Down with Bullies!

Cyberbullying Blog!



1).Define cyberbullying. Do you have personal experience with it as either a victim or perpetuator, even if you didn’t know it at the time?

Cyberbullying is described as using various forms of technology to harass someone. Cyberbullying can take place in social network sites, in emails, or through chat rooms. That is just a few of the numerous ways that someone can be harassed. It seems that the term "cyberbullying" is usually refered to when talking about online communication of children or teenagers. Adults involved in the same harrasment activities are often identified as "cyberstalking" or "cyberharassment". I can't think of a time when I have been a victim of cyberbullying. I remember being in chat rooms that had annoying trolls who bothered everyone but nothing personalized towards me. I consider myself pretty easy to get along with so I did not have any enemies in school or anyone who felt the need to pick on me. Also, I never harassed anyone online because I try to live by the Golden Rule, and treat others like I want to be treated.



2).Describe the problems schools face in dealing with cyberbullying. What are the legal issues? How would you know students are being cyberbullied? Should school step in and regulate what is happening off-site?

Schools face problems about cyberbullying because it will probably affect the behavior of students if their are the victims of harassment. Also, if rumors are spreading around the school, it could be a distraction to the students. I think educators would notice the change in attitude from a cyberbullying victim or catch wind of rumors being discussed. I don't think schools should be active in monitoring the off-site activity. However, I think that once an issue has been identified by administrators, the school and community must act swiftly to stamp out the fire. I think taking swift action shows students that the school is serious about eliminating cyberbullying behavior

3.)Create a plan for dealing with cyberbullying in your classroom. Will it be pre-emptive or reactionary to problems? Will it be individual or as a whole group? Will you involve more than just your classroom?

I would like to have an "Online/Internet" policy that my students understand and accept. I don't know if the school would already have something like this in place but maybe I should have a policy that fills any gaps. This policy could have pieces about online research and copyright along with cyberbullying/troll conduct. This would be my pre-emptive piece.
If I happen to become aware of cyberbullying involving my students, then I should probably alert administration along with the parents involved. I don't think I should broadcast the information to everyone because I might have learned of the bullying before it reached the general school population and it would be unwise to spread interest of the incident. I'm not sure what type of punishment would be appropiate but I do believe that parents and the school should come together to reach a verdict.


Sorry about not putting my blog post into a fun/interesting narration format. I'll get back to that style next week!