Join Lars Voellmy in exploring the intricacies of cyberbullying, a ghost-like phenomenon, lurking in the dark, unseen corners and corridors of the internet, perhaps even in your school
In this three-part series, he first highlights why this topic needs your school’s attention and present you with a non-blaming understanding of cyberbullying. He then provides fundamental guidance on how to recognise cyberbullying, and how to enter a conversation with your students to shed light on it from their point of view. He ultimately outlines ideas for prevention, with those most affected by it as the key – your students.
Get to grips with cyberbullying
The likes of TikTok, WhatsApp and Snapchat are ever-present in youth culture nowadays. The recent pandemic has further increased the role social media plays in the lives of young people, especially for communication. A German study (1) carried out during the first lockdown in 2020 found that 90% of adolescents used primarily text-based messengers while a lot less preferred to call (50%) or facetime (35% with friends). Well into 2021, while most schools re-opened their doors, digital communication continues to dominate student’s lives with seven out of ten most downloaded apps in the US (2) primarily used for communication. And the habits established during lockdown are carried on as the average Briton and American spends almost four hours per day on apps.
It is crucial not to fall into the trap of blaming either bully, victim or bystanders, nor the school, parents or students alone
Today’s students spend more time online than ever, and they are more exposed to online risks as well. One of the threats causing a great deal of uncertainty amongst teachers, parents and administrators is cyberbullying. I like to think of this phenomenon as a ‘ghost’ due to its blurry nature – in comparison with ‘traditional’ forms of bullying, it is even more difficult to differentiate between harmless jokes and friendly banter, as it takes place partially or entirely online. The latest research is not too helpful either as it still does not offer a unilaterally agreed definition of cyberbullying, so it is quite unclear how many incidents really occur.
Chances are students will be exposed to cyberbullying sooner or later so learning how to use digital communication responsibly is crucial for their development. Many schools have understood this and integrated digital tools into the learning environment, but they also must take responsibility to ensure their students are kept as safe as possible online. Again, the ‘ghost’ is one step ahead as it is often unclear who is responsible in cases of cyberbullying – teachers, parents or administrators?
When thinking about cyberbullying, it is crucial not to fall into the trap of blaming either bully, victim or bystanders, nor the school, parents or students alone. Cyberbullying is a systemic phenomenon that comes to happen because certain (young) people meet under certain conditions in an environment that does not sufficiently protect them from danger – the internet. To bring back the ‘ghost’ analogy once more, cyberbullying is like an inhuman force that plays us against each other, using us like marionettes, without our awareness, until it is too late.
To reduce cyberbullying long-term, students must be actively involved in prevention efforts because cyberbullying evolves faster than adult eyes and ears can follow. I suggest first assessing the dimensions of the ‘ghost’ in your school, and then making it fear for its life by empowering your students to become so-called ‘cyber leaders’. Having them on board during the complete process in an active, decision-making role can also have wonderful side-effects such as a feeling of belonging at school, enhanced social competencies, a better overall school climate as well as heightened motivation for schoolwork (3) (no kidding).
In part two, you will learn about cyberbullying from a scientific standpoint. This bit is going to be rather technical but bear with me as things will get spicier when it comes to putting the knowledge to practice in the classroom. I offer a simple, yet engaging approach to discuss cyberbullying definitions with your students, with the goal of finding a unique description of the ‘ghost’ in your school and then assess its prevalence.
References
- https://www.mpfs.de/studien/jim-studie/jimplus-2020/
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoetsier/2021/07/15/top-10-apps-by-downloads-and-revenue-q2-2021-report/
- Spiesberger, Henny Isabella (2018). Was können Schulen gegen Cyberbullying tun? Die Ef-fektivität von Interventions- und Präventionsprogrammen. München: Studylab.