Cyberbullying

Topic area

Cyberbullying
Target age group Lesson duration

Upper Primary

Lesson Overview
This lesson is aimed at establishing an understanding of cyberbullying behaviour and its impact on others.
The four activities provide practical strategies to assist young people to deal with cyberbullying behaviour
and where to seek support.
This lesson includes four short activities. Teachers can select a single activity or multiple activities to make
up the recommended 45 minutes, depending on what they feel is appropriate to their class.
Lesson outcomes
 Define and describe cyberbullying behaviour
 Assess the impacts of negative online behaviour
 Identify ways to manage and prevent cyberbullying behaviour
 Create a plan to act with resilience and self-awareness when online
Australian Curriculum
This lesson plan module supports a number of learning areas in the Australian Curriculum, including
Health and Physical Education, Civics and Citizenship and Technologies.

Activity 1 Page Subject focus Duration Resources required

Writing/ 4 Acting with resilience Worksheet 1
Discussion online
Activity 2 Page Subject focus Duration Resources required
Multiple choice 5 Identifying Worksheet 2
activity cyberbullying
behaviour, roles and
responsibilities.
Activity 3 Page Subject focus Duration Resources required
Discussion/ 6 Identify negative Internet access to view Cyberslap.
Visual Activity online behaviour and
decide on acceptable http://www.youtube.com/watch?
behaviour v=xTLBQBYX2MQ

Activity 4 Page Subject focus Duration Resources required

Visual Activity/ 7 Identifying Worksheet 3
Discussion cyberbullying roles
Activity

enquiries@acma.gov.au
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External links included in lesson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTLBQBYX2MQ
Technology and Terminology referred to in this lesson
Cyberbullying, bullying behaviour, bystander, target, online, post, text, email, message, social networking,
block, report, trusted adult, harm.

Visit https://esafety.gov.au/education-resources/classroom-resources for other lesson plans

dealing with cyberbullying behaviour.
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This work is based on materials that constitute copyright of the Commonwealth of Australia and is
licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 2.5 Australia Licence.
See https://esafety.gov.au/education-resources/classroom-resources for more information.
 4

Cyberbullying
Background
Cyberbullying is the use of online technology, such as computers and mobile phones, to bully a
person or group. Bullying is repeated behaviour by an individual or group with the intent to harm
another person or group.
Young people can cyberbully each other in many ways. Sending hurtful texts or abusive emails,
excluding individuals from online conversations, imitating someone online, posting inappropriate
images and trolling are some of the ways people can cyberbully each other.
Cyberbullying can happen to anyone and typically involves a person who perpetrates the bullying
behaviour against a target – the person being bullied. In some instances there may also be
bystanders involved – people who witness someone being cyberbullied. A positive bystander is
someone who offers support to the target and does not ignore or participate in the bullying
behaviour, such as forwarding on humiliating images.
Cyberbullying is serious because it can be relentless and occur 24 hours a day, extending well
beyond school grounds and into ‘safe’ spaces, such as in homes. Its effects can be damaging,
making a person feel isolated, friendless, miserable and insecure.
It is important to empower younger internet users with the knowledge of how to act responsibly
and with resilience online, and equip them with the tools to know how to deal with cyberbullying
behaviour. It is also crucial to demonstrate how others can be affected by their interactions online
and what language and actions are considered appropriate in the online environment.

enquiries@acma.gov.au
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Activity 1: Self-care action plan

Activity 1 Page Subject focus Duration Resources required
Writing/ 4 Acting with resilience Worksheet 1
Discussion online

Teacher’s Tip: This is a great opportunity to advise students of the school’s counsellor,
counselling programs, or direct them to the Kids Helpline for free support with their
difficulties online.
Cyberbullying behaviour can happen between friends as well as people we may not like. It can
make a person feel sad, isolated and vulnerable. Our friendship groups and emotions can often
change. Sometimes we feel happy, supported, friendly and confident. At other times we feel sad,
rejected and friendless. Everyone experiences these feelings. Being cyberbullied can make these
feelings seem worse.
Instructions
As a class, workshop some of the ways you can cope when you experience unfriendly behaviour
online, such as being cyberbullied.
Teacher’s Tip: Model answers might include time spent with a friend or friends outside of
the normal social group; talking to a parent or trusted adult; reading, cooking, drawing
and other self-directed activities; group sports and individual fitness such as running;
calming activities such as walking and spending time with a pet; and activities that bring
purpose and new friendships such as joining groups outside school.
After the discussion, have students complete the worksheet to identify personal ways they can
put good self-care strategies in place.
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Activity 2: Cyberbullying multiple choice

Activity 2 Page Subject focus Duration Resources required
Multiple choice 5 Identifying Worksheet 2
activity cyberbullying
behaviour, roles and
responsibilities.

