CYBERBULLYING

A Report

Prepared for

MR. RICARDO G. TARDAGUILA

Subject Teacher
Matalom National High School

Prepared by

GROUP 4
12-HUMSS 1

Leader
JOSEPHINE S. PUDA

Members
JOBERT PEPE
ROSELYN PEROCILLO
JONNALYN ROSAL
MA. CHINA GERMO
MA. VIA MORALES

September 12, 2018

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………………………. iii

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 1

Purpose of the Study………………………………………………………………………….... 1

Literature Review………………………………………………………………………………………. 2

What are some negative effects that cyberbullying can have on a person? ................................. 2

Where does cyberbullying commonly occur? ............................................................................. 2

Cyberbullying by the numbers…………………………………………………………………. 2

Cyberbullying vs. traditional bullying………………………………………………………….. 2

Why is cyberbullying becoming a major issue? ……………………………………………….. 3

Obstacles in the fight to stop cyberbullying……………………………………………………. 4

The role of parents……………………………………………………………………………… 5

What should schools do to prevent cyberbullying? ……………………………………………. 6

What should schools do to respond to cyberbullying? ................................................................ 6

Cyberbullying and school climate……………………………………………………………… 7

What can youth do? ……………………………………………………………………………. 7

When should law enforcement get involved? …………………………………………………. 8

Online Landscape………………………………………………………………………………. 8-9

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………… 10

Recommendations……………………………………………………………………………………….. 10-11

References……………………………………………………………………………………………… 12-13

Appendix……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 14-15

i
 LIST OF FIGURES

Page

Lifetime Cyberbullying Victimization Rates………………………………………………………… 3

Lifetime Cyberbullying Offending Rates…………………………………………………………….. 4

Emotional Responses to Cyberbullying……………………………………………………………… 14-15

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 Executive Summary

Cyberbullying is not an uncommon occurrence among teens. Slightly more than four in ten teens (43%)
report that they have experienced some form of cyberbullying in the last year. The incidence of cyberbullying
is higher among females than males; and is most prevalent among 15 and 16-year-olds, particularly among girls.
More than half of this total age group reported at least one cyberbullying incident in the past year.

Teen cyberbully victims report that immediately following an incident, they are likely to consider one or
more actions, such as asking the person to stop, using electronic means to block the person from communicating
with them, or talking with a friend. Teens are twice as likely to talk to a friend about the incident as to talk with
their parents or another adult.

Cyberbullying is becoming more prevalent as students spend an increasing amount of time using
technology that keeps them connected to people at all hours of the day. There are many different ways in which
cyberbullies reach their victims, including instant messaging over the Internet, social networking web sites, text
messaging and phone calls to cell phones. There are different forms of cyberbullying including, but not limited
to, harassment, impersonation, and cyberstalking. It has been found that there are differences between not only
the prevalence of cyberbullying between males and females but also the ways in which males and females
cyberbully. Like bullying, cyberbullying is a serious problem which can cause the victim to feel inadequate and
overly self-conscious, along with the possibility of committing suicide due to being cyberbullied. Two such
cases are included in this paper. There are numerous ways in which schools and parents can prevent
cyberbullying and ways in which they can intervene if it has occurred.

Teens report a wide range of emotions as a result of experiencing cyberbullying from anger to
embarrassment to indifference. Over half of cyberbully victims report feeling angry (56%); one-third report
feeling hurt (33%); a third report being embarrassed (32%), and one in eight said they felt scared (13%).
Females are more likely than males to report all of these emotions; especially females ages 13 to 15. Many teens,
however, claim that the cyberbullying incident did not bother them.

Though teens may not know immediately, about three out of four report that they eventually figure out
who cyberbullied them. Often, this is a friend, someone they know from school or someone else they know.
Fewer than one in four teen victims (23%) was bullied by someone they don’t know. This “unknown” cyberbully
was generally in a chat room saying mean or vicious things or someone sending cruel or threatening emails,
instant messages, or text messages.

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 Introduction

Cyber bullying is any form of bullying which takes place online or through smartphones and tablets.
Social networking sites, messaging apps, gaming sites and chat rooms such as Facebook, XBox Live, Instagram,
YouTube, Snapchat and other chat rooms can be great fun and a positive experience. But what do you do when
things go wrong? Cyber bullying is rife on the internet and most young people will experience it or see it at some
time. In our recent national bullying survey, 56% of young people said they have seen others be bullied online
and 42% have felt unsafe online. Cyber bullying can happen 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and it can go viral
very fast.

