27 Sept. 07
What Is Cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying is "the use of Information and communications technology, particularly mobile phones and the internet, deliberately to upset someone else."
In other words sending e-mails and text messages, containing threatening or hurtful messages, to other people to bully them. It is especially common in schools were bullying is most rampant. Teachers are also becoming victims of cyberbullying. A recent survey in America showed that some 32% of teenagers questioned had experienced one of more of the following: having a private e-mail, IM or text messaging forwarded or posted where others could see it, the victim of an aggressive email, IM or text message, having a rumour spread about them online or having an embarrassing photograph posted online without permission.
As more and more young people join social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook, so they are opening themselves and their personal information up to more people.
The survey found that 39% of social network users had been cyber-bullied in some way, compared to 22% of online teens who do not use social networks. The sites themselves offer new avenues for bullies, the survey found.
One 16-year-old girl said: "There's this boy in my anatomy class who everybody hates and some girl started up this I Hate [Name] MySpace thing. So everybody in school goes on it to say bad things about this boy."
Sites such as MySpace and Bebo employ security and safety officers to trawl the site for inappropriate content.
What Schools Should Do
Schools are being advised by the government on how to tackle the "insidious" problem of cyberbullying.
This follows on from what the guidelines issued last year by the UK government to help parents and pupils deal with the issue of cyber-bullying after the Anti-Bullying Alliance found that one in five UK schoolchildren had been the victim of some form of online and mobile abuse.
First of all, the new guidelines for schools say that pupils have to recognise the seriousness of the hurt caused by such bullying - and it wants pupils to realise that looking at or forwarding examples of cyberbullying makes the viewer part of the problem.
As such, these viewers should not be seen as "bystanders" but as "accessories", says the official advice.
Schools should have a designated senior member of staff to tackle cyberbullying - making sure that incidents are recorded and that there are up-to-date "acceptable use" policies governing how school computers can be used.
Evidence - such as abusive texts - should be kept for investigations and efforts should be taken to track down the culprit, who once caught should face the type of sanctions that would apply to physical bullying. Schools have the power to confiscate mobile phones if they are being used in contravention of behaviour rules.
However, unless there is a specific provision in the school behaviour policy, staff do not have the legal right to search through mobile phone messages, such as to see whether an offensive message has been sent.
And head teachers can take action over material posted on websites or sent from mobiles outside of school - if it is seen to have an impact on school life.
The government guidance also says that some forms of cyberbullying can be classed as criminal offences - with the age of criminal responsibility starting at 10.
What Extras Teachers Want
There has been a broad welcome from teachers' unions for the advice on cyberbullying - but there have been calls for further action.
The NASUWT union wants pupils' mobile phones to be classed as "potentially offensive weapons" and to stop their use during school time.
It also calls for a change in the law to prevent teachers from "being named in allegations on websites".
And it wants to stop schools from expecting teachers to make available their personal mobile phone number or e-mail addresses.
But the anti-bullying charity, Beatbullying, says that it is against the call to keep mobiles out of school.
"Many parents want their children to carry a mobile phone for safety reasons... confiscating them is ridiculous," says the charity's spokesperson.
Tips to avoid Cyberbullying
- Don't respond to malicious texts or e-mails
- Save evidence - Report cyber bullying
- Keep passwords safe
- Don't give out personal details online
What do you think? Do you believe that these guidelines will work? Do you have any ideas on how to stop cyberbullying?
Join the debate on our Messageboard.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7006326.stm
