Blog Post #7: Cyberbullying
More awareness and attention is being spotlighted on bullying
and its prevention. Bullying, harassment,
and cyberbullying can be distinct concepts but there are commonalities between
the three that make similarities relevant.
This week’s readings were perfect for this month and week, as October is
National Bully Prevention Awareness Month.
Just this week, October 21st, our staff, and student body stood
in solidarity by wearing orange on Unity Day.
This day of observance was to show that those wearing orange believe
that no student should ever have to ever experience bullying. Though I wore orange in solidarity….it will
take much more than wearing orange to put an end to the inhumane treatment of
those who are bullied and to give those who see others being bullied, the tools
and confidence that they need to be able to speak out against this atrocity.
What stood out to me was that bullying is not only happening in the k-12 setting but also in higher education and workplaces. This is an atrocity that this victimizing cycle of bullying can extend into our adult years. Faucher, Cassidy, and Jackson (2015) state that persons who are victims of bullying rarely speak up about issues for fear of the repercussions that might occur after they speak up and/or after speaking up about the issue nothing will change or their problem will escalate (p.115). What can be done about this? Students in a university focus group argue that when bullying happens in the workplace it is almost “too late”. Antibullying must be addressed and learned in the k-12 grades” (Faucher, Cassidy, & Jackson, 2015, p. 119).
What was shocking to me was the statement, “In
some jurisdictions, such as the U.S., a behavior can only be considered harassment
if it targets a person whose status (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, religion) is
protected under the law” (Faucher,
Cassidy, & Jackson, 2015, p. 112).
This made me curious about the laws, here in South Carolina, that
prohibit bullying. The website www.cyberbullying.com lists that in South
Carolina, the course of action on how to handle bullying is left up to the
school district to decide and cyberbullying is included. It appears that some states are more lenient
that others when it comes to bullying in schools. Would harsher consequences make students think
twice before they bullied or harassed another person?
How would I address bullying with my students? As the week’s readings suggested, focusing on bully prevention for one day or even a month is not enough. Students must be taught from an early age that bullying will not be accepted or tolerated in our school’s culture. I would address bully prevention with my students by:
- Book/Video Discussions and Journaling - Depending on the grade level, I would seek out literature, videos, and other resources for my students to read. I would also create guiding questions for students to journal and reflect on as they analyze the material.
- Create displays to highlight bully prevention. This could also be done as a school-wide “Big Read”. Students could talk with their classmates and think of ideas to prevent bullying and what to do when someone displays the inappropriate behavior. Students could create posters to about bullying prevention to display around the school. I would also seek out my school’s guidance counselor for support with addressing the issue of bullying.
- Plan engaging lessons to educate students on their responsibility to be respectful and responsible digital citizen.
- Seek tools (and make students aware of those tools) in which bullying can be reported and make students aware of what they can do if they are being bullied or see someone else being bullied.
Cyberbullying Research
Center. (n.d.). Bullying laws in South Carolina. Cyberbullying Research Center. https://cyberbullying.org/bullying-laws/south-carolina/
Faucher, C., Cassidy, W., & Jackson, M. (2015).
From the sandbox to the inbox: Comparing the acts, impacts, and solutions of
bullying in k-12, higher education, and the workplace. Journal of Education and
Training Studies, 3(6), 111-125.
Pacer’s National
Bullying Prevention Center. (n.d.). Unity day. Pacer.org. https://www.pacer.org/bullying/nbpm/unity-day.asp
Hi Richelle! I thought it was interesting how Faucher et al. broke down the differences between students', teachers', and parents' take on bullying. Students wanted an anonymous way to report it - which you touch on when talking about reporting tools in the school environment. Teachers wanted a greater focus on policy development. Parents tended to favor punishment, which unfortunately as you noted, is a big factor in underreporting. I think the solutions you proposed are sound - there is clearly not one good remedy. A combination of strategies is called for. I would add increased surveillance of school property. I know that a lot of bullying goes on in restrooms - is there a way to put cameras in restrooms without violating student privacy?
ReplyDeleteThanks Cheryl for commenting and for the suggestions. I agree with you, there will definitely not be one clear cut "bag of tricks" one might use to eradicate bullying. Creating a culture where these actions are known to be unacceptable with consequences established (and resources for all) is a step in the right direction to stop the victimization and loss of life. There is a lot of bullying in the restroom. Sometimes the perpetrators have planned there actions via social media and chats. I hope that schools have a way to monitor inappropriate behaviors online and that it is monitored often.
DeleteI really enjoy your ideas about a display to highlight prevention, especially having a big read. Getting the whole school involved in an anti-bullying campaign is a great way to build up kids and send them into the world with a positive message. Having students create posters and put in their own input also helps to build confidence and give them a sense of responsibility. I think the most important suggestion you offer is that having tools available isn't enough; we need to be sure the students are *aware* of those tools. As librarians, we have access to the entire student body and can use our platform to help the classroom teachers increase awareness about anti-bullying resources and tools. (Amy Misenheimer)
ReplyDeleteThanks Amy for your comments and suggestions! I never would have thought that the library profession would wear so many hats and ultimately hats that can be positive changes in lives of many. Yes, we can use our platform to help create school cultures that are inclusive and respectful to everyone and that will take a stand against the atrocity of bullying.
ReplyDelete