Cyberbullying Is it Happening In Your Class? by Bijal Damani
Many of the problems that occur in the classroom are connected to incidents that occur outside the classroom. Traditional bullying has always taken place in our schools and took the form of verbal or physical abuse. Many students have a digital life of which their teachers and parents have little knowledge. Cyberbullies don't conform to a particular type. People can use multiple online identities to harass others and technology allows the content to circulate very quickly to a very large audience.
Cyberbullying may include:
- Hacking into a person's email account and sending inappropriate messages or pictures.
- Hacking into someone's personal website and leaving inappropriate messages.
- Posting the mobile number of the person online with an indecent message.
- Circulating photographs (actual or morphed) that will embarrass the victim.
- Discussing the person on a social networking site and spreading rumors.
- E-mailing a virus to crash another person's computer.
- Copying or deleting important data from a person's computer.
- Teachers should be aware of behavior changes in students who have been bullied or harassed.
- Be tech-savvy and have a presence in cyberspace where bullying is likely to take place.
- Student community plays an important role in stopping cyberbullying.
- It helps tremendously if bullies are confronted by their own peers who stand up against their actions.
- Victims and witnesses should be encouraged to report bullying of any kind to school authorities
- of any kind.
- Bullied students should talk to their parents about the harassment without being judged.
- School administrators have to take a firm stand against bullying of any kind.
- Students should all understand the school's policies regarding cyberbullying.
No comments:
Post a Comment