Dr. Patricia Agatston
www.cyberbullyhelp.com

As we increasingly embrace technology we hear more warnings about potential problems.  While it is true that many emergent technologies can have an unforeseen dark side, techno panic does little to empower youth or their parents.  This is particularly true in the area of cyber bullying.  While it is not uncommon to hear in the media that there is now an epidemic of cyber bullying, the reality is that scholarly research suggests that traditional bullying still occurs more frequently than cyber bullying among youth, and that youth themselves view traditional bullying as a greater threat than cyber bullying.   Interesting new research presented at the 2010 International Bullying Prevention Association Conference by psychologists Dan Olweus and Susan Limber finds that the majority of youth who are targeted by cyber bullying have also experienced traditional bullying.  Thus, in many cases we are not dealing with a youth who is being targeted out of the blue, but with a child who is being bullied in multiple ways, with cyber bullying being a newer methodology that has been added to the mix.  This is not to suggest that cyber bullying should be minimized, but that it should be recognized as an additional form of bullying (like verbal bullying or shunning) that in severe cases can both intensify and escalate the experience of being bullied.  Keep in mind that while adults tend to separate the online and offline worlds, for many youth it is simply bullying that happens wherever they happen to be socializing.

While there are some unique features to cyber bullying such as increased accessibility and the potential to engage in bullying anonymously, there are also many similarities to traditional bullying.  These similarities should help direct educators and parents to apply what we know to be “best practices” in bullying prevention and adapt them in the following ways to address cyber bullying (Kowalski, Limber and Agatston, 2008):

1. Assess Cyber Bullying – Effective bullying prevention programs begin with an assessment of the problem.  Schools need to incorporate assessment of electronic aggression in to their efforts to assess bullying at the local school level.  A key to effective assessment however is to adequately define cyber bullying.   Such assessment can look at gender and grade level trends, as well as the medium and site (on campus /off campus) where most electronic aggression is occurring.
2. Develop Clear Policies – Policies should address on-campus and off campus acts that have or could have a substantial disruption on student learning or safety.
3. Provide staff training – Just as we need training of staff to adequately address bullying behavior and encourage positive bystander behavior (and at a broader sense “citizenship”) we need to incorporate staff training on preventing and responding to cyber bullying as well as the broader topic of encouraging positive digital citizenship.
4. Spend Class Time on the Topic of Cyber Bullying and Positive Digital Citizenship- Even youth in our focus groups (Kowalski et al, 2008) suggested that students be introduced to these topics at a young age and that it be discussed in the classroom.  Classroom discussions should be part of the regularly held discussions on bullying and cover such topics as (a) defining cyber bullying (b) school policies and rules regarding cyber bullying(c) how to report cyber bullying behavior (d) how to best respond to cyber bullying behavior (e) the bystander role as it applies to cyber bullying.
5. Teach Students Online “Netiquette, Safe Use of Social Media, and How to Monitor Their Online Reputation – These skills are vital as technology is increasingly being incorporated into most career paths.    These lessons can be infused throughout the curriculum where appropriate.  Discussions can take place when using technology in the classroom as well as when addressing career and college guidance.
6. Train and Utilize Student Mentors – Effective prevention programming includes incorporating youth leadership – particularly to address school climate issues.  Making use of student leadership sends a strong message to other youth and also recognizes that the peer group often has more legitimacy than the teacher in addressing social issues.
7. Parent/Community /School Partnerships – Everyone has a role to play in encouraging positive digital citizenship.  Schools need to partner with parents and community organizations in making sure that we provide a consistent message about the responsible and ethical use of technology.

Kowalski, R., Limber, S., & Agatston, P.  (2008). Cyber Bullying: bullying in the digital age. Malden, MA. Wiley-Blackwell.