Cyber Bullying

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Cyber Bullying

• What does it look like today?
• What can be done?

Presented by Kathy Lockard, Olweus Trainer AEA
14 Jaymie Randel, Olweus Trainer AEA 267 Penny
Bisignano, Iowa Olweus Coordinator
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Todays agenda

• What is Cyber Bullying and why should schools
  address it?
• How does Cyber Bullying affect students and their
  ability to learn?
• Carol Greta - legal responsibilities

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Todays agenda

• What AEA resources are available to assist in
  bullying prevention?
• What can be done to prevent or intervene in Cyber
  Bullying?
• Resources that are available to assist with Cyber
  Bullying prevention and intervention?

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The major resource for todays presentation is

• Cyber Bullying A Prevention Curriculum for
  Grades 6-12
• By Susan P. Limber, Ph.D., Robin M. Kowalski,
  Ph.D., and Patricia W. Agatston, Ph.D.

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Resources at your fingertips

• "Cyber Bullying  A Prevention Curriculum for
  Grades 3-5.
• Susan P. Limber, Ph.D., Robin M. Kowalski, Ph.D.,
  and Patricia W. Agatston, Ph.D.
• Cyber-bullying Cyber-threats Responding to the
  Challenge of On-line Social Aggression, Threats,
  Distress
  Nancy Willard

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Resources at your fingertips

• Stop Bullying Now
• http//stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/adult/indexAdult.a
  sp?Areacyberbullying
• Olweus Bullying Prevention Program
• http//www.clemson.edu
• Cyber Smart
• http//cybersmartcurriculum.org/Cyber
  Bullying/nsba/features
• That's Not Cool
• http//www.thatsnotcool.com

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Webinars re Cyber Bullying

• The Stop Bullying Now Campaign will host a Web
  cast focusing on cyber bullying on April 22, 2009
  from 300-430 PM EST.
• www.StopBullyingNow.hrsa.govhttp//www.StopBullyi
  ngNow.hrsa.gov
•  
• For up-to-date details related to this Web cast
  or if you would like a blurb about the Web cast
  for a newsletter or Web posting, please email
  Nicolle Grayson at Nicolle.Grayson_at_widmeyer.com.

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Bullying Prevention Resources

• Work to create a school environment in which
  respect and responsibility are promoted and
  bullying is not.
• Each AEA has trained personnel for assisting
  LEAs in implementing a school-wide approach to
  bullying prevention.

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Think about traditional bullying and Cyber
Bullying.

• On a piece of paper, write the following
  headings
• Traditional bullying is..
• Cyber Bullying is.
• Take 5 minutes to fill in characteristics of each.

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What is bullying?

• Bullying is when someone repeatedly and on
  purpose says or does mean or hurtful things to
  another person who has a hard time defending
  himself or herself.
• Olweus et al. 2007

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What is Cyber Bullying?

• Cyber Bullying is bullying through email, instant
  messaging (IMing), chat room exchanges, Web site
  posts, or digital messages or images sent to a
  cellular phone or personal digital assistant
  (PDA).
• Kowalski et al. 2008

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Cyber Bullying is Bullying on Steroids!
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Cyber Bullying can involve

• sending mean or offensive messages repeatedly
  through emails, IM, texting, phone messages, chat
  room posts, or social-networking postings

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Cyber Bullying can involve

• playing an online game and ruining the game for
  others on purpose

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Cyber Bullying can involve

• humiliating people by posting information that
  is not true, altering photos in an offensive way,
  or making fun of someone through statements,
  photos, or songs

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Cyber Bullying can involve

• sending mean or offensive messages as though they
  are from someone else so that the receiver thinks
  the targeted student sent them

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Cyber Bullying can involve

• creating Web sites designed to humiliate or
  embarrass others, such as slam books (Web sites
  that list students names for other students to
  make mean comments about)

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Cyber Bullying can involve

• sharing personal, often embarrassing, information
  about someone that they would not want shared by
  forwarding an email or a photo to others

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Cyber Bullying can involve

• hitting or hurting someone while photographing
  or videotaping the person, usually with a cell
  phone, and then sending the photos or videos to
  others for amusement

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Cyber Bullying can involve

• tricking someone into sharing personal
  information and then telling others about it
  through emails or text messaging

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Cyber Bullying can involve

• leaving someone out of a group by taking the
  person off buddy lists or leaving the person out
  of password-protected sites

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Cyber Bullying can involve

• sending threats intending to harm someone or
  encouraging the person to commit suicide

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Lets see if you are able to identify what kinds
of situations and online communications could be
considered Cyber Bullying.

• Read each of the following situations and
  identify if it is or is not an instance of
  Cyber Bullying.

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Is or Is Not Cyber Bullying?

• Alicia sends a text message to Tina telling her
  that she has a crush on a boy in her math class
  but not to tell anyone. Tina shows the message to
  the boy and sends it to everyone else in the
  class.

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It is Cyber Bullying.

