Bullying in Schools: Part 3: How to Prevent Bullying Outside of Schools

Our last post addressed bullying prevention strategies and methodologies within schools and in educational environments. However, it’s important to remember that bullying doesn’t occur exclusively on school grounds, and it isn’t something that schools should handle on their own. There are many different types and causes of bullying; thus, it is critical to use multiple approaches^[1] to create effective bullying solutions. Students, parents, and community members should get involved in anti-bullying initiatives, whether the bullying is taking place in or outside of school. When everyone gets involved in bullying prevention^[2], a community creates a much more effective bullying solution.

Teaching Children and Teens to Avoid and Prevent Neighborhood Bullying

• • Teach Kids to Treat Others With Respect: Parents and teachers should instill in younger generations a philosophy of understanding and teach them to treat everyone with respect^[3]. If children are taught to stop and think before they act in a way that could hurt someone, they are less likely to bully others^[4].
• • Talk about Bullying: Children and teens should be encouraged to talk to adults about bullying, and adults should maintain an open door policy so that children know they have someone they can talk to. Speaking to an adult^[5] can prevent a student from feeling alone and help them develop strategies to combat bullying.
• • Educate Children about Cyberbullying: StopBullying.gov^[6] reminds teens that bullying “can happen anywhere, including through texting, the internet, and social media.” Electronics are now fairly ubiquitous in children of all ages, so it’s critical to teach children early what cyberbullying is, what it looks like, and how they can fight back against it. Equip them with strategies to protect themselves against cyberbullying^[7], such as keeping passwords secret from peers and thinking about what they post and who might see it. As an added protection, parents should always monitor what their children are doing online.
• • Remind Students to Be More than a Bystander: Children and teens can be a vital part of stopping bullying by standing up for others. According to Bullying.org^[8], when peers intervene on behalf of a bullying victim, 57% of the time the bully stops within 10 seconds of the intervention.

Parents Play a Significant Role in Bullying Prevention

• • Know the Signs: Parents have a lot of power to help their children prevent and stop bullying^[9]. Adults should know the signs of bullying and acknowledge them when they manifest. For more information, see Part 1 of our bullying series, Know the Signs of Bullying.
• • Communication is Key: It is crucial for parents to communicate with their children, especially about bullying and cyberbullying. When these important conversations happen, children are more likely to report bullying to their parents, and they are less likely to become bullies themselves.
• • Listen to the Victim: According to cfchildren.org^[10], most bullying victims do not approach a parent or trusted adult with a bullying problem because they are afraid that the adult will not believe or support them. So if a child reports that they have been bullied, parents should listen and seriously consider their children’s words. They should never blame the victim or suggest that the child instigated the bullying. Ultimately, parents should ensure that home is a safe haven for their children, as noted by GreatSchools.org^[11].
• • If Your Child Bullies: Parents or caregivers of bullies can also help stop bullying^[12]. It may be difficult for a parent to recognize these signs in a child, but proactive action is critical in stopping such negative behavior. If their child is bullying, parents should take several proactive steps, including holding them accountable and investigating potential causes for the bullying.

A Community Anti-Bullying Effort

• • Getting Everyone Involved: Because bullying can occur anytime and anyplace, teachers, guidance counselors, health and mental health professionals, police departments, businesses, and others in the community should be invested in anti-bullying initiatives. As more facets of a community become involved, the support system grows stronger and students will be more likely to report bullying issues^[13]. According to the Stop Bullying Now^[14] program, , “[c]ommunity-wide strategies can help identify and support children who are bullied; redirect the behavior of children who bully; and change the attitudes of adults and youth who tolerate bullying behaviors in peer groups, schools and communities.” With school administrators and community leaders spearheading the initiatives, the community can collaborate and educate one another^[15] about the causes and effects of bullying. A common belief is often that bullying is “just a part of growing up,” but a community can foster a culture that dispels this myth.
• • Recognizing Children as Part of the Community: It’s important to keep children and teens involved in community bullying prevention programs^[16] at every stage of planning, implementation, and evaluation. By keeping young people involved in anti-bullying initiatives, adults can get a glimpse into the world of teens and children, thus obtaining a better understanding of what may work to prevent bullying in their community.

