Cyberbullying

1. Cyberbullying By: Marisol Herrera

2. Technology Usage • The prevalence rates of technology usage among school children continues to climb: • Over 90% of youths use the Internet (Wong-Lo & Bullock, 2011). • Over 80% of teens use a cell phone regularly (Bullying Statistics, 2009). • Teens between the ages of 13-17 average 1,742 text messages each month (Gurian, n.d.).

3. Raises a Big Question Are there any dangers with such usage?

4. Dangers • The answer is yes. There are many dangers. • Even though technology has its many benefits and uses, if used improperly, it could cause some drastic consequences. • One misusage that will be discussed throughout this presentation is: CYBERBULLYING

5. Video KB Recalls Her Day(Stop Bullying, 2011).

6. Cyberbullying • Due to the continuous climb of technological advances in online and electronic communication and its heightened accessibility to the world, the typical school yard bully has found a new way and school yard to torment its vulnerable victims: this new avenue is the cyber world.

7. Bullying in the 21st Century

8. About Cyberbullying • A little over a decade ago, the term “cyberbullying” did not even exist nor was it a problem. Now it has taken traditional bullying by storm and has revolutionized it to a greater degree that it is now so widespread and pervasive that it has NO boundaries or limits.

9. Definition of Cyberbullying • Cyberbullying is defined as an individual or group of people that intentionally and repeatedly inflict harm on another person through electronic forms of communication to the point where the victim feels harassed or unsafe (Mason, 2008; Miller & Hufstedler, 2009).

10. Technology Used in Cyberbullying • Cyberbullying harassment includes the following uses of technology for the purpose to deliberately antagonize the victim: • Social networks (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc.) • Mobile phone texting • Videos • Picture messages • Instant messages • Emails • Chat rooms • Blogs • Phone calls

11. Intent of Cyberbullying • The intent of cyberbullying is to tease, taunt, name call, embarrass, humiliate, threaten, and spread defamatory lies and libelous rumors to ruin the cybervictim’s reputation (Miller & Hufstedler, 2009).

12. Its Pervasive Nature Traditional Bullying Cyberbullying Worldwide audience that knows and is watching it being done Is initiated by one bully and then many others join in to participate In a matter of seconds, it can reach a multitude. 24/7 - attacked, home is no longer a sanctuary • Not many know it is being done and only a few witness it • Usually done by one bully or a small group of bullies • Lasts for short periods of time each day and the victim can usually escape once at home

13. Examples of Cyberbullying • Sending mean messages or threats through email or cell phone • Posting hurtful messages on social networks or web pages • Spreading rumors online or through texts • Posting embarrassing photos or secrets and spreading them • Recording unauthorized videos and uploading them • Hacking into account and posting damaging messages • Stealing identity of person • Leaving someone out of online groups • Creating a fake online persona to bully others • Sexting • (Bullying Statistics, 2009; Brain Pop, 2012).

14. What is Sexting? • Sexting is defined as the action of sending sexually explicit photos, videos, or text through one’s own phone or computer to friends or potential suitors. • 20% of teenagers participate in sexting • 1 in 10 have shared a naked image of themselves

15. Why Do Teens Engage in Sexting • Most Common: To be fun or flirtatious • To date or hook-up with that person • Peer pressure especially by males (51%) • To send a “sexy present” to their boyfriend or girlfriend • To joke around • To feel sexy

16. Sexting Ramifications • Can ruin reputations • Can spread like wild-fire to others thus cause embarrassment and even suicide • Could be considered as distributing child pornography • Could be labeled as a sex offender

17. Sexting, What Can We Do? • We need to teach students about the legal ramifications and embarrassment that could be incurred. • We also need to help parents understand this growing epidemic and inform them of what they can do to protect their child. • Furthermore, because sexting can turn into cyberbullying especially when spread for others’ amusement, it must be included in the school’s anti-cyberbullying policy.

18. Why do cyberbullies bully others? • Cyberbullies: • Think that it is funny and want to see a reaction; 81% of teenagers said that others cyberbully because they think it is funny (National Crime Prevention Council, 2012a). • Do it for entertainment because they are bored • Do not consider the consequences of their actions • Are motivated by anger, revenge, or frustration • Do it to torment others and for their ego • Do it to bolster their own social standing • To get revenge for being bullied themselves (Wired Kids, n.d.).

19. Four Types of Cyberbullies • For each type of cyberbully, the motives differ: • The Vengeful Angel • The Power-Hungry and Revenge of the Nerds • Mean Girls • Inadvertent Cyberbully

20. The Vengeful Angel • They do not see themselves as a bully at all. • They see themselves righting wrongs or protecting themselves or others from the “bad guy” they are now cyberbullying. • Includes when the victim becomes the bully. • They are teaching the new victim (initial bully) a lesson. • They are getting revenge on the new victim. • Get involved to protect their cybervictim friends. • We need to help them see that they themselves are bullies and should not take justice into their own hands. (Wired Kids, n.d.)