• Reason 1 Tina shares personal information that
  Alicia sends to her and does not want shared.
• Reason 2 It is embarrassing and, even though the
  message is sent one time, it really happens over
  and over every time someone else receives and
  reads the message.

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Is or Is Not Cyber Bullying?

• Mike sends links to inappropriate adult Web
  sites to Sophie through email several times over
  a few months, even though she keeps asking him to
  stop.

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It is Cyber Bullying.

• Reason 1 Mike is using technology to harass her.
• Reason 2 Mike continues to do it even though
  Sophie has asked him to stop.
• Note Sophie should tell an adult immediately!
  Sexual harassment is against the law!

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Is or Is Not Cyber Bullying?

• Daniel is IMing with his girlfriend. She is
  angry with him and says some pretty nasty things
  to him online.

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It is not Cyber Bullying.

• Reason 1 The messages are not repeated.
• Reason 2 The messages are not sent to anyone
  else.

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Lets summarize.

• Both traditional bullying and Cyber Bullying are
  very harmful.
• Cyber Bullying can reach and involve many people
  very quickly.

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Lets summarize.

• People who might not bully someone face to face
  might cyber bully someone because they cant be
  seen and think they are anonymous.

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Lets summarize.

• Traditional bullying involves an imbalance of
  power.
• Because those who cyber bully think they can be
  anonymous, they might not really be more
  physically or socially powerful.

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Lets summarize.

• Traditional forms of bullying can cause physical
  harm and psychological harm.
• In most cases, Cyber Bullying causes
  psychological harm.

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Lets summarize.

• Traditional bullying is usually limited to the
  people in the immediate area where the bullying
  is taking place.
• Cyber Bullying can reach many people immediately
  and often the student who is targeted doesnt
  know who is doing it.

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Lets summarize.

• Traditional bullying usually has a time and
  place, such as during lunch on school grounds.
• Cyber Bullying can happen anytime and anyplace.

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Lets summarize.

• It is usually apparent who is doing traditional
  bullying.
• It is often difficult to find out who is Cyber
  Bullying.

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What are the warning signs of Cyber Bullying?

• A child may be experiencing Cyber Bullying if he
  or she
• appears upset after using the computer or being
  online.
• appears upset after viewing a text message.

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What are the warning signs of Cyber Bullying?

• A child may be experiencing Cyber Bullying or
  bullying at school if he or she
• appears sad, moody, or anxious.
• avoids school.
• withdraws from or shows a lack of interest in
  social activities.
• experiences a drop in grades or decline in
  academic performance.

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Students may cyber bully because..

• They think people wont know who they are they
  can be anonymous.
• They cant be seen.
• They dont have to see the other persons
  reactions.
• They think everybody does it, so its no a big
  deal.
• They like making someone else feel bad.

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How does Cyber Bullying affect students, schools,
and communities?

• Current research suggests that students involved
  in Cyber Bullying, are more likely to.
• be anxious
• be depressed
• have low self-esteem
• have lower grades
• have higher absenteeism rates
• Kowalski et al. 2008

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How does Cyber Bullying affect students, schools,
and communities?

• Cyber Bullying affects everyone. You may be a
  part of Cyber Bullying even if you dont know it.
  For example, if youve forwarded an email that
  makes fun of someone to one or more friends, that
  is considered Cyber Bullying.

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How does Cyber Bullying affect students, schools,
and communities?

• Cyber Bullying can also affect other people in
  the Bullying Circle.
• Those students who bully and are allowed to
  continue their behavior are also affected.

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• Everyone has the right to live his or her life
  without being bullied or harassed by someone
  else. It is important to understand that even if
  someone cyber bullies another person as a joke,
  it may not be a joke to the person who is being
  bullied.

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What should educators do if they know or suspect
Cyber Bullying is occurring?

• Educate all students about how to report all
  forms of bullying.
• Advise the student to save any evidence of the
  Cyber Bullying and report it.

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Help students know what to DO FIRST.

• Do not retaliate.
• Off your buddy list.

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Help students know what to DO FIRST.

• Figure out who it is.
• Ignore it.
• Respond after you think about it carefully.
• Save the evidence
• Tell an adult.

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Carol Greta Attorney IDE

• State laws, litigation, and guidelines for
  teachers and administrators about legal issues
  and Cyber Bullying.
• carol.greta_at_iowa.gov http//www.iowa.gov/educate/
  index.php
• 515-281-8661

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Resources at your fingertips

• Stop Bullying Now
• http//stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/adult/indexAdult.a
  sp?Areacyberbullying
• Olweus Bullying Prevention Program
• http//www.clemson.edu
• Cyber Smart
• http//cybersmartcurriculum.org/Cyber
  Bullying/nsba/features
• That's Not Cool
• http//www.thatsnotcool.com

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Contacts

• Penny Bisignano, gbiz_at_mchsi.com
• Kathy Lockard, klockard_at_aea14.k12.ia.us
• Jaymie Randel, jrandel_at_aea267.k12.ia.us
• Local AEA Olweus Bullying Prevention Trainers