A Comprehensive Bullying Solution

Even with community involvement, determining the best approach to prevent bullying can be a difficult undertaking. Surveys can anonymously identify perceptions about bullying and give key stakeholders in the schools and community a representative idea of what specific kinds of bullying are happening in their area. This data can help administrators select the program that will be most useful for specific groups of children and teens in the school and in the community.

Overall, it’s clear that efforts to stop bullying must come from all sides^[17]. This may seem like a daunting task, but when individuals and groups across a community get involved, anti-bullying initiatives are much more likely to succeed. By fostering collaboration between children and adults, bullying inside and outside of school can be more effectively combated and prevented.

[1] “Working in the Community.” StopBullying.gov. Retrieved from http://www.stopbullying.gov/prevention/in-the-community/index.html on April 26, 2016.

[2] “School and Community Prevention and Intervention.” PromotePrevent.org. Retrieved from http://preventingbullying.promoteprevent.org/school-and-community-prevention-and-intervention on April 26, 2016.

[3] “What You Can Do.” StopBullying.gov. Retrieved from http://www.stopbullying.gov/kids/what-you-can-do/index.html on April 26, 2016.

[4] “What You Can Do.” StopBullying.gov. Retrieved from http://www.stopbullying.gov/kids/what-you-can-do/index.html on April 26, 2016.

[5] “What You Can Do.” StopBullying.gov. Retrieved from http://www.stopbullying.gov/kids/what-you-can-do/index.html on April 26, 2016.

[6] “Teens.” StopBullying.gov. Retrieved from http://www.stopbullying.gov/what-you-can-do/teens/index.html on April 26, 2016.

[7] “What You Can Do.” StopBullying.gov. Retrieved from http://www.stopbullying.gov/kids/what-you-can-do/index.html on April 26, 2016.

[8] “Bullying Myths and Facts.” Bullying.org. Retrieved from http://www.bullyingawarenessweek.org/pdf/Bullying.org_Bullying_Myths-Facts.pdf on April 26, 2016.

[9] “Parents.” StopBullying.gov. Retrieved from http://www.stopbullying.gov/what-you-can-do/parents/index.html on April 26, 2016.

[10] “Why Don’t Kids Report Bullying?” Committee for Children. Retrieved from http://www.cfchildren.org/bullying-prevention/related-articles/why-kids-dont-report-bullying on April 26, 2016.

[11] “What Parents Can Do About Childhood Bullying.” GreatSchools.org. Retrieved from http://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/what-parents-can-do-about-childhood-bullying/ on April 26, 2016.

[12] “What Parents Can Do About Childhood Bullying.” GreatSchools.org. Retrieved from http://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/what-parents-can-do-about-childhood-bullying/ on April 26, 2016.

[13] “Community-Based Bullying Prevention: Tips for Community Members.” Stop Bulling Now! Retrieved from http://www.clayton.k12.ga.us/departments/bullying/Rscs/Community%20Based%20Prevention%20Tips.pdf on April 26, 2016.

[14] “Community-Based Bullying Prevention: Tips for Community Members.” Stop Bulling Now! Retrieved from http://www.clayton.k12.ga.us/departments/bullying/Rscs/Community%20Based%20Prevention%20Tips.pdf on April 26, 2016.

[15] “Community-Based Bullying Prevention: Tips for Community Members.” Stop Bulling Now! Retrieved from http://www.clayton.k12.ga.us/departments/bullying/Rscs/Community%20Based%20Prevention%20Tips.pdf on April 26, 2016.

[16] “Community-Based Bullying Prevention: Tips for Community Members.” Stop Bulling Now! Retrieved from http://www.clayton.k12.ga.us/departments/bullying/Rscs/Community%20Based%20Prevention%20Tips.pdf on April 26, 2016.

