Online Bullying

Works Cited:

Wong-Lo, Mickie. “Digital Aggression: Cyberworld Meets School Bullies.” Preventing School Failure, v. 55 issue 2, 2011, p. 64-70.

Summary:

Definition and Methodologies:           

According to the article Digital Aggression: Cyberworld Meets School Bullies, cyberbullying “is a category of bullying that occurs in the digital realm and affects students at astonishing rates” (“Digital Aggression”).  Opposed to the typical face-to-face tormenting which most people think of in regards to bullying, aggressors now have multiple instruments in which to tease and harass their peers.  There are two methods to online persecution. 

Ø  Direct cyberbullying: communication broadcasted directly from the bully to the victim.

Ø  Cyberbullying by proxy: utilizing others to participate in the bullying act toward the victim.

Common technology devices in which these two methods can be applied include:

Ø  E-mail

Ø  Chat rooms

Ø  Voting/rating Web sites

Ø  Instant/text messaging

Ø  Photoshopping

Ø  Sexting

What is especially damaging is that cyberbullying is practically instantaneous and such acts are made available for nearly anyone to view.  Similarly, aggressors can remain anonymous which grants parents and school administrations little control over how to correct this behavior.    

The Roles of the Schools and Parents:

            School administrators and parents dispute as to whom should be responsible for the supervision and prevention of students bullying their peers.  Unfortunately because most of the occurrences happen outside of school and on a home computer, the school system does not have the authority to discipline a student.  On the other hand, parents of bullies believe that their child has the right to exercise their freedom of speech.  Essentially, the roles of both the parents and school administrators are the key to preventing bullying both in and out of school.

Prevention:

            Parents are urged to inform the school of any harassment between their child and another student.  Parents should proactively monitor their child’s internet use and provide documentation as evidence of bullying to school counselors and administrators.  By providing the schools with evidence, school administrators can monitor online activity at school.  If and when it occurs on school grounds, school personnel are then able to discipline their students and correct their behavior.  Likewise, schools and parents are encouraged to educate children about online etiquette.

Assess:

            Authors Mickie Wong-Lo and Lyndal M. Bullock stress the importance of preventing online harassment throughout their recent 2011 article Digital Aggression: Cyberworld Meets School Bullies.  Mickie Wong-Lo, an assistant professor at Northeastern Illinois University, has conducted research on designing school-wide prevention and intervention strategies against cyberbullying and school violence education-related programming.  Likewise, Lyndal M. Bullock, a Regents Professor at the University of North Texas, has also conducted research on this issue.  His research includes designing appropriate educational environments and services for children with severe emotional and behavioral disorders, and parent-professional communication.  As technology is ever changing, it is important to remain up-to-date with the current issues regarding this topic.  Given that the article was written just last year reveals current statistics and what is currently being done in the schools and home.

Reflection:

This article has clearly identified that as technology advances so have the measures in which students harass their peers.  Although many people may be unfamiliar with this type of harassment, it is just as, if not more, detrimental as traditional schoolyard bullying.  Educating parents, school administrators and communities will aid in the effort to diminish online harassment.  I believe what is even more critical are the actions bystanders may or may not take to prevent this issue.  Typically perpetrators bully their peers as a means to express their power over them.  When bystanders participate and encourage the bully, this behavior is intensified.  What is especially important is for students to be mindful of what they say.  Although their words may be intended as a joke, not everyone would consider it in that context.  Furthermore, focusing on preventing this issue can make a drastic impact on the lives of many students.  Some students had felt so desolate that the only way for them to escape this tormenting behavior was to end their own lives.  Only after such a tragedy has occurred will the issue finally be addressed.  If schools and parents focus on preventative measures rather than post measures, such heartbreaking tragedies could be avoided. 

Works Cited:

The Morning Show - Best Enemies Segment and interviews with Ross and Darren Bark . 2010. Video. YouTubeWeb. 17 Feb 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9eO-fS7Kyo&list=UUtV3uYfVesBxbHVtYZOyGFw&index=4&feature=plcp>.



Summary:

            Producers Darren and Ross Bark and psychologist Dr. Simon Kinsella created the film Best Enemies for students in Australia as a less conventional method to educate students about cyberbullying.  The Morning Show invited the creators to describe the film’s content and its effect on the prevention of cyberbullying in schools.  Based on real events, the film focuses on one girl’s experience of becoming a victim of cyberbullying.  Schools have begun to incorporate the film into their curriculum as a means to teach their students about the consequences of online harassment.  The film is meant to drive an emotional response from students rather than being “talked down to” by educators.  Student’s view the film and see the consequences of online harassment before they engage in such behavior. 

Assess:

            The producers Darren and Ross Bark performed research on cyberbullying in many schools over the course of four years.  The motivation behind their research was a family friend becoming a victim of online harassment.  The film released in 2010 serves as an excellent preventative measure to engage children in addressing this controversial topic.  Psychologist Dr. Simon Kinsella reports that one in four children in Australia are victims of cyberbullying and in America as high as 40 percent.  Dr. Kinsella also points out that schools are extremely differentiated about bullying programs and many lack the resources.  I think that the producers are both credible because they know someone who directly was a victim of cyberbullying.  They turned one person’s tormenting past into a proactive preventative tool.

Reflection:

            I think that what producers Darren and Ross Bark created is a great method for schools to use in warding off online harassment.  Educators can talk about the consequences of cyberbullying, but for students to actually see and witness its damaging effects is really more of a convincing technique.  As both of the producers suggest, an emotional response from students will aid in the effort towards the prevention of online harassment.  I believe that the film is a great way to engage student’s awareness as opposed to more conventional means.  Students can relate and put themselves in the victim’s shoes before engaging in such conduct. 
 - Chelsea