21. The Victim’s Revenge

22. Power-Hungry & Revenge of the Nerds • They want to exert their authority and show that they are powerful enough to make others do what they want • They also want to control others with fear • They want an audience so they can brag • This type of bully is usually a victim of offline bullying • They may be physically smaller and usually picked on for not being popular or cool • “Revenge of the Nerds” cyberbullying • Intention is to frighten and embarrass others • Act tough online but not in real life (Wired Kids, n.d.)

23. Mean Girls • They are bored and looking for entertainment • Ego-based cyberbullying • Usually female and bullying other girls • Usually done in a group (virtually or physically) • Requires an audience • They want others to know who they are and that they have power to cyberbully others • Grows when fed by group admiration, cliques and silence of bystanders • Quickly dies if they do not get the entertainment value they are seeking (Wired Kids, n.d.)

24. The Inadvertent Cyberbully • They do not think they are cyberbullies • May be pretending to be tough online like role playing for fun • May be reacting to hateful messages they received feel hurt or angry from what was sent • They do not lash out intentionally like Revenge of the Nerds cyberbullies • They respond without thinking about the consequences of their actions • Respond out of anger and frustration, they do not think before clicking “send” • Sometimes they pick on their friends for fun (Wired Kids, n.d.)

25. What Do the 4 Types Tell Us • “Because the motives differ from each type of cyberbully, the solutions need to address their special issues. There is no ‘one size fits all’ when cyberbullying is concerned. But understanding more about why they cyberbully others will help” (Wired Kids, n.d.). • We have to address the motives and our awareness campaigns need to address the problem using several different messages.

26. Why is cyberbullying so common? • Cyberbullies do not consider the consequences of their actions. • Due to the fact that cyberbullying is a faceless harassment, cyberbullies are not able to see the physical and immediate reaction or the nonverbal feedback cues of their victims. As a result, they lack empathy towards their victim, feel remorseless, and will continue in their tormenting process.

27. Feeling of Anonymity • Due to its elusive nature, cyberbullies feel that they are unidentifiable and invisible. Therefore, this sense of anonymity enables cyberbullies to become less inhibited or less restrained from saying hurtful things. By acquiring a false identity, cyberbullies are able to disguise themselves and are more willing to act in ways that they would not do if their identity was known. • By being able to hide behind their avatar, online personality, they are able to avoid being held accountable or responsible for their actions and escape punishment. If caught, the perpetrator can always reason that someone else hacked into their account and posted those hurtful things thus eluding the consequences.

28. Quiz Time How much do you know about cyberbullying?

29. Facts About Cyberbullying Quiz • Please complete the “Facts About Cyberbullying” Quiz. This ten true and false quiz is taken from the Cyberbullying Research Center. • You have five minutes to complete the quiz.

30. Questions 1-5 1.) Victims of cyberbullying are at an increased risk for traditional bullying victimization, substance abuse, and school problems. 2.) A school is protected from legal liability and not required to intervene in cyberbullying incidents that occur away from campus. 3.) Most victims of cyberbullying tell an adult (parent or teacher) about their experience. 4.) Research has shown that victims of cyberbullying suffer from anger, frustration, and sadness. 5.) Cyberbullying does not result in physical harm to victims because it occurs (and is contained) completely online.

31. Questions 6-10 6.) Cyberbullying is just a problem in the United States. 7.) Victims report that they are primarily cyberbullied by strangers. 8.) Traditional schoolyard bullies are also likely to be cyberbullies. 9.) Boys are more likely to be victims of cyberbullying than girls. 10.) Research has shown that utilizing blocking and filtering software decreases the likelihood of experiencing cyberbullying.

32. Question 1 • Victims of cyberbullying are at an increased risk for traditional bullying victimization, substance use, and school problems. TRUE • “According to an article published in the journal Deviant Behavior, victims of cyberbullying were significantly more likely to report experiences with traditional bullying, to use illicit substances, and to have other problems at school” (Cyberbullying Research Center, 2012a).

33. Question 2 • A school is protected from legal liability and not required to intervene in cyberbullying incidents that occur away from campus. FALSE • “If any off-campus behavior results in a substantial disruption at school, [schools] can intervene. Moreover, if students are denied the opportunity to learn in a safe environment (because of cyberbullying), school officials who fail to act may also be found liable under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972” (Cyberbullying Research Center, 2012a).

