Stop the cyberbullying in schools!

Bullying is linked to many negative outcomes including impacts on mental health, substance use, and even suicide in our schools.

A recent report on cyberbullying among students is alarming and teachers as well as parents ought to watch out for signs of bullying among students and act accordingly to stop it.

Bullying is considered by experts as the ways in which boys and girls act out of their aggression. It usually occurs among younger teens and pre-teens but begins to fade during the late teen years. Research has shown that middle school years are crucial years to be aware of bullying!

At the middle school in Toronto where I teach, the guidance department has recently organized some presentations for our students on ‘Six Categories of Digital Citizenship’ which include:

1. Media Balance and Well-Being
2. Privacy and Security
3. Digital Footprint and Identity
4. Relationship and Communication
5. Cyberbullying, Digital Drama, and Hate Speech
6. News and Media Literacy

The presentations were warranted by the recent inappropriate use of cellular phones and social media by students to bully their fellow students.

In today’s changing environments within school settings, increased attention is geared towards effective learning. There is a sense of urgency for innovation in education which arises as part of rapid economic and social changes.

Sometimes, phones and digital equipment can help students achieve critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and autonomous learning. At the same time if this equipment is used inappropriately by students they become tools of Cyberbullying! The essential question is:

“What should you do when someone uses mean or hurtful language on the internet?”
Students must be taught to understand that it is very important to think about the words they use because everyone interprets things differently.

They need to identify ways to respond to mean words online and, decide what kinds of statements are good to say online and which are not!

Students can use social media to bully others in the form of racist, sexist or homophobic remarks. There had been situations where the bullied had taken their lives in solitary. The dangers of Cyberbullying are frightening and ways and means must be constantly used to stop them in our schools.

Parents expect schools to provide environments that are emotionally and physically safe for their children. As parents, we normally feel enraged and frightened by any environment that poses a threat to the well-being of our children, especially in schools.

According to the psychologist and bullying expert, Evelyn Field, bullies and targets of bullies often have undeveloped assertive communication needs. Assertive communication is the open expression of one’s needs, feelings, thoughts, and desires. It involves speaking for your needs while respecting the needs of others.

Cyberbullying, though relatively new in the bullying field, it is spreading very fast as modern communication technology advances.

My humble advice to teachers and parents is that they should look for early signs of Cyberbullying among their children. They must pay attention to changes in their child’s behavior and encourage their children to talk about what happens at school.

We must all, teachers, school administrators, parents, and students help stop Cyberbullying in our schools.