[17] “Community-Based Bullying Prevention: Tips for Community Members.” Stop Bulling Now! Retrieved from http://www.clayton.k12.ga.us/departments/bullying/Rscs/Community%20Based%20Prevention%20Tips.pdf on April 26, 2016.

Bullying in Schools: Part 2: Preventing Bullying and Anti-Bullying Resources

In our last post, we discussed the signs and symptoms of bullying. Just looking out for the signs, however, is probably not enough to prevent bullying in any school. It is important to assess the prevalence of bullying, engage parents and students, create adequate anti-bullying policies and rules, build a safe environment, and educate students and staff on how to prevent bullying. In today’s post, we’ve put together a few tips and suggestions to bolster the strength of your anti-bullying initiatives so that you can have a greater positive impact on your students.

Assess the Situation: Get the Facts about Bullying in Your School

To better focus your anti-bullying campaign and determine the facts about bullying in your school, conduct an anonymous bullying survey^[1] among students, teachers, and parents. According to the Washington State Governor’s Office of the Education Ombuds^[1], this will help determine how often bullying occurs, the different types of bullying taking place, and the discrepancies between student experiences with and adult perception of bullying in the school. Your survey should assess what individuals know about the causes of bullying, determine the effects of bullying taking place, and help you get an idea of where most bullying occurs. This way, you can refine your anti-bullying initiatives to accurately target the problem based on the bullying statistics in your school.

Get Everyone Involved in Bullying Solutions

It’s important to make sure administrators, teachers, staff, parents, and students are all aware of and involved with any campaigns to prevent bullying in your school. The campaigns should forge an alliance between all involved in a school to unite them against bullying. Administrators, teachers, staff, and parents are authority figures for students; therefore, they all need to set an example and work with students to reduce the occurrence of bullying in schools. Students are a key part of the bullying solution, though, and they must be encouraged to speak up. “Students can inform adults about what is really going on and also teach adults about new technologies that kids are using to bully,” according to the American Psychological Association’s Bullying Help Center^[2]. The adults involved in your school should be teaching students how to properly report and intervene in bullying situations so everyone can help prevent bullying.

Set Your Ground Rules: This School is a No Bullying Zone

The school rules regarding bullying should be clear, concise, and compliant with state and district anti-bullying policies. Be sure to check with your school district and state policies to make sure that this is the case. Students should be aware that they have a right to a safe learning environment, and a specific code of conduct and mission statement should be established to support this. Ensure teachers and staff members are informed of and educated about these policies and the associated consequences. Set up a simple reporting system^[3] for students to use in the event of experiencing or witnessing bullying, as “[p]eople are more likely to report when it’s easy to do.” According to Washington State Governor’s Office of the Education Ombuds^[4], it is important to also mandate that “[a]ny school staff[er] who observes, overhears, or otherwise witnesses bullying or harassment, must take immediate appropriate action and report it promptly.”

Create a School-wide Culture that Does Not Condone Bullying

Establish an anti-bullying culture^[5] within the school that supports the policies and rules set in place to stop bullying. This must start at the top. The principal should listen to his/her staff^[6] and reflect on their opinions before making decisions, not “use [their] status as the school leader as the lever for change.” Teachers need to treat students with respect and encouragement to promote respect towards teachers and between students. Teachers may also choose to create classroom rules (that comply with school-wide rules) with their students so that students “set their own climate of respect and responsibility,” giving them a sense of equal authority and understanding amongst each other.

Use the Anti-Bullying Resources Available to You

We’ve given you a few ideas in this post, but there are so many helpful anti-bullying resources out there. The American Psychological Association’s Bullying Center^[7] includes a number of valuable resources, and StopBullying.gov^[8] has extensive ideas regarding how to approach the bullying problem in your school. There is also a great deal of research^[9] and several publications, such as this one^[10], to help spur ideas regarding bullying prevention. The CDC’s Division of Violence Prevention also has a great selection of bullying prevention resources^[11].

What Else Can We Do to Fight Back Against Bullying in Schools?

