 |
| Google free use photo |
Bullying has become a major topic of discussion with guidance counselors and teachers in K-12 school systems. Cyberbullying should be part of this same line of discussion. Cyberbullying has been defined as “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices,” according to the Cyberbullying Research Center (Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J. W., 2018). Although cyberbullying and traditional bullying produce similar negative effects upon the victim, cyberbullying can essentially create a more devastating impact.
 |
| Google free use photo |
Since cyberbullies can come from anywhere in the world, the bully may not even know their victim or they may hide their identity from the victim. The abuse can be widespread and viewed by people in an entire school, community, or around the world. Victims of cyberbullying report (Faucher, C., Cassidy, W., & Jackson, M., 2015), “depression, poor self-esteem, concentration problems, anxiety, stress, academic problems, school avoidance, suicidal ideation, and a range of psychosomatic problems such as headaches, and sleep disturbances.”
 |
| Google free use photo |
Surprisingly, the number of reported cases of cyberbullying in the K-12 system is more likely to involve female students as the bully and the victim, while boys of the same age group are more likely to be involved in physically bullying there classmates. According to studies (Faucher et al., 2015), “in K-12, we see male students significantly more likely to be involved in face-to-face bullying and female students somewhat more likely to be involved in cyberbullying as both targets and perpetrators.” It is also surprising how many students don’t report cyberbullying for fear of added restrictions to their use of technology. This is why cyberbullying education and awareness needs to include in K-12 schools.
As librarians, we can work closely with guidance counselors and teachers to address the topics of bullying and cyberbullying. We can work with students to develop their digital citizenship and safety. Acting out or discussing scenarios about cyberbullying, watching videos, and conducting research allows students to gain knowledge and empathy. Below are resources for teaching students and providing information for parents about bullying and cyberbullying.
Resources:
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.
Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J. W. (2018). Cyberbullying Identification, Prevention, and Response. Cyberbullying Research Center (cyberbullying.org).
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.