Cyberbullying: Oxford International Primary Computing Student Book

# Cyberbullying ## In this lesson You will learn: - that bullying can be a danger on the internet - how cyberbullies work - what to do if you experience cyberbullying ## What is cyberbullying? A person who uses the internet to bully people is called a cyberbully. Cyberbullying is a serious prob...

# Cyberbullying ## In this lesson You will learn: - that