Overall, it takes a school-wide effort to stop bullying in schools. Everyone needs to get involved and take a stand on the issue. If everyone works together to establish rules, policies, and a culture of anti-bullying, then your school is much more likely to succeed in decreasing the occurrences of bullying. Anti-bullying initiatives need to include people outside the school grounds, including parents and community leaders. Keep an eye out for part 3 of our Bullying in Schools series, where we’ll discuss bullying solutions for situations and locations outside of the school environment.

[1] “A School’s Role in Preventing Bullying.” Washington State Governor’s Office of the Education Ombuds. Retrieved from http://oeo.wa.gov/education-issues-topics/bullying-harassment-and-intimidation/a-schools-role-in-preventing-bullying/ on April 21, 2016.

[2] “Bullying.” American Psychological Association. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/bullying.aspx on April 21, 2016.

[3] “Establish a Reporting System.” StopBullying.gov. Retrieved from http://www.stopbullying.gov/prevention/at-school/rules/index.html#Establish a Reporting System on April 21, 2016.

[4] “A School’s Role in Preventing Bullying.” Washington State Governor’s Office of the Education Ombuds. Retrieved from http://oeo.wa.gov/education-issues-topics/bullying-harassment-and-intimidation/a-schools-role-in-preventing-bullying/ on April 21, 2016.

[5] “Build a Safe Environment.” StopBullying.gov. Retrieved from http://www.stopbullying.gov/prevention/at-school/build-safe-environment/index.html on April 21, 2016.

[6] O’Brien, Anne. “Bullying Prevention: 5 Tips for Teachers, Principals, and Parents.” Edutopia.org. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/bullying-prevention-tips-teachers-parents-anne-obrien on April 21, 2016.

[7] “Bullying.” American Psychological Association. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/bullying.aspx on April 21, 2016.

[8] StopBullying.gov. Retrieved from http://www.stopbullying.gov/index.html

[9] “Bullying: What We Know Based on 40 Years of Research.” American Psychological Association. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2015/05/bullying-research.aspx on April 21, 2016.

[10] Bradshaw, Catherine P. “Translating Research to Practice in Bullying Prevention.” American Psychological Association. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/amp-a0039114.pdf on April 21, 2016.

[11] “Featured Topic: Bullying Research.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/youthviolence/bullyingresearch/ on April 21, 2016.

Bullying in Schools: Part 1: Know the Signs of Bullying

According to a study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics^[1] in 2015, 21.5% of students between the ages of 12 and 18 have experienced bullying in schools. Bullying is not a new problem; we all know that it has happened in the past, and we know it still happens in communities across the nation and across the world. The problem is that we don’t always know when and where bullying happens, and sometimes we don’t even know who is being bullied and by whom. Victims and witnesses of bullying rarely speak up and tell an adult^[2]. As a result, addressing the problem becomes quite a challenge. As a parent, teacher, or administrator, you need to know the signs to watch out for if you want to determine how to prevent bullying.

Signs of Bullying: Who is Being Bullied?

Parents, teachers, and even other students should know the signs of someone who is being bullied. There are some more obvious indications, such as unexplainable injuries or damaged possessions. Most symptoms of bullying, however, are a bit more subtle. A child who “loses” possessions frequently may actually be facing a bully who is taking them away. Previous star students suddenly and consistently getting average or even failing grades may be losing interest in school because school has become a place of torment for them. These students also tend to visit the nurse’s office often or have trouble getting out of bed in the morning, complaining of headaches, stomachaches, or other mysterious illnesses. Bullied children will often try to find excuses to avoid going to or staying in school, where they have to face their tormentor. Parents and teachers should be on the lookout for frequent absences and falling grades.

Bullied students also tend to exhibit odd sleeping, eating, and/or bathroom habits. Teachers should watch for students who tend not to eat lunch; this may be due to the fact that a bully stole a student’s lunch or lunch money. The victims also may come home to parents and immediately start eating, and they may also ask for or even steal extra money or food to offset what the bully takes from them. They may have an inexplicable loss of appetite, or they may begin binge eating. These students also may wait until they get home to use the bathroom; character.org^[3] suggests this is likely because school bathrooms “are not often adult supervised” and therefore “can be hot spots for bullying.” Children who are bullied often experience trouble sleeping and nightmares, and they may cry themselves to sleep or wet the bed.