Cyberbullying is different from traditional bullying due to the anonymity that the Internet can provide.
Cyberbullies do not have to own their actions due to the anonymity and cyberbullying is often outside of the
legal reach of schools and school boards since it often happens outside of the school (Belsey, 2004). According
to Willard (2006), there are different forms of cyberbullying. These forms include flaming, harassment,
denigration, impersonation, outing, trickery, exclusion, cyberstalking, and cyberthreat.

Cyberbullying is more likely than other forms of bullying to go unreported to parents and administrators.
This is due to victims feeling they needed to learn to deal with it themselves and also being afraid that if they
tell their parents, their internet privileges will be reduced or taken away. It has been found that 90% of
respondents in the Juvonen and Gross study (2008) reported not telling adults about cyberbullying incidents due
to these reasons. Victims of cyberbullying may experience stress, low self-esteem, and depression. It has been
found that cyberbullying can also have extreme repercussions such as suicide and violence. Marr and Field (2001)
referred to suicide brought on by bullying as "bullycide" (Marr & Field, 2001, p. 1).

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this comprehensive literature review is to further understand cyberbullying which
continues to occur more frequently as technology becomes more readily accessible by the masses, especially
students; and to explore ways of preventing cyberbullying before it happens, and intervening after it has occurred.

1
 Literature Review

What are some negative effects that cyberbullying can have on a person?

There are many detrimental outcomes associated with cyberbullying that reach into the real world. First,
many targets report feeling depressed, sad, angry, and frustrated. As one teenager stated: “It makes me hurt both
physically and mentally. It scares me and takes away all my confidence. It makes me feel sick and worthless.”
Those who are victimized by cyberbullying also reveal that they are often afraid or embarrassed to go to school.
In addition, research has revealed a link between cyberbullying and low self-esteem, family problems, academic
difficulties, school violence, and various delinquent behaviors. Finally, cyberbullied youth also report having
suicidal thoughts, and there have been a number of examples in the United States and abroad where youth who
were victimized ended up taking their own lives.

Where does cyberbullying commonly occur?

Cyberbullying occurs across a variety of venues and mediums in cyberspace, and it shouldn’t come as a
surprise that it occurs most often where teenagers congregate. Initially, many kids hung out in chat rooms, and
as a result that is where most harassment took place. In recent years, most youth are have been drawn to social
media (such as Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter) and video-sharing sites (such as YouTube). This trend has led
to increased reports of cyberbullying occurring in those environments. Voice chat, textual chat, and texting via
phones or tablets also can provide an environment in which hate and harm is expressed. We are also seeing it
happen with portable gaming devices, in 3-D virtual worlds and social gaming sites, and in newer interactive
apps like Yik Yak, Secret, and Whisper.

Cyberbullying by the numbers

Estimates of the number of youth who experience cyberbullying vary widely (ranging from 10-40% or
more), depending on the age of the group studied and how cyberbullying is formally defined. In our research,
we inform students that cyberbullying is when someone “repeatedly makes fun of another person online or
repeatedly picks on another person through email or text message or when someone posts something online
about another person that they don’t like.” Using this definition, about 25 percent of the over 10,000 randomly-
selected 11-18 year-olds we have surveyed over the last seven years have said that they have been cyberbullied
at some point in their lifetimes. About 17 percent admitted to cyberbullying others during their lifetime. In our
most recent study of middle-school youth from January of 2014, 12 percent said they had been cyberbullied
while 4 percent said they had cyberbullied others within the previous 30 days.

Cyberbullying vs. traditional bullying

While often similar in terms of form and technique, cyberbullying and bullying have many differences
that can make the latter even more devastating. With the former, victims may not know who the bully is, or why
they are being targeted. The cyberbully can cloak his or her identity behind a computer or phone using
anonymous email addresses or pseudonymous screen names. Second, the hurtful actions of a cyberbully are

2
viral; that is, a large number of people (at school, in the neighborhood, in the city, in the world!) can be involved
the victimization, or at least find out about the incident with a few keystrokes or touchscreen impressions. It
seems, then, that the pool of potential victims, offenders, and witnesses/bystanders is limitless.
Third, it is often easier to be cruel using technology because cyberbullying can be done from a physically distant
location, and the bully doesn’t have to see the immediate response by the target. In fact, some teens simply might
not recognize the serious harm they are causing because they are sheltered from the victim’s response. Finally,
while parents and teachers are doing a better job supervising youth at school and at home, many adults don’t
have the technological know-how (or time!) to keep track of what teens are up to online. As a result, a victim’s
experiences may be missed and a bully’s actions may be left unchecked. Even if bullies are identified, many
adults find themselves unprepared to adequately respond.

