Schools can help protect children from cyberbullying

Cyberbullying occurs, most often, outside the school gates, but ignoring it is preparing fertile ground for other forms of bullying inside the school gates.

Cyberbullying, happening mostly via mobile phone and the internet, is an increasingly distressing form of covert bullying, and according to NetSafe’s John Fenaughty and Sean Lyons, ignoring its existence often sees it escalate to overt and physically harmful bullying

Presenting at four recent CORE Education Breakfast Seminars (Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington and Hamilton), they said evidence shows that schools which deal strongly with overt bullying, but not covert bullying, are laying fertile grounds for cyberbullying to grow.

“If you know you will be dealt with strongly if you hit someone, students might think twice, but where you know you can send harmful texts and nothing happens, the problem grows. Schools have to make sure they do not set themselves up for this problem,” Sean says.

NetSafe's research now indicates that cyberbullying is one of the most commonly distressing challenges faced by New Zealand young people, making it a critical issue for educators to understand.

It is also recognised that phone bullying is more distressing than internet bullying, although it appears internet bullying is more prevalent than text abuse. “Young people perceive their phone is linked to their identity. On the internet messages can be blocked more easily; on a phone they come direct to you,” explains John.

Whole community solution

“The solution has to involve everybody, it needs a community, multi-stacked approach. This involves the school, teachers, parents and children.” Sean says the first step is for schools to develop a definition of what cyberbullying is and what it means.

“Parents and students have their role in this too, what does it look like and mean to them.”

Once everyone knows what the problem looks like, it is no longer anonymous, and everyone can begin to recognise the issues.

The next step is a clear policy and process around what will happen when cyberbullying occurs. “It's not just about having a cyber safety policy; it’s about connecting that policy with a procedure. And it’s a procedure where everyone has a role and needs to know what that role is.”

At the CORE Breakfast Seminars, teachers and school leaders spoke of feeling like their hands are tied since so much does happen outside of the school. However, research also shows that more than half of children who are cyberbullied are being attacked by someone from their own school.

“There are great opportunities for schools to take action. There is an armour of legislation to empower us to protect kids outside of school,” John adds.

Both John and Sean spoke strongly about taking a step back and looking at, guiding and teaching students to be good digital citizens. “We all have rights in this space, but we also all have responsibilities. That culture needs to be developed inside the school in useful and useable way.” This includes a shift away from protecting students to increasing their active participation in their own cybersafety.

As a teacher, how can you help protect your students?

• Cyberbullying requires a whole-school approach—as a teacher you can advocate for this
• Talk to your students, survey them or use an honesty drop-box system to find out what their issues really are
• Talk to your class about group dynamics, how they relate to each other about what is actually happening
• Teach them the importance of the bystander in bullying situations. The actions taken by bystanders can be huge, and students need to understand that social control can change what happens
• Understand the issues from the perspective of the student
• Don’t blame them or threaten to take away their technology if they engage in cyberbullying. By doing this you are taking away their access to their support networks
• Help them understand exactly what is happening and why
• Talk to them clearly about the next step. What will happen in the process and what their part in that is
• Talk about strategies they can use to help manage the problem.

Resources

Netsafe have developed www.mylgp.org.nz as a practical resource for schools and teachers, including lesson ideas to combat cyberbullying. It is also a platform where teachers can create and share content around digital safety. The NetSafe website is also a valuable resource 

Another resource advocated by Netsafe is from the Office of the Children’s Commissioner by Dr Janice Carroll-Lind: School Safety – An enquiry into the safety of students at school. 

Other useful Sites:

Cyberbullying - Information and Advice

Wellbeing at School - Building a safe and caring school climate that deters bullying