Bullied students also exhibit signs of increased anxiety, moodiness, sadness, or depression, particularly upon coming home from school or social activities. As a result, they may lose interest in hanging out with friends, have a noticeably reduced friend group, and avoid group activities such as participating in clubs or sports. These kids may become clingy towards adults, wanting parents to pick them up right at dismissal or preferring to stick close to teachers at school, hoping to stop bullying by keeping close to those in authority. They feel helpless and face diminished self-esteem, often blaming themselves for problems because they believe they aren’t good enough, which also contributes to why they rarely tell adults about bullying, according to StopBullying.org^[4].

Bullying can also lead to more severe problems, such as the victim becoming the bully, bullying younger children or siblings. They also may begin exhibiting self-destructive behaviors, like running away from home, self-harm, or talking about suicide.

What are the Signs of Bullying Others?

It’s not enough to just look out for kids who are being bullied. It is also vital to try to identify the signs of a child who is bullying others. Bullies are sometimes more outwardly aggressive than other children, getting into both physical and verbal fights often and showing hostility and defiance towards adults. They may show little regard for rules, and they are often sent to the principal’s office or receive detention. They lack empathy towards those who are bullied, and they often may have friends who bully others as well.

Bullies may have an outwardly positive attitude towards violence and the use of violent means to get what they want. They often seem to desire dominance over other students, and they care a great deal about their reputation. There are often more subtle signs as well, such as having money or new possessions of mysterious origin. They also tend to blame others for their problems and may not like to accept responsibility for their actions.

According to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children^[5], , bullies are often at risk for substance abuse, academic issues, and continued violent behavior later in life. ViolencePreventionWorks.org^[6] suggests that these bullies may escalate their violent behavior by acquiring a gun “for risky reasons, such as to gain respect or to frighten others.”

So What Do We Do with These Bullying Facts?

It is important to make sure that a child knows that if they go to a parent, teacher, or school counselor with the fact that they are being bullied, they will be believed and helped. Reassure them that you do care and they aren’t weak for speaking up. Bullied children may be afraid that adults will judge them or that they may face consequences from either the adult they tell or the bully. Make sure they know that they can come to you, and that, if they tell an adult and that adult doesn’t believe them or do anything, they need to keep telling someone until something gets done.

IIf you suspect there is bullying going on in your school, setting up a bullying survey to help determine types, locations, and other key issues may also be helpful in determining a more broad bullying solution, rather than working on a case-by-case basis. The first step in any anti-bullying initiative, though, is to know the facts about and signs of bullying. Read more about how to prevent and combat bullying in and out of schools in our multi-part series on Bullying in Schools.

[1] “Fast Facts: Bullying.” National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=719 on April 6, 2016.

[2] “Warning Signs.” StopBullying.gov. Retrieved from http://www.stopbullying.gov/at-risk/warning-signs/#ask on April 6, 2016.

[3] “19 Signs Your Child is Being Bullied and What to Do about It.” Character.org.

[4] “Warning Signs.” StopBullying.gov. Retrieved from http://www.stopbullying.gov/at-risk/warning-signs/ on April 6, 2016.

[5] “Bullying and Cyberbullying: Signs, Symptoms, and Effects.” National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Retrieved from https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/child-abuse-and-neglect/bullying-and-cyberbullying/signs-symptoms-effects/ on April 6, 2016.

[6] “Warning Signs of Bullying.” ViolencePreventionWorks.org. Retrieved from http://www.violencepreventionworks.org/public/bullying_warning_signs.page on April 6, 2016.

Cyberbullying in the Millennial Era: Know the Signs of Cyberbullying

As many parents and teachers know, cyberbullying has become one of the most common forms of harassment a child will experience. In this day and age of easily-accessible technology and ubiquitous social media sharing, it’s important for adults to recognize the signs of cyberbullying, so that they may more readily protect their children or students from it in the future.