Answer key and notes for teachers:

Number Question Answer

1 Cyberbullying is: d

2 The types of people who are cyberbullied are: d

3 Cyberbullying is considered to be: b

4 If I am being bullied on a social networking site I can: c

5 A cyberbully is usually: d

6 Ways to try to stop cyberbullying include: e

7 Talking to a trusted adult about cyberbullying is: a

8 In a cyberbullying situation, a positive bystander is a d

person who:
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Activity 3: Bullying behaviour

Activity 3 Page Subject focus Duration Resources required
Discussion/Visu 6 Identify negative Internet access to view Cyberslap.
al Activity online behaviour and
decide on acceptable http://www.youtube.com/watch?
behaviour v=xTLBQBYX2MQ

Instructions
As a class, view the minute-long video Cyberslap.
1. Have students break away into small groups or run this as a class activity using the board.
2. Using the sentence ‘You don’t need a black eye to be bullied’, have the group/s establish a
set of rules about acceptable and unacceptable behaviour online.
3. Ask students to compile a list of strong, positive verbs to use, such as trust, consider, respect,
assist, prevent, provide etc. for acceptable behaviour.
4. Ask the students to compile a list of negative verbs and adjectives to use such as insulting,
harm, upsetting, cruel, cowardly, demeaning, hurt etc. for unacceptable behaviour.
5. Write up the final key points from the class and display them prominently.

Teacher’s Tip
Teacher’s Tip: Explain to your students that this kind of behaviour will be very important in
the transition they are about to make to high school.
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Activity 4: Bullies, bystanders and defenders

Activity 4 Page Subject focus Duration Resources required
Visual Activity/ 7 Identifying Worksheet 3
Discussion cyberbullying roles
Activity

Sometimes, cyberbullying behaviour can take place in public forums like social networking and
video hosting sites.
Ask students to assess the screenshots on Worksheet 3 to identify the people doing the bullying
behaviour, the bystanders and the defenders in each scenario.
After these are identified, discuss what the intention might be from the content of a comment or
post. As a group, discuss what motivates put-downs and abuse – is it to appear clever, funny or
cool? Does it actually have that result?

Model answers for Worksheet 3

Workshop together and use it to discuss passive-aggressive language, motivations, and different
kinds of abusive language.
Have the class recognise that cyberbullying language can be much more subtle than direct
insults, but just as damaging. Also, discuss with the class the possibility that some students might
have made hurtful comments like these at times, and to interrogate their own motivations before
posting.
WORKSHEET 1: SELF-CARE ACTION PLAN

Name: ____________________________________________________
1. How do I recognise when I’m experiencing sad or difficult times online? What does that look
like for me?

2. Who are some of the people I trust to support me?

3. Who can I talk to about difficulties with my friends?

4. What kinds of activities bring me comfort and let me feel like I’m myself again?

5. What are some of the things I enjoy doing offline and outside of my normal friendship group?
WORKSHEET 2: CYBERBULLYING MULTIPLE CHOICE

Name: ____________________________________________________
1. Cyberbullying is:

a. Using online technology to deliberately and repeatedly bully someone.

b. Using online technology to make someone feel miserable.
c. Using online technology to make someone feel isolated and friendless.
d. All of the above.

2. The types of people who are cyberbullied are:

a. Trouble makers.
b. Popular and outgoing.
c. Shy and sensitive.
d. Anyone can be cyberbullied.

3. Cyberbullying is considered to be:

a. Not that serious – everyone gets bullied at school.

b. Very serious – it makes people feel unsafe at home as well as at school.
c. Fairly serious – but only because there is always evidence.
d. Who wants to be serious? I only go online for fun.

4. If I am being bullied on a social networking site I can:

a. Ask my friends to help me retaliate.

b. Try to forget it’s happening.
c. Use that site’s report function.
d. Never go online again.

5. A cyberbully is usually:

a. Big, mean, and obviously a bully.

b. Sneaky, anonymous, and will never be found out.
c. A very bad person.
d. Anyone, including my friends or I, if we aren’t careful about how we treat others online.
6. Ways to try to stop cyberbullying include:

a. Not replying to hurtful messages or posts.

b. Reporting the bullying behaviour to someone who can help, like a parent or teacher.
c. Asking a parent or teacher to help you block the person who is being mean to you.
d. Saving evidence of unwanted messages which can be used by a trusted adult or the
police to help stop the cyberbullying behaviour.
e. All of the above.

7. Talking to a trusted adult about cyberbullying is:

a. A good idea. There’s no reason to suffer alone.

b. Not worth it because it will make the person who is doing the bullying angrier.
c. Never a good idea, it can only make things worse.
d. A waste of time because they don’t understand.

8. In a cyberbullying situation, a bystander is a person who:

a. Does not ignore what they see happening to someone else.

b. Asks the person who is the target of the bullying behaviour if they are OK.
c. Reports the behaviour to someone who can help, like a trusted adult.
d. All of the above.
WORKSHEET 3: SOCIAL MEDIA ROLES
In the following examples, indicate who is exhibiting bullying behaviour. Who is a ‘bystander’?
Who is responding appropriately? For those who are communicating inappropriately, how could
they have contributed differently? Re-write those comments that could make a more positive
contribution.

Example 1 – Social Networking Party

Figure 1 - This image shows a post on a social networking site concerning a party to be
held on the weekend. Some comments suggest that not everyone should be invited, and
another requests that photos from the party not be tagged online.
Example 2

Figure 2 - This image shows a post on a social networking site about a dress someone is
considering wearing to their year 6 graduation event. Some comments on the post are
insulting, while others are supportive.