Lisa Cantwell

Cyberbully Prevention Grand Canyon University-TEC 530

April 3, 2018
What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying is the use of technology, including social media sites, mobile phones and instant messaging to harm,
intimidate or bother another person (Compton, Campbell, & Mergler, 2014).
How to address cyberbullying in the classroom:
Educators should address cyberbullying within the classroom because it is becoming more prevalent with the
increased use of technology. Cyberbullying Research Center states that 95% of today’s teenagers have access to the
internet (Hinduja & Patchin, 2018). Educators need to teach students to be good digital citizens that are aware that
their actions should be responsible and ethical users. The first step is to ensure students know that with technology
use, comes responsibility.
Benefits of a prevention plan:
Creating a prevention plan to prevent cyberbullying is important. It is essential to train students on how to be a
responsible digital user, so they are aware of the expectations of their school community. By providing a prevention
plan for students, the school is creating a positive and safe school climate (Hinduja & Patchin, 2018).
Create a prevention plan:
When creating a cyberbully prevention plan, educators need to discuss how to implement an effective intervention
that works best for their school community (Stauffer, Heath, Coyne, & Ferrin, 2012). When developing a plan, they
need to be aware that the first step is to educate students concerning the responsible use of technology. This should
be included in the daily curriculum whenever technology is being involved (Hinduja & Patchin, 2018). This includes
an awareness and agreement of the district’s responsible use policy and informed consequences for violating these
rules. The International Society for Technology in Education’s (ISTE) standard 2 for students, states guidelines to
becoming a digital citizen. Standard 2 states students should learn to recognize the rights and responsibilities that
are associated with becoming a digital learner (ISTE, 2016). In addition, students need to learn to manage their
digital identity, especially when using social media sites. Students need to be made aware that their actions online
can have a lasting effect and may be permanent (ISTE, 2016). Students, should engage in positive, respectful and
safe behavior, including social interactions with others in an online environment (ISTE, 2016). And most importantly,
keeping personal information and passwords secure (ISTE, 2016). Furthermore, when educating students concerning
proper digital citizenship, students need to be aware of what is acceptable and not acceptable and the consequences
that can occur for inappropriate online behavior. District’s may need to review their harassment policies to ensure
that all forms of bullying are included, particularly cyberbullying that may occur off campus (Hinduja & Patchin,
2018). In addition to having a plan, a program should be considered to provide additional training for those who
have cyberbullying behaviors. One recommendation, is for students who cyberbully to engage in role-playing
scenarios to build empathy toward others (Froeschle, Le Clair, & Berry, 2016). By implementing a plan and program
that helps reduce cyberbullying behaviors, the district will improve the overall atmosphere and safety of the school
climate.
Resources:
For more resources concerning cyberbullying, please visit www.stopbullying.gov.
Stopbullying.gov contains resources such as videos and suggestions for the prevention of
cyberbullying.
References:
Compton, L., Campbell, M. A., & Mergler, A. (2014). Teacher, parent and student perceptions of the motives
of cyberbullies. Social Psychology Of Education, 17(3), 383-400.
Froeschle Hicks, J., Le Clair, B., & Berry, S. (2016). Using solution-focused dramatic empathy training to eliminate
cyber-bullying. Journal Of Creativity In Mental Health, 11(3-4), 378-390. doi:10.1080/15401383.2016.1172533
Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J. W. (2018). Cyberbullying identification, prevention, and response. Cyberbullying Research
Center (cyberbullying.org).
International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). 2016. ISTE standards for students. Retrieved from
https://www.iste.org/standards/for-students
Stauffer, S., Heath, M. A., Coyne, S. M., & Ferrin, S. (2012). High school teachers' perceptions of cyberbullying
prevention and intervention strategies. Psychology In The Schools, 49(4), 352-