Why is cyberbullying becoming a major issue?

Cyberbullying is a growing problem because increasing numbers of kids are using and have completely
embraced online interactivity. A remarkable 95% of teens in the US are online, and three-fourths (74%) access
the Internet on their mobile device. They do so for school work, to keep in touch with their friends, to play games,
to learn about celebrities, to share their digital creations, or for many other reasons. Because the online
communication tools have become such a tremendous part of their lives, it is not surprising that some youth have
decided to use the technology to be malicious or menacing towards others. The fact that teens are connected to
technology 24/7 means they are susceptible to victimization (and able to act on mean intentions toward others)
around the clock. As alluded to, is also easier to be hateful using typed words rather than spoken words face-to-
face. And because some adults have been slow to respond to cyberbullying, many cyberbullies feel that there
are little to no consequences for their actions. Many even feel that there is little chance of detection and
identification, let alone sanction.
Cyberbullying crosses all geographical boundaries. The Internet has really opened up the whole world to users
who access it on a broad array of devices, and for the most part this has been a good thing (a really good thing!).
Nevertheless, because of the issues previously discussed, some kids feel free to post or send whatever they want
while online without considering how that content can inflict pain – and sometimes cause severe psychological
and emotional wounds.

3
Obstacles in the fight to stop cyberbullying

There are two primary challenges today that make it difficult to prevent cyberbullying. First, even though
this problem has been around for well over a decade, some people still don’t see the harm associated with it.
Some attempt to dismiss or disregard cyberbullying because there are “more serious forms of aggression to
worry about.” While it is true that there are many issues facing adolescents, parents, teachers, and law
enforcement today, we first need to accept that cyberbullying is one such problem that will only get more serious
if ignored.

The other challenge relates to who is willing to step up and take responsibility for responding to
inappropriate use of technology. Parents often say that they don’t have the technical skills to keep up with their
kids’ online behavior, and that schools should be covering it in detail during class time and through other
programming. Educators are often doing their part through policies, curricula, training, and assemblies, but
sometimes don’t know when and how to intervene in online behaviors that occur away from school but still
involve their students. Finally, law enforcement is hesitant to get involved unless there is clear evidence of a
crime or a significant threat to someone’s physical safety. As a result, cyberbullying incidents either slip through
the cracks, are dealt with too formally, are dealt with too informally, or are otherwise mismanaged. At that point,
the problem behaviors often continue and escalate because they aren’t adequately or appropriately addressed.
Based on these challenges, we collectively need to create an environment where kids feel comfortable talking
with adults about this problem and feel confident that meaningful steps will be taken to resolve the situation. We
also need to get everyone involved - kids, parents, educators, counselors, youth leaders, law enforcement, social
media companies, and the community at large. It will take a concerted and comprehensive effort from all
stakeholders to make a meaningful difference in reducing cyberbullying.

4
The role of parents

The best tack parents can take when their child is cyberbullied is to make sure they feel (and are) safe
and secure, and to convey unconditional support. Parents must demonstrate to their children through words and
actions that they both desire the same end result: that the cyberbullying stop and that life does not become even
more difficult. This can be accomplished by working together to arrive at a mutually-agreeable course of action,
as sometimes it is appropriate (and important) to solicit the child’s perspective as to what might be done to
improve the situation. It is so critical not to be dismissive of their perspective, but to validate their voice and
perspective. Victims of cyberbullying (and the bystanders who observe it) must know for sure that the adults
who they tell will intervene rationally and logically, and not make the situation worse.

If it is deemed necessary, parents should explain the importance of scheduling a meeting with school
administrators (or a teacher they trust) to discuss the matter. Parents may also be able to contact the father or
mother of the offender, and/or work with the Internet Service Provider, Cell Phone Service Provider, or Content
Provider to investigate the issue or remove the offending material (many times, the victim simply wants the
content or account deleted so they can move on with their life). The police should also be approached when
physical threats are involved or a crime has possibly been committed (extortion, stalking, blackmail, sexual
exploitation of minors, etc.).

