Cyber bullying occurs when new technologies such as computers and mobile phones are used to harass or bully somebody. I don’t have a whole lot of experience with problems associated with cyber bullying due to the lack of time I spend on the internet. If I am on the World Wide Web I am surfing the internet, I don’t use the web for the social aspect of it such as: Facebook, Myspace, or online chatting.
Cyber bullying has picked up steam in recent years, owing to the rise of sites like MySpace that make it simple to build nameless web pages that can be used to harrass others. But the definition of cyber bullying is actually broad enough to encompass all forms of electronic harassment, including text messaging, instant messaging, and e-mail. School officials do not have control over what students do outside of school, but, as the First Amendment states, even this issue is complicated. Students who threaten or harass other students using school equipment or during school time can be reported and in severe trouble, but even students who do such things from home face the possibility of severe consequences. The bottom line is that this is a tough issue to handle with a large grey area.
If I were to create a plan to help out with the problems we face with cyber bullying I would start off by raising student’s and parents’ awareness of what cyber bullying is and why it is so harmful. I would equip students with the skills and resources to treat each other respectfully when they use cyber technologies; and help students know how to get help if they, or others they know, are being cyber bullied. Lastly I would provide students with the skills to use cyber technologies in positive ways.
Hi Scott,
ReplyDeleteI think educating kids about cyberbullying and giving them clear expectation about the behaviors you expect from them when using technology is a great, proactive way to prevent as many problems as possible. I think your classroom is also going to be a place of safety, and that will help your students know that you expect your classroom environment to transfer over into how they interact with each other on the net.