Cyberbullying: An aid and prevention plan

School life is not always easy and all harmonious, in fact harassment and bullying pose a continuous problem. Communication technology and constantly new trending social media channels add further dimensions to the phenomenon, so that cyberbullying presents an even more complex matter. In order to protect children and teenagers the matter has to be tackled in a comprehensive way including all actors.

Bullying is defined as behaviour of repeated harassment, which can take multiple forms but is always linked to an intent to harm a victim. In this context, cyberbullying is another category of bullying using technological means. As most children use smartphones and computers and spend much of their leisure time online, it is not surprising that also harassing peers has moved to this sphere. The specific methods can be highly varied and change over time alongside with technological evolution: Whereas early cyberbullying in the 2000s primarily took place in chat rooms, contemporary harassment is mostly to be found on social media platforms or video-sharing sites. Recently online gaming as well as virtual reality environments have become an additional scene for all kinds of flaming, trolling or any other manifestation bullying can take on.

What does the internet change after all?

Overall it is crucial to recognise that the cyber to the bullying has indeed altered mechanisms and implications of the whole phenomenon in several ways:

First and foremost, the bullies’ reach is extremely augmented. As the harassment is conducted online, the victim can be targeted at any time and location, the only requirement being to have their smartphone at hand. Bullying thus stretches beyond the schoolyard, which makes the victim vulnerable 24/7 and increases the level of suffering even more, as no secure space can be found, not even in one’s very own room at home or far off during holidays.

Second, bullying becomes anonymous. It is relatively easy to target a victim online without disclosing one’s identity. On the one hand, this renders monitoring and prosecution more difficult, creating a situation of seemingly no consequences. On the other hand, it simultaneously lowers the moral threshold as perpetrators feel unobserved and do not directly face social disapproval from bystanders and authorities. Therefore, ruthless and abusive actions occur potentially in a more reckless manner.

Third, characteristic features become blurrier making the whole phenomenon harder to capture. For instance, the defining aspect of repetition has to be viewed in a different light, because posting one insulting picture online might be counted as a single act only. In fact, it can amount to a prolonged assault, as deleting content from the web is complex and can rarely be done immediately, resulting in many people accessing it over a time span of several days or even weeks. One single act is sometimes enough to trigger continuous infliction of harm.

Another change in quality can be observed when it comes to power imbalances that commonly shape bullying cases: Whereas in traditional off-line scenarios the bully’s superior physical stature or social status constitutes his or her advantageous position, in the online world other assets become relevant. Technological skills and prowess in hiding one’s identity come to the fore.

Finally, cyberbullying is suspected to be psychologically more harmful than traditional forms of bullying. One study, for example, shows that children do not consciously perceive online harassment as harsher, when it comes to its effects, however, victims are significantly more likely to suffer from strain, depression or fear. The combination of ubiquity and anonymity creates a dangerous mixture that is subtle and hard to trace on the one hand, and particularly intimidating and omnipresent on the other. Generally, the consequences of cyberbullying are widespread ranging from causing problems in school and with peers to anxiety, stress and depression which can even lead to substance abuse or suicidal tendencies. So, cyberbullying is no mere online teasing, it has to be taken very seriously.

Action plan

In order to counteract, prior identification of ongoing cyberbullying is necessary. This sounds logical, in reality it can be tricky tough. While parents believe to be in control, most teenagers for a fact do not inform adults about their online communication. In other words, the parents are too often not in the position to realise that misconduct is taking place, and teenagers are very hesitant to disclose such problems. Reasons for secrecy are similar to those of “offline” bullying, victims are ashamed or afraid of increased attacks in the aftermath of potential denunciations. Here is what all the involved actors can do in order to fight this complex form of aggression:

• Parents: Parents are mentioned right away, because if victims are to tell any adult, parents are statistically seen the first ones they address. It is important that they create a safe environment for their child, where they feel secure and can talk openly about feelings and problems. In the following they have to initiate the next steps, talking to teachers and counsellors and working on a strategy. All that needs to be done in a very sensitive manner so problems are not aggravated instead.
• Teachers: Teachers are in a good position to detect ongoing cyberbullying if they are attentive. Significant warning signs are for example a worsening class climate, friendships between students falling apart unexpectedly, isolation of a certain child during breaks, group works or sports, a sudden performance degradation or growing absences. If they do notice changes like these, they need to express their suspicions and take measures, like informing school leaders and parents, and taking in a professional counsellor. Also, they can address the problem during class. Online there are already a number of organisations providing training for teachers and educational material [link to http://cyberhelp.eu/en] for all age groups that they can use for their lessons. Such pedagogical measures are indeed able to foster solidarity and empathy within a class and help resolve or prevent new incidents.
• Schools: As institutional bodies, schools can take several steps to decrease the likelihood of cyberbullying and depriving it of fruitful breeding ground. First, there are technological strategies like blockers and filters for inhouse school internet access, which does not contain the threat outside its borders though. Furthermore, it is helpful for school managements to craft acceptable use policies for online behaviour in a joint effort including all stakeholders. These need to be officially adopted, brought to everyone’s attention and updated regularly. Also, a healthy school climate is pivotal. An environment conveying shared feelings of connectedness, belongingness and mutual respect encourages positive relations between students and adequate conflict management. Having school counsellors and peer mediation programmes strongly supports this development and hence has to be a priority in every school.
• Pupils: An important mantra that needs to be upheld at any time is pause before post. Youth has to be educated about consequences and longevity of their online communication. They need to acquire online safety skills and a sense of morale conduct.

Despite great numbers of directly involved pupils, statistically the majority will neither be bullies, nor victims themselves, but bystanders. These bystanders take over a critical position, as they have the ability to turn around the whole situation: Either they go along with the abusive happenings by forwarding insulting messages and posts or laughing at hurtful content. Or they stand up against cyberbullying discouraging inappropriate comments, siding with victims and talking to authorities.

• Law enforcement: The legal situation varies internationally, but generally cyberbullying is only vaguely or not at all covered. It is important, however, that victims are able to turn to legal authorities for help. Especially in severe cases law enforcement forces have to investigate and response adequately.

All in all, teachers, parents, counsellors and peers have to maintain sensitivity towards the topic of cyberbullying and keep an eye on continuous developments that accompany technological progress.

References

[1] Bauman, S. (2011). Cyberbullying. What counselors need to know. Alexandria: American Counseling Association.

[2] Hinduja, S., and Patchin, J. W. (2018). Cyberbullying Identification, Prevention, and Response. Cyberbullying Research Center. [online] Available at: https://cyberbullying.org/Cyberbullying-Identification-Prevention-Response-2018.pdf

[3] Moreno, M. (2014). Cyberbullying. JAMA Pediatrics Patient Page. [online] Available at: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/1866047

[4] Pettalia, J., Levin, E., and Dickinson, J. (2013). Cyberbullying: Eliciting harm without consequence. Computers in Human Behavior, 29, pp. 2758-2765