Overall, parents must educate their kids about appropriate online behaviors just as they convey
appropriate offline behaviors. They should also monitor their child’s activities while online – especially early in
their exploration of cyberspace. This can be done informally (through active participation in your child’s Internet
experience, which we recommend most of all) and formally (through software). Spying on kids and
unnecessarily invading their privacy should only be done as a last resort when there is a significant cause for
concern. Honest and open monitoring is a part of a healthy parent-child relationship. Spying conveys distrust
and may encourage children to go further underground.

In time, parents will need to give their children more freedom, privacy, and responsibility. They will not
be able to monitor their child’s activities 24/7, nor should they need to do so. As a result, it is crucial that parents
cultivate and maintain an open, candid line of communication with your children, so that they are ready and
willing to come to you whenever they experience something unpleasant or distressing when interacting via text,
or Facebook, or a gaming network. Reinforce positive morals and values that are taught in the home about how
others should be treated with respect and dignity. Point out models to emulate in society, and use viral mistakes
made by other youth and adults as teachable moments.

Parents may also utilize an age-appropriate “Technology Use Contract” to foster a crystal-clear
understanding about what is and is not appropriate with respect to the use of various devices and online
communication tools. To remind the child of this pledged commitment, we recommend that this contract be
posted in a highly visible place at home. When there are violations, immediate logical consequences must be
given that are proportionate to the misbehavior. Kids need to learn that inappropriate online actions will not be
tolerated. Get them to understand that technology use and access is a privilege, and not a right—and with those
privileges comes certain responsibilities that must be respected.

5
 If a parent discovers that their child is cyberbullying others, they should first communicate how that
behavior inflicts harm and causes pain in the real world as well as in cyberspace. We must remember that kids
are not sociopaths—they are just kids who sometimes lack empathy and make mistakes. That said, there are
ramifications for every choice they made. Depending on the level of seriousness of the incident, and whether it
seems that the child has realized the hurtful nature of his or her behavior, consequences should be firmly applied
(and escalated if the behavior continues). Moving forward, it is essential that parents pay even greater attention
to the technology use of their child to make sure that they have internalized the lesson and are continually acting
in responsible ways. Not only should they not be doing the wrong thing, they should be doing the right thing
online!

What should schools do to prevent cyberbullying?

The most important preventive step that schools can take is to educate the school community about
responsible Internet use. Students need to know that all forms of bullying are wrong and that those who engage
in harassing or threatening behaviors will be subject to discipline. It is therefore essential to discuss issues related
to appropriate online communications in various areas of the general curriculum. To be sure, these messages
should be reinforced in classes that regularly utilize technology.

Furthermore, school district personnel should review their harassment and bullying policies to ensure
that it allows for the discipline of students who engage in cyberbullying. If their policy covers it, cyberbullying
incidents that occur at school - or that originate off campus but ultimately result in a substantial disruption ofthe
learning environment - are well within a school’s legal authority to intervene. The school then needs to make it
clear to students, parents, and all staff that these behaviors are unacceptable and will be subject to discipline. In
some cases, simply discussing the incident with the offender’s parents will result in the behavior stopping.

What should schools do to respond to cyberbullying?

Students should already know that cyberbullying is unacceptable and that the behavior will result in
discipline. Utilize school liaison officers or other members of law enforcement to thoroughly investigate
incidents, as needed, if the behaviors cross a certain threshold of severity. Once the offending is commensurate
with the harm done and the disruption that occurred. School administrators should also work with parents to
convey to the student that cyberbullying behaviors are taken seriously and are not trivialized. Moreover, schools
should come up with creative response strategies, particularly for relatively minor forms of harassment that do
not result in significant harm. For example, students may be required to create anti-cyberbullying posters to be
displayed throughout the school, or a public service announcement (PSA) video conveying an anti-bullying
and/or a pro-kindness message. Older students might be required to give a brief presentation to younger students
about the importance of using technology in ethically-sound ways. The point here, again, is to condemn the
behavior (without condemning the offender!) while sending a message to the rest of the school community that
bullying in any form is wrong and will not be tolerated.

