Abstract

1. Cyberbullying in Middle School: Prevalence, Perceptions and Prevention Sara Knippenberg, MA1, Conway F. Saylor, PhD¹, Lloyd Taylor, PhD¹, Kimberly Twyman M.D.21Department of Psychology,The Citadel Charleston, SC² Division of Genetics and Developmental Pediatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC Abstract Prevalence Rates of Specific Cyberbullying Experiences Perceptions We will present results of a research project in which cyberbullying experiences and perceptions were studied in 97 students, ages 11- 12. Results indicated 38% of students had been a cyber victim in the last 6 months, and 16% had been cyber bullies.Results also indicted that 32% of students reported others cyberbullied on computers. In addition to reporting cyberbullying via computers, 71% of students reported others cyberbullied through the use of cell phones. It was also found that students who talk to their parents about their online activities are more likely to help cyber victims. Session participants will gain a better understanding of cyberbullying and ways to prevent it. • 90% of students believe they have noticed some form of cyberbullying in their school • 71% thought others cyberbullied on cell phones/PDAs • 40% thought others bypassed computer filters • 32% thought others cyberbullied on school computers • 37% of middle school students felt other students were cyberbullied in their school • 23% thought others posted violence online • 14% thought others participated in online hate groups • 7% thought others were a part of online gangs • The majority of the students said they would help cyber victims • 79% said they would report the cyber bully to someone who could help • 76% of students said they would help the victim privately • 71% percent said they would tell the cyber bully to stop • 42% percent of students would support the victim publically Figure 1. Percentages of students who reported cyber victim experiences in the past 6 months on SNAS Background and Objectives • Today, students are utilizing computers, cell phones and other technologies at an increasing rate. There are a variety of ways in which these technologies can be used to interact with peers in harmful ways (Willard,2007). • A new form of bullying known as cyberbullying has emerged out of this growing technology savvy population. • Cyberbullying is the use of technology to deliberately and repeatedly harm others (Belsey, 2006). • Few people were prepared or realized the need to monitor their students’ Internet use or misuse (Chibbaro, 2007). • The increased use of technology and variability in types or levels of supervision have allowed cyberbullying to flourish and grow into a serious problem. • The purpose of the study is to: • Identify the prevalence of cyberbullying activities among middle school students • Determine how students perceive cyberbullying in their school • Learn what students might be willing to do to stop or prevent cyberbullying Prevention • Parents play an important role in combating cyberbullying. Parents need to discuss the dangers of cyberbullying with their children as well as the proper use of computers. • The current study found more than the majority of parents are discussing online treatment of others with their children. • 67% percent of students said their parents talked to them about how to treat others online. • The study suggests any level of communication between the student and the parents about online activity and safety is positive • Students who talk to their parents about their online activities are more likely to help cyber victims. • The goal of parents should be to create a safe, open line of communication with their children about online activities as well as other forms of cyberbullying. • Area for future research is the role schools play in educating students about cyberbullying and the best intervention methods which should include a partnership among school personnel, parents, and children Figure 2. Percentages of students who reported cyber bully experiences in the past 6 months on SNAS Methodology Recruitment: 97 sixth and seventh grade students, ages 11-12 who were from a countywide magnet middle school with an arts emphasis Sample Characteristics: Gender: 64% female and 36% male Ethnicity: 81% Caucasian, 6% African-American, and 12% other Annual Household Income: 48% of parents reporting $100,000+ Parent Martial Status: 84% married Parent Education: 69% of mothers and 67% of fathers holding at least a four-year college degree Measures: Bullying Ostracism Screening Scales (BOSS) (Saylor et al. 2009): Student report measure includes12 questions regarding how often different kinds of bullying (i.e., Verbal/Social, Physical, and Online) occurred during the current year. For each type of bullying students rate how often girls do this and how often boys do this in their school, in addition to rating how often they personally engaged in this type of bullying or were the victim of it. Student Needs Assessment Survey (SNAS): The questions for the SNAS used in the current study were taken directly from Willard’s SNAS (2007). Willard’s (2007) appended survey includes 30 self-report items some of which are open ended. Students are asked to report about their experiences related to cyberbullying and their internet use both at home and at school. The SNAS in the current study includes 19 self-report items and the open ended questions are not used. Six cluster scores were created to further analyze items addressing similar topics. Each cluster score was made of multiple items from the SNAS. References/Acknowledgments • A. References: • Belsey, B. (2006). Cyberbullying . Retrieved February 10, 2009, from www.cyberbullying.ca • Chibbaro, J. (2007). School counselors and the cyberbully: Interventions and implications. Profession School Counseling, 65-67. • Knippenberg, Sara (2009). Cyberbullying: The 21st Century Bully. Unpublished Thesis. • Saylor, C.F., Nida, S., Williams, K., Taylor, L.A., Smyth, W.D., Twyman, K.A. (2009) Bullying and ostracism screening scales: Brief student-report forms for detecting bullying and ostracism experiences. Unpublished manuscript. • Willard, N. E. (2007). Cyberbullying and cyberthreats. US: Research Press. • B. Acknowledgements: This study was funded by The Citadel Foundation through Faculty Research Grant awards to Dr. Saylor • C. Email:Knippenbers1@citadel.edu for more information Prevalence Rates on the BOSS • In the past year, student report: • 18% of students reported being cyberbullied at least occasionally • 9% of students admitted to personally bullying someone else online