Cyberbullying, as you may have learned from a previous blog article from our series on the phenomenon, is defined by the experts at cyberbullying.org^[1] as “when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones.”

What’s most troubling about cyberbullying is its sheer prevalence in today’s young society – according to BullyingStatistics.org^[2], more than half of adolescents have been bullied online, and about the same amount have engaged in the activity itself. The average cyberbully is also persistent and unrelenting, as more than 25 percent of teens have experienced cyber threats repeatedly through their cell phones or over the internet. What’s more, evidence of cyberbullying is easier to hide, and victims are unlikely to reach out to trusted adults for support – well over half do not tell their parents it has even occurred.^[3]

Due to its anonymity and obscurity, as well as its growing number of potential technological outlets, cyberbullying can go undetected for a long time. But there are subtle signs that your child or student is experiencing cyberbullying, expressed both in school and at home. According to the National Crime Prevention Council^[4], here are a few behaviors that may indicate your child is being cyberbullied:

According to the experts at the NCPC^[5], the most telling sign is a child’s sudden withdrawal from technology, whether it be from their cell phone or computer. If you’ve noticed this or any other signs of cyberbullying in your child, it may be time to reach out to them and express your concern. While you may not be able to prevent cyberbullying altogether, you can help limit your child’s exposure to it and provide the emotional support they may need to recuperate from its effects on their self-esteem.

Educators and school administrators can also help in the war on cyberbullying – to learn about potential policies and other actions teachers may want to take to prevent cyberbullying in schools, check out the next blog article in our Cyberbullying in the Millennial Era series.

[1] “What is Cyberbullying, Exactly?” StopCyberBullying.org. Retrieved from http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/what_is_cyberbullying_exactly.html on March 14, 2016.

[2] BullyingStatistics.org. Retrieved from http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/ on March 14, 2016.

[3] “Cyber Bullying Statistics.” BullyingStatistics.org. Retrieved from http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/cyber-bullying-statistics.html on March 14, 2016.

[4] “Cyberbullying: Spotting the Signs.” National Crime Prevention Council. Retrieved from https://www.ncpc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/NCPC_Cyberbullying-TipSheet-TipsForTeens.pdf on March 14, 2016.

[5] “Cyberbullying: Spotting the Signs.” National Crime Prevention Council. Retrieved from http://www.ncpc.org/topics/cyberbullying/cyberbullying-tip-sheets/NCPC%20Tip%20Sheet%20-%20Spotting%20The%20Signs.pdf on March 14, 2016.

Cyberbullying in the Millennial Era: How to Handle Cyberbullying at Your School

In today’s technologically advanced society, cyberbullying is a critical issue that many schools and educational institutions are facing. As administrators, teachers, counselors, coaches, and staffers, you want to protect the students in your school, as well as the learning environment in which you work.

When approaching cyberbullying from an administrative perspective, it’s important to first understand the difficult predicament in which schools find themselves. In handling cyberbullying cases involving students, schools must walk a fine line between doing too much and not doing enough.^[1]

For example, it is likely that a large portion, if not a majority, of cyberbullying occurs outside of the school. But if schools try to discipline their students for cyberbullying activities that occurred off school property and without school computers, they risk infringing on the students’ first amendment right to freedom of speech. At the opposite end of the spectrum, if cyberbullying cases are largely ignored or poorly handled, schools also risk severe backlash and legal complications.

So, although it’s certainly much easier said than done, the best course of action administrators can take is to seek out an acceptable middle ground for cyberbullying policies and management, accompanied with a healthy dose of education and awareness.