6
 Even though the vast majority of these incidents can be handled informally (calling parents, counseling
the bully and target separately, expressing condemnation of the behavior), there may be occasions where formal
response from the school is warranted. This is particularly the case in incidents involving serious threats toward
another student, if the target no longer feels comfortable coming to school, or if cyberbullying behaviors continue
after informal attempts to stop it have failed. In these cases, detention, suspension, changes of placement, or
even expulsion may be necessary. If these extreme measures are required, it is important that educators are able
to clearly articulate the link to school and present evidence that supports their action.

Cyberbullying and school climate

The benefits of a positive school climate have been identified through much research over the last thirty
years. It contributes to more consistent attendance, higher student achievement, and other desirable student
outcomes. Though limited, the research done on school climate and traditional bullying also underscores its
importance in preventing peer conflict. One of our recent studies found that students who experienced
cyberbullying (both those who were victims and those who admitted to cyberbullying others) perceived a poorer
climate at their school than those who had not experienced cyberbullying. Youth were asked whether they “enjoy
going to school,” “feel safe at school,” “feel that teachers at their school really try to help them succeed,” and
“feel that teachers at their school care about them.” Those who admitted to cyberbullying others or who were
the target of cyberbullying were less likely to agree with those statements.

Overall, it is critical for educators to develop and promote a safe and respectful school climate—one
marked by shared and palpable feelings of connectedness, belongingness, peer respect, morale, safety, and even
school spirit. A positive on-campus environment will go a long way in reducing the frequency of many
problematic behaviors at school, including bullying and harassment. In this setting, teachers must demonstrate
emotional support, a warm and caring atmosphere, a strong focus on academics and learning, and a fostering of
healthy self-esteem. As mentioned, it is crucial that the school seeks to create and promote an atmosphere where
certain conduct not tolerated—by students and staff alike. In schools with healthy climates, students know what
is appropriate and what is not.

What can youth do?

First and foremost, youth should develop a relationship with an adult they trust (a parent, teacher, or
someone else) so they can talk about any experiences they have online (or off) that make them upset or
uncomfortable. If possible, teens should ignore minor teasing or name calling, and not respond to the bully as
that might simply make the problem continue. They should also use the account and privacy settings within each
device, app, or network to control who can contact and interact with them, and who can read their online content.
This can significantly reduce their victimization risk.

It’s also useful to keep all evidence of cyberbullying to show an adult who can help with the situation. If
targets of cyberbullying are able to keep a log or a journal of the dates and times and instances of the online
harassment, that can also help prove what was going on and who started it—which greatly helps during an
investigation. This information can also be forwarded to the respective site or company that serves as the venue
or medium for the cyberbullying. Youth should take the time to report any harassment, threats, impersonation,
or other problems they see or experience, and remember that their identity will be protected to the maximum
extent of the law when doing so (for more information, see www.cyberbullying.us/report).
7
In addition, youth should go online with their parents – show them what sites and apps they use, and share with
them why they are great. Chat with them about what safety precautions they use while texting or tweeting, and
give their parents (and other adults they trust) a chance to come through for them if a problem arises. Finally,
they should pause before they post—and make really wise decisions.

When should law enforcement get involved?

Law enforcement officers also have a role in preventing and responding to cyberbullying. To begin, they
need to be aware of ever-evolving state and local laws concerning online behaviors, and equip themselves with
the skills and knowledge to inter.

Online Landscape

The Internet is a popular and nearly commonplace tool among 13- to 17-year-olds. Seventy-eight percent
(78%) of teens report that they have been using the Internet for three years or more. More than half of teens
(55%) report that they have been using the Internet for five years or more. Eighty percent of teens used the
Internet used the Internet “yesterday” and 27 percent used the Internet for more than an hour yesterday.

Online statistics about teens and their involvement with cyberspace from this survey include the following:

 Ninety-six percent of teens have an email account

 On average, teens have 2.2 email addresses
 High school students are more likely than middle school students to report having more than three
separate email addresses (17% vs. 9%)
 Many schools provide the Internet as a means for students to conduct research; 79 percent of teens use
the Internet at school for school-related research. Using the Internet at school for research is more
common for high school students than middle school students (81% vs. 73%).
 Interestingly, teens are also using the Internet at school for other purposes. Fifty one percent of teens
surf the web at school and 34 percent send and receive email at school.
 About 42% use the Internet at a friend’s house and another 33% use the Internet in other places. ¾
Virtually all teens (97%) use the Internet at home.
 Ninety-three percent send and receive email from home, surf the web, and use the Internet for research
for school at home.
 Teens also engage in other online activities at home: 75 percent send Instant Messages (IMs), 60 percent
read or post messages on blogs or similar websites, and 23 percent visit online chat rooms.
.

