A resource for educators

1. CyberbullyingCyberbullying
How to Recognize andHow to Recognize and
Prevent itPrevent it

2. What is Cyberbullying?
•A modern extension of bullying.
•Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over
digital devices like cell phones, computers, and
tablets.
•It has become harder to get away with bullying
at school, but it’s still very easy to do online.

3. What is Cyberbullying?
• Can include: Sending malicious texts or e-mail
– Posting defamatory pictures or messages about
others in blogs or on websites (exposing)
– Using someone else’s user name to spread rumors or
lies about someone. (creating fake pages)
– Threatening to hurt someone or telling them to kill
themselves.
• Most common places where cyberbullying occurs are:
– Social Media, such as Facebook, Instagram,
Snapchat, and Twitter; Text Message sent
through devices; Email

4. How is cyberbullying unique?
• Persistent – Digital devices offer an ability to
immediately and continuously communicate 24 hours a
day, so it can be difficult for children experiencing
cyberbullying to find relief.
• Permanent – Most information communicated
electronically is permanent and public, if not reported
and removed. A negative online reputation, including for
those who bully, can impact college admissions,
employment, and other areas of life.
• Hard to Notice – Because teachers and parents may not
overhear or see cyberbullying taking place, it is harder
to recognize.

5. How to recognize cyberbullying?
• It is essential that teachers be on the lookout for
signs of cyberbullying. Some signs include:
– Depression
– Anxiety
– Victims struggle to make friends
– Small conflicts escalate as students misunderstand the
context and tone of a message or post
– Sudden decreased academic performance
– Unexplained anger

6. Effects of Cyberbullying
• Anyone can see broadcasts of break ups, personal
secrets or embarrassing moments
• Everything published online becomes public record
and can affect bullies and victims later on
• Real life communication, conflict resolution and
reconciliation are crippled
• Bullies receive a false sense of empowerment as
they hide behind a device

7. Cyberbullying Statistics
• Girls (36.3%) are more likely to experience
cyberbullying than boys (30.7%).
• According to the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior
Surveillance System (Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention) an estimated 14.9% of high
school students were electronically bullied in the
12 months prior to the survey.
• Over half (55.2%) of LGBTQ students have
experienced cyberbullying
• Of those that have experienced cyberbullying,
24% had suicidal thoughts

8. • “There seems to be a direct correlation
between the spike in suicides by young
people and the increase in cyberbullying
amongst young people.”
― Germany Kent

9. Strategies for Teachers
• Establish a no-bullying policy that helps students understand
what bullying is and how to handle it
• Teach internet responsibility to all students
• Host open conversations about friendship, handling conflict
and understanding how today’s actions affect a
student’s future
• Encourage open conversation between students, teachers and
parents
• Create a safe place where students can report bullying
• Involve parents in monitoring and reporting cyberbullying
• Monitor school-issued devices in and out of the classroom
• Be consistent & take every student’s complaint seriously
• Be approachable

10. Setting up a cyberbully-free
classroom
• Hang anti-bullying posters
• Talk to your students about bullying (set the tone on the first
day of class)
• Make anti-bullying part of one of your lessons
• Have the students sign an anti-bullying class pledge on a
banner and hang that banner in the classroom
• Do activities that promote class unity
• Have an anonymous “notes-to-the-teacher” box
• Do not allow students to pick their own groups (for group work)
• Keep your eyes and ears open at all times!

11. Alabama Laws to Protect Students
• Student Harassment Prevention Act:
– Name changed to Jamari Terrell Williams Act,
a 10 year old 5th
grader who took his own life
after being bullied
– Expands act to include harassment of a
student by another student, intimidation,
violence, and threats of violence off of school
property & cyberbullying
– Became law on June 1, 2018

13. “Think before you click. If people do
not know you personally and if they
cannot see you as you type, what you
post online can be taken out of
context if you are not careful in the
way your message is delivered.”
― Germany Kent

14. Additional Resources
• https://cyberbullying.org/
• https://www.weareteachers.com/teacher
s-stop-cyberbullying/
• https://education.cu-portland.edu/
• https://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullyi
ng/cyberbullying-tactics/index.html