“‘It’s not something you can legislate or arrest your way out of,’ cautions Stephen Balkam, chief executive officer of the Family Online Safety Institute in Washington, D.C. ‘It’s always going to be a combination of tools, rules, and schools. The emphasis needs to be on creating a culture of responsibility online. Kids need to think about the content they create and post.’”^[2]

While different cyberbullying policies and procedures will be necessarily dependent on the laws and precedents set for your particular state (and we strongly recommend that you consult your specific state’s laws before enacting any changes or taking any action), below are several strategic ways educators can approach the daunting task of how to deal with cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying Education & Awareness is a Critical First Step

The best way to begin combating cyberbullying is by recognizing it in the first place. Take steps to ensure that you and all applicable faculty and staff members in the school have a comprehensive knowledge base around cyberbullying. It may be helpful to hold a training program to help teachers and other faculty members learn how to deal with cyberbullying. Cyberbullying goes widely unreported (a National Crime Prevention Council study found that only about 25% of teens were likely to report cyberbullying to an adult^[3]), so it’s critical that authority figures in the school environment are able to recognize signs and intervene if they suspect cyberbullying is occurring.

Along the same lines, cyberbullying, by definition, is a pervasive type of bullying that occurs entirely on electronic devices, predominantly mobile phones or tablets. So it’s critical to stay up to date on the latest app trends and popular sites that students in your school are using. It may seem like teens latch on to a new favorite app every day, thus making this undertaking daunting. But remember, you’ll never be able to truly confront the cyberbullying problem if you don’t understand the environment in which it is occurring.

Preventing Cyberbullying with Policies

Most schools already have pre-existing policies regarding bullying. It’s advisable to work to update your school’s bullying policy to include a comprehensive section on cyberbullying. The updated policy should include a clear definition of what cyberbullying is and how to report it, as well as language indicating that it is absolutely not tolerated within the school or using school electronics. A sampling of potential disciplinary measures can also be included, but since cyberbullying situations can vary wildly from case to case, there should be wiggle room to allow administrators to customize corrective actions on a per-case basis. The policy should also consider instances of cyberbullying that occur outside of school, but that have an impact inside. For example, if acts of cyberbullying occur after school or on the weekends, but the results have an impact on lunchroom behavior or classroom environments, a policy to address such should be in place.

As mentioned before, schools are in a difficult position when trying to monitor and discipline cyberbullying. Searching a student’s personal phone or computer has fourth amendment^[4] implications, while trying to police student cyberbullying has potential first amendment^[5] infringement dangers as well. Therefore, it is a good idea to have a lawyer look over your policies (and even help write them, if possible), to check for appropriate language and that your institution is not including anything that could potentially have constitutional or legal ramifications in the future.

Another one of the best ways schools can help stop cyberbullying is through effective reporting measures. Encourage students, parents, and teachers to report any and all instances of cyberbullying that they see or suspect. Because many cyberbullying witnesses or victims may fear retribution if they report bullies, you should establish, maintain, and publicize safe, anonymous ways for reporting, such as a dedicated e-mail address or forum, or even simply a box outside the counseling office.

How to Deal with Cyberbullying Victims & Bullies

After identifying a victim and a bully in a cyberbullying situation at your school, it’s important that your response is not solely focused on meting out punishment to the appropriate parties. While some measure of disciplinary action should be taken, it’s crucial to focus also on education and counseling, for both the bully and the victim.

Since cyber bullies are able to easily psychologically distance themselves from their actions, work with them to consider the impact that their actions have on others. Educating students about not only the effect that cyberbullying actions have, but also the legal consequences (e.g. charges of libel, cyberstalking, online harassment, sexual harassment, etc.) that can result from their actions, can serve as a very powerful deterrent.

For cyberbullying victims, ensure that they feel safe and heard, and work with their parents or guardians to provide them with any coping or counseling services they may need. A study from the Cyberbullying Research Center found that “cyberbullying victims were almost twice as likely to have attempted suicide compared to youth who had not experienced cyberbullying.”^[6] Additionally, with cyberbullying, victims can just as easily become bullies and vice versa, perpetuating a vicious circle.

Conclusion: Proactive Schools are Key to Fighting Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is clearly a major issue in today’s world, and with the continued advancement of technologies, it isn’t a problem that will be going away any time soon. Thus, schools need to be proactive and intentional in their efforts to prevent, manage, and stop cyberbullying.

Disclaimer: This article should in no way be considered or construed as legal advice, or acted upon as such. The material is available for informational purposes only.