As a teen gets older they are less likely to have rules about their Internet use and less likely to follow
what rules are established. Though 50 percent of 13-year-olds report that they have rules that they follow, the
number drops precipitously, with 26 percent of 14year-olds, 16 percent of 15-year-olds, 14 percent of 16-year-
olds, and eight percent of 17year-olds report the same. Middle school youth are almost four times more likely
than high school youth (49% vs. 13%) to report that their parents have rules about their Internet activity and that
they follow the rules. High school students were about three times more likely than middle school students to
report that their parents have no idea what they are doing online (32% vs. 11%) and were about twice as likely
to report that their parents usually know what they are doing online, but do not have rules about their online
activity (47% vs. 24%).
8
 Parent involvement appears to shift dramatically as children reach and move past age 13. Whereas 90
percent of 10- to 12-year-olds report that their parents know where they are going online, only 41 percent of 13-
to 15-year-olds report the same. Similarly, while only seven percent of 10- to 12-year-olds report that their
parents think they know their children’s online destinations, but they go online, but really don’t know, 27 percent
of 13- to 15-year-olds report that their parents don’t really know where they go online, but think they do.

Thirteen- to 15-year-olds are also more likely than younger tweens to say that their parents don’t care
where they go online (29% vs. 3%) and that they can prevent their parents from knowing where they go online
(37% vs. 2%).

Teens believe that cyberbullying prevention should start at the individual level. Teens want the ability
to block people who cyberbully. They also believe that refusing to pass along cyberbully messages and telling
their friends who cyberbully to stop are effective means of prevention. Teens do not believe that cyberbully
prevention is especially effective at the school level. Less than four in ten teens reported that schools should
have rules against cyberbullying (37%), schools should educate students in classrooms or small groups about
not cyberbullying (33%), adults should be taught on how to help young people stop cyberbullying (32%), and
schools should hold assemblies to educate students about not cyberbullying.

Among teens who reported they thought at least one self-action would be an effective way to prevent
cyberbullying, 64 percent reported that they are extremely/very likely to refuse to pass along cyberbully
messages. Over four in ten (44%) reported they are extremely/very likely to tell a friend to stop cyberbullying.
Teens who reported that at least one self-action would be effective reported that they were not as likely to do
the other self actions: less than one-quarter are extremely/very likely to report cyberbullying they know about
to an adult (25%), to tell a cyberbully victim they are sorry (19%), and to send a message to someone who is
cyberbullying that it is wrong to do that (19%).

9
 Conclusion

Findings indicate that cyberbullying is becoming more prevalent as students spend an

increasing amount of time using technology that keeps them connected to people at all hours of
the day. There are many different ways in which cyberbullies reach their victims, including instant
messaging over the Internet, social networking web sites, text messaging and phone calls to cell
phones.

Different forms of cyberbullying are identified, namely:

1. harassment
2. impersonation
3. cyberstalking

It has been found that there are differences between not only the prevalence of
cyberbullying between males and females but also the ways in which males and females cyberbully.
Like bullying, cyberbullying is a serious problem which can cause the victim to feel inadequate
and overly self-conscious, along with the possibility of committing suicide due to being
cyberbullied. Two such cases are included in this paper. There are numerous ways in which schools
and parents can prevent cyberbullying and ways in which they can intervene if it has occurred.

Recommendations

According to Willard (2006), there are many ways that schools, parents, and students can
help prevent cyberbu1lying and intervene when cyberbullying has occurred. The steps that Willard
suggested for schools contain elements of increasing awareness of cyberbullying concerns;
empowering educators, students, parents, and community members with knowledge of how to
prevent and respond to cyberbullying; provide warning to cyberbullies and their parents about the
negative consequences; and effective supervision and monitoring of online activities. Willard also
stated that it is important to develop a plan of action to engage in effective threat analysis for any
reports of cyberbullying that raises concerns of suicide or violence (Willard, 2006).

There are eight main steps that Willard suggested for addressing cyberbullying. They
include engaging in participatory planning, conducting an assessment, ensuring an effective anti-
bullying program is in place and reviewing policies and procedures related to Internet and mobile
communication devices. Additionally it is important to conduct professional development of
individuals in the district, include parents on prevention and identification of cyberbullying,
educate students about cyberbullying and what to do about it, and finally, to assess the
cyberbullying prevention and intervention plan periodically to determine its effectiveness (Willard,
2006).

