“It’s the new bathroom wall.” The old days when mean things were scrawled on the bathroom wall have gone high tech. The new “bathroom wall” reaches the whole world: It’s cyberspace—and it can’t be painted over. The Internet, social media, texting on cell phones, digital cameras, and more make it quick and easy to distribute pictures, information, and personal opinions to millions.
When those thoughts and images are intended to hurt or harass someone, it’s called cyberbullying—and it’s everywhere. More than 80 percent of teens report being bullied while using technology. The fact that the bullying is broadcast to the world can make it hard to escape. Even home, once a haven from bullying, can be infiltrated with threats and attacks with the click of a mouse or the tap of a “send” button.
It’s complex new territory for teen and parents alike. So what can you do? Parents and teens (or tweens) can work together to set rules before getting that first cell phone or creating that first social media account. Just as there are rules for going to the mall and curfews for staying out late, there need to be rules for how to handle cyberbullying. Parental overreactions, such as taking away the cell phone, may be well intentioned, but they don’t address the bullying and may make teens hesitant to tell their parents about what’s going on.
While some kinds of bullying can be covert and outside an adult’s awareness, cyberbullying is very public and overt. While cyberbullying can be very painful, the up side is that it leaves a trail of evidence that can document the problem and be used to hold the person who’s bullying accountable. If you are aware of cyberbullying, print the offending Internet page, save the texts, and keep a record of how technology is being used to hurt, intimidate, and harass. Such proof can be very powerful in addressing the situation.
Handling cyberbullying is not as easy as painting over the scrawl on the bathroom wall, but it can be managed. The first step is learning what you can do. Visit http://PACERTeensAgainstBullying.org and click on Respond>Bullying: Unplugged.
THE END OF BULLYING BEGINS WITH YOU! Founded in 2006, PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center actively leads social change, so that bullying is no longer considered an accepted childhood rite of passage. PACER provides innovative resources for students, parents, educators, and others, and recognizes bullying as a serious community issue that impacts education, physical and emotional health, and the safety and well-being of students.
Author
- Julie Hertzog, Director, PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center
- PACER became involved in bullying prevention efforts in response to research that indicated students with disabilities are bullied at a significantly higher rate than their peers. While many of PACER's resources have an emphasis on students with disabilities—they are designed to by used by all students—those with disabilities and those without disabilities; those that are bullied, those that witness bullying and those that bully.
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My 9th grade focus group plans to take on this topic and to air out some feelings, experiences, impressions, and talk through a few strategies. Your website is going to be very helpful. One thing we began to discuss is the permission we give bullies to continue their hurtful and damaging behavior is when nothing is said in opposition. Sometimes "saying" is giving a disapproving look, verbal acceptance of the victim, and even calling out the BULLY POLICE -- protests by peers and adults who could impose sanctions/meaningful interventions against the bully. Sympathetic students must be willing to stand up on behalf of the bullied student more than once until the bully finds no alies or supporters. Well this is the approach my 9th graders want to take as an action on behalf of the student being bullied and strategies that decrease buylling.
ReplyDeleteBullying goes both ways. There is an overt "pecking order" within people who have disabling conditions as well. They will sometimes be bullies because they can get away with it. Who would suspect them? Sad, but true.
ReplyDeleteGroup dynamics are such that those who bully, have likely, also been bullied at sometime. This is a reality for some. People truly interested in correcting this situation need to be aware of that balance.