Strategies For Combating Cyberbullying in Schools

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Strategies For Combating Cyberbullying in Schools

• Dr Jo Bryce
• Director of Research
• Cyberspace Research Unit
• Department of Psychology
• University of Central Lancashire
• Preston, UK
• Newcastle Cybersafety Event
• 14th November 2007

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The Cyberspace Research Unit

• Research and consultancy
• Education and training
• Development of awareness and educational
  materials
• Policy advisors
• Predictive risk mapping
• Collaborative multistakeholder environment
• European Commissions Safer Internet Action Plan
  Former coordinator of UK Awareness Node for Child
  safety on the Internet
• Government working groups Home office Internet
  Task Force sub groups on public awareness and
  social networking, DCFS Cyberbullying Task Force,
  Becta SUICT group

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Overview Developing Effective Strategies

• Outline 4 key aspects to developing effective
  strategies for combating cyberbullying and
  associated challenges
• Understanding
• Educating
• Preventing
• Responding
• Whole life approach
• Multifaceted and multistakeholder approaches
• Key role for awareness raising and education of
  all key target groups
• Children and young people
• Parents and carers
• Teachers, heads, child welfare and education
  services

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• Understanding

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Web 2.0 Technologies and Services

• Social Networking
• Mobile internet access
• Image and video sharing
• RSS and syndication
• Creativity, informal learning
• Keep in touch
• Make new friends
• Children and young people as active and
  enthusiastic participants

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Example

• Female, mid teens
• Extensive period of cyberbullying - 2 years
• Affected the victims health, self-esteem and
  family life
• Victim initially befriended the perpetrator and
  they had fallen out
• Transferred to a social networking site
• Perpetrator had created a hate page on which
  they posted malicious gossip about the victim
• Social networking provider removed perpetrators
  account 6 times but they created a new profile
  and continued harassment
• School and police involvement

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Cyberbullying Definitions

• Definition
• Use of new information and communication devices
  and services to bully, harass or intimidate an
  individual or group
• Behavioural categories
• Content transmission
• Threats, abuse and harassment
• Hacking
• Exclusion from online groups
• Impersonation
• Forwarding private information

• Characteristics targeted
• Appearance
• Sexuality
• Race, religion and culture
• Family
• Relationship between perpetrator and victim
• Strangers
• Existing social networks
• Relationship-based

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Prevalence

• Finkelhor et al. (2000) 6
• CRU (2002) 20
• Oliver (2003) 4
• Finn (2004) 10-15
• Tesco/NCH (2005) 20
• Beran and Li (2005) 21
• Carnell (2006) 7
• Li (2006) 25
• MSN (2006) 11
• Smith et al. (2006) 22
• Vandebosch et al. (2006) 61.9
• Ybarra et al. (2006) 32

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Outcomes

• Psychological
• General unhappiness, low self-esteem, shyness and
  withdrawal
• High levels of fear and anxiety, depression and
  suicidal thoughts
• Social
• Loneliness and isolation
• Dislike of school, absenteeism, reduced
  educational performance
• Impacts on the family
• Physical
• Development of physical complaints, illness,
  psychosomatic symptoms

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Technology and Intensification of Harassment

• Increased negative impact and outcomes through
  invasion of previously private spaces and
  intensification of harassment
• Victims may be reluctant to abandon new
  technologies and services because of their
  central role for identities, social lives and
  communications within existing social networks
• Victims may be scared to report problems due to
  fear that access to technology and services will
  be blocked

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Importance for Strategy Development

• Further research with children and young people
  is required which examines cyberbullying in
  relation to the following
• Prevalence, role of technologies and services,
  motivations, meanings, experiences and outcomes
• Developmental differences in understanding,
  learning and impact of educational and awareness
  strategies
• Key contributor to developing effective
  educational and awareness raising strategies by
  all key stakeholders for target audiences

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• Educating

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Educating the Educators 1

• Significant knowledge gap between children and
  young people, parents and carers, teachers and
  education professionals
• How available technologies / services work and
  are used by children and young people
• Risks and opportunities associated with their use
• Risk reduction strategies
• Strategies for talking to children and young
  people about these issues
• Programmes of education and awareness raising are
  essential in closing the knowledge gap
• Public awareness campaigns
• Online information and resources

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Educating the Educators 2

• Training courses for teachers, education and
  child welfare services, parents etc
• UCLan University Certificate in Child Safety on
  the Internet
• Distance learning
• Multimedia and collaborative learning environment
• Activity based, reflexive
• Focus on how to use knowledge and skills learned
  on the course to educate children and young
  people about safe and responsible use of the
  Internet and other communications technologies
• Challenges in educating parents and carers,
  education and child welfare professionals

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• Preventing

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Preventing 1

• Key role for awareness raising and education
• Schools, education and child welfare services
• Review and update relevant policies which relate
  to preventing bullying and cyberbullying
• Identify educational and support responsibilities
  within schools
• Develop and embed effective educational
  strategies and materials within the curriculum /
  school environment

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Preventing 2

• Incorporate the views of children, young people,
  parents and carers
• Include formal procedures for evaluating
  understanding and impact of strategies on
  behaviour
• Manage educational responsibilities across the
  school and home environment
• Consider the role of service providers in
  educational strategies
• Encourage parents and carers to take an active
  educational role

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• Responding

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Responding 1

• Key role for awareness raising and education
• Schools, education and child welfare services
• Review and update relevant policies on responding
  to bullying and cyberbullying, AUPs
• Identify reporting and supporting roles and
  responsibilities within schools
• Design and implement clear reporting and
  responding structures within schools including
  mechanisms for liaising with service providers

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Responding 2

• Develop clear guidelines for collecting evidence
  of cyberbullying for staff and students
• Implement support systems for victims, families
• Define and publicise sanctions for those involved
  in cyberbullying others
• Develop and implement effective educational
  strategies and materials which highlight
  mechanisms for reporting and supporting within
  schools

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Critical Challenges 1

• Resources, implementation and management at the
  local level
• Duty of care, cyberbullying, and young people's
  right to privacy and freedom of expression
• Incorporate children and young people as key
  stakeholders through research, participatory
  design and peer mentoring initiatives

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Critical Challenges 2

• Recognise children and young people are not an
  homogenous group
• Differences in age, developmental factors,
  gender, family structure, emotional problems,
  learning difficulties, peer relationships
• Developmental differences in understanding risks,
  learning and impact of educational and awareness
  strategies

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Critical Challenges 2

• Evaluate the impact of implemented strategies on
  behaviour using standardised methodologies
• Strategies require constant review and update as
  new technologies and services become popular with
  children and young people
• Risks balanced by significant opportunities for
  creativity, education learning, and empowerment

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• Thank You!
• If you would like further information about the
  work of the CRU or have any questions, feel free
  to contact me
• JBryce_at_uclan.ac.uk
• www.internetsafetyzone.co.uk
• www.uclan.ac.uk/other/cru