[1] Hoffman, Jan. “Online Bullies Pull Schools Into the Fray.” June 27, 2010. Retrieved from www.nytimes.com/2010/06/28/style/28bully.html on December 15, 2015.

[2]Adams, Caralee. “Cyberbullying: What Teachers and Schools Can Do.” Retrieved from www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/cyberbullying-what-teachers-and-schools-can-do on December 14, 2015.

[3] National Crime Prevention Council. “Teens and Cyberbullying: Executive Summary of a Report on Research” February 28, 2007. Retrieved from http://www.ncpc.org/resources/files/pdf/bullying/Teens%20and%20Cyberbullying%20Research%20Study.pdf on December 15, 2015.

[4] “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated…” Amendment IV to “The Constitution of the United States of America.” Retrieved from https://www.law.cornell.edu/constituion/fourth_amendment on December 14 2015.

[5] “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press…” Amendment I to “The Constitution of the United States of America.” Retrieved from https://www.law.cornell.edu/constituion/first_amendment on December 14 2015.

[6] Hinduja, Sameer and Patchin, Justin W. “Cyberbullying Research Summary: Cyberbullying and Suicide.” 2010. Retrieved from cyberbullying.org/cyberbullying_and_suicide_research_fact_sheet.pdf on December 11, 2015.

Cyber-Bullying Victims are at a Higher Risk

Jun 7, 2013

Hi Everyone,

I missed my post last week but this is my chance to make it up a bit. There are a few new trends in problem behaviors that seem to be more damaging than others. One that is of particular interest to me, because of it’s relation to technology and social media, is Cyber Bullying.

The term seems a bit silly and may sound like a sci-fi android picking on your child, but in reality cyber-bullying can come in a multitude of different forms. Much of what goes on between children’s smartphones, which have full access to the Internet, and the many social sites is difficult to monitor for parents.

This study coming out of the University of Deusto in Spain, takes a look at some of the troubling behaviors that can stem from Cyber Bullying.

“A number of adolescents are both victims of cyberbullying and perpetrators of cyberbullying, but victims are at higher risk for psychological and behavior health problems, like substance abuse, after six months of bullying.”

Some of their statistical results:

“Gamez-Guadix and his colleagues surveyed eight hundred and forty-five students (498 girls and 337 boys) between the ages of 13 and 17 years-old.  They found that 24 percent had been a victim of one cyber-bullying behavior, such as someone sending a threatening or insulting message, 15.9 percent said they experienced two bullying behaviors and 8 percent were victimized by three cyber-bulling behaviors.”

Source

Our own data from the Learning Environment Survey(LES), a survey of school climate and conditions for learning,  show that out of a population of 141,792 6^th-8^th graders, many less reported abuse than in Spain. On our LES survey we ask about cyber-bullying at school, and as you would expect, the occurrences are quite a bit less than cyber-bullying in general as reported in Spain.

This may be due to a number of different factors from how the question was worded all the way to how the study was conducted, via paper and pencil study, verbally, online etc.

Cyber-bullying can take many forms as we illustrate in our survey question. We combine the internet and cell phone mainly because so many of these devices are the youth’s preferred way of getting on the internet. Social media seems to be the preferred avenue of cyber-bullying, mainly because of the visibility that occurs among the child’s circle of friends.

Many parents are not as technologically adept as their children are in using these electronic devices and poverty does not decrease the instances. There even seems to be a trend that shows that most children including lower income families have these devices for their children. I’m not sure where I read this so I can’t provide a reference but I think it was in relation to “BYOT (bring your own technology)” classrooms here in Georgia. Here is one county with that program to give an example.

This also helps illustrate how many children have access to these devices, which is a lot.

All in all, because this trend is at the same time new (the technology) and old (bullying) it still represents a new challenge that parents and teachers have to be aware of and be willing to face head on.

If you would like further resources here are a few I came across.

Cyberbullying.gov

https://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/what-is-it/index.html

Cyber-bullying research center

http://cyberbullying.us/