducators.org or in the Facebook Safety Center (https://www.facebook.com/safety/groups/teachers/). Our website, www.FacebookForEducators.org, has printable handouts for you to use in your classroom and professional development needs. Be sure to visit and Like our Facebook for Educators Page (https://www.facebook.com/FBforEducators) to get the latest news, handouts and best practices for teaching in the digital age.

About the Authors Derek E. Baird, M.A. | http://www.debaird.net/ Derek is best known for his work in educational media, online community & understanding how kids, parents and teachers use the social web. Linda Fogg Phillips | http://facebookforparents.org/ Linda is the mother of eight children ranging in ages from 12 27. She is the recognized Facebook expert for parents and educators. She is an Author and Public Speaker. BJ Fogg, Ph.D. | http://bjfogg.com/ Behavior psychologist BJ Fogg, Ph.D., directs a research lab at Stanford and teaches courses related to Facebook. Fortune named him one of the "10 New Gurus You Should Know." Learn More: www.FacebookForEducators.org