34. Question 3 • Most victims of cyberbullying tell an adult (parent or teacher) about their experience. FALSE • According to Hinduja’s and Patchin’s book, Bullying Beyond the Schoolyard: Preventing and Responding to Cyberbullying, “only about 40% of middle school victims of cyberbullying told their parents and less than 30% told a teacher. The book also points out that these numbers are much improved from just 4 years ago when fewer than 15% of victims told an adult” (Cyberbullying Research Center, 2012a).

35. Question 4 • Research has shown that victims of cyberbullying suffer from anger, frustration, and sadness. TRUE • “According to a study published in the Journal of School Violence, victims of cyberbullying were angry (30.6%), frustrated (34%), and sad (21.8%)” (Cyberbullying Research Center, 2012a).

36. Question 5 • Cyberbullying does not result in physical harm to victims because it occurs (and is contained) completely online. FALSE • “While most of the harm associated with cyberbullying is emotional, relational, or psychological (all important harms to prevent) there are many examples where cyberbullying has resulted in very serious physical consequences for victims. The most extreme example of this is the several cases reported in the media of adolescents committing suicide after experiencing cyberbullying” (Cyberbullying Research Center, 2012a).

37. Question 6 • Cyberbullying is just a problem in the United States. FALSE • “There have been a number of recent studies which have demonstrated that cyberbullying is also a problem in a number of other countries (Australia, Canada, Sweden, Turkey)” (Cyberbullying Research Center, 2012a). Furthermore, “several other studies are underway exploring cyberbullying across the world” (Cyberbullying Research Center, 2012a).

38. Question 7 • Victims report that they are primarily cyberbullied by strangers. FALSE • According to Hinduja’s and Patchin’s book, Bullying Beyond the Schoolyard: Preventing and Responding to Cyberbullying, “21.1% of victims said the cyberbully was a friend, 20% said it was an ex-friend, and 26.5% said it was someone else from school. Only 6.5% said the cyberbully was a stranger” (Cyberbullying Research Center, 2012a).

39. Question 8 • Traditional schoolyard bullies are also likely to be cyberbullies. TRUE • “According to an article published in Deviant Behavior, traditional bullies are 2.5 times more likely to be a cyberbully than someone who does not bully offline” (Cyberbullying Research Center, 2012a).

40. Question 9 • Boys are more likely to be victims of cyberbullying than girls. FALSE • “Overall it appears that girls are slightly more likely to report being the victim of cyberbullying than boys. More studies have reported that girls are more likely to be victims” (Cyberbullying Research Center, 2012a).

41. Question 10 • Research has shown that utilizing blocking and filtering software decreases the likelihood of experiencing cyberbullying. FALSE • “According to an article published in Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, using filtering software is NOT significantly related to a decreased chance of Internet harassment victimization. Some adults believe that by simply purchasing and installing such software, they have ‘done their part’ in safeguarding their child’s participation online. Software solutions only go so far in controlling certain actions in cyberspace” (Cyberbullying Research Center, 2012a).

42. What did this quiz show? • Cyberbullying affects all races and genders and is a worldwide problem. • The majority of students do not tell an adult about their victimization. • The severe negative repercussions that cyberbullying causes to victims can no longer be ignored.

43. Statistics on Cyberbullying • According to cyberbullying statistics from i-SAFE foundation: • Over half of teens have been bullied online • Half have engaged in cyberbullying • Over 25% of teens have been bullied repeatedly through cell phones and Internet • Over half of victims do not tell their parents when cyberbullying occurs (Bullying Statistics, 2009).

44. More Statistics • In another study, only 1 in 10 tell a parent if they have been a cybervictim (Li, 2010; Patchin & Hinduja, 2006). • 1 in 10 teens have had embarrassing or damaging pictures taken without permission • 1 in 5 teens have engaged in sexting • Girls are more likely than boys to be involved in cyberbullying

45. Even More Statistics • 38% of teen girls have been cyberbullied • 26% of teen boys have been cyberbullied • 13% of teens have had a rumor spread about them on the Internet • 20% of teens have been repeatedly threatened online • 53% of teens have admitted to saying cruel things online • There is a 70% increase in your likelihood of being cyberbullied if you use a social networking site (Brain Pop, 2012).

48. Permanence of Cyberbullying • Once it is posted on the Internet, it will never go away. It could circulate and then resurface at later times to renew the pain of cyberbullying (Bullying Statistics, 2009).

49. Consequences of Cyberbullying • Cyberbullying can: • Undermine the school climate and environment • Interfere with the victim’s school functioning by diminishing his/her ability to concentrate academically and by increasing his/her number of absences • Lead to “bullicide” and school shootings (Holladay, 2011). • Cause the development of other mental health problems • Can emotionally scar the victim with its long-term effects that can persist into adulthood

50. Emotional Consequences • Very damaging effects: • Increased anxiety • Depression • Low self-esteem • Distress • Stress • Loneliness • Loss of Interest • Irritability • Fear • Suicide ideation • Suicide