10
 The first step was engaging in participatory planning in which cyberbullying concerns are
incorporated into safe schools planning, including district technology staff on the school safety
committee, and including non-school participants which may include parent organizations, social
service agencies, and law enforcement. Step two was assessing conduct that could need assessment
which can be done by conducting a survey of students to identify incident rates, locations of
incidents (on or off campus), and factors that may be preventing students fromreporting incidents.
Step three was to ensure that an effective anti-bullying program is in place. This program would
consist of core values, predictive empathy, peer norms against bullying, peer intervention skills,
and effective administrative responses (Willard, 2006).

Step four consisted of reviewing policies and procedures related to Internet and mobile
communication devices, which may include restricting the use of mobile communication devices
during the school day and monitoring of Internet use. An anonymous report box in which students
may submit reports of bullying and cyberbullying concerns may also be utilized. Step five conduct
professional development of individuals in the district, the depth of the development and
understanding necessary would be determined by their status, however all administrators should
be aware of bullying and cyberbullying basics. Step six included the parents by educating them on
strategies to prevent cyberbullying and detect if their child is a cyberbully or a victim of one. Step
seven provides student education about cyberbullying in which lessons would incorporate
cyberbullying into life skills or bullying prevention classes. Finally, step eight was to evaluate the
cyberbullying prevention and intervention program periodically to determine its effectiveness
(Willard, 2006).

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 References

1. Belsey, B. (2004). What is cyberbullying? Retrieved April 4, 2009, from:

www.bullying.org/external/documents/ACF6F8.pdf

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 Appendix

Emotional Responses to Cyberbullying

Teens experience a wide range of emotional responses to cyberbullying.

How did these experiences make you feel?

58%
Angry
56%

37%
Hurt
32%

24%
Embarassed
34%

18%
Scared
11%

48%
Not bothered
58% Middle School
High School

Base: Experienced Cyberbullying (n=380)

Teens believe that cyberbullying prevention should start at the individual level. Teens want
the ability to block people who cyberbully. They also believe that refusing to pass along
cyberbully messages and telling their friends who cyberbully to stop are effective means of
prevention. Teens do not believe that cyberbully prevention is especially effective at the school
level. Less than four in ten teens reported that schools should have rules against cyberbullying
(37%), schools should educate students in classrooms or small groups about not cyberbullying
(33%), adults should be taught on how to help young people stop cyberbullying (32%), and schools
should hold assemblies to educate students about not cyberbullying.

Among teens who reported they thought at least one self-action would be an effective way
to prevent cyberbullying, 64 percent reported that they are extremely/very likely to refuse to pass
along cyberbully messages. Over four in ten (44%) reported they are extremely/very likely

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to tell a friend to stop cyberbullying. Teens who reported that at least one self-action would be
effective reported that they were not as likely to do the other self actions: less than one-quarter are
extremely/very likely to report cyberbullying they know about to an adult (25%), to tell a
cyberbully victim they are sorry (19%), and to send a message to someone who is cyberbullying
that it is wrong to do that (19%).

% Extremely/Very Likely

Refused to pass along cyberbully 64 %

If a friend cyberbullies, tell them to 44%

Report any cyberbullying you know about to an 25%

If you know a victim,tell them you are sorry 19%

If you see cyberbullying online, tell him it’s wrong

19%

Base: Reported At Least One Self-Action Would Be Effective (n= 633)

Cyber bullying Lingo (adapted from the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use).

Away Message – custom written automatic reply used to greet any instant messages the user
receives while absent
Instant Messaging - software allowing users to chat online in "real time" from their computers or
via wireless devices
JK - An acronym for 'just kidding." Some young people follow hurtful comments with 'jk,"
absolving themselves of any responsibility for their statement.
POS - An acronym for "parent over shoulder."
Profile - A biographical form, in which members record their hobbies, likes and dislikes.
Text Messaging - The use of cell phone keypads to type short messages that can be instantly sent
to other cell phone users.
Three-Way Instant Messaging- An upgrade of the three-way phone call, in which two people
instant message from the same computer, but suggest only one person is present. This is followed
by sensitive questioning of others about the "quiet" third party, who is able to view what people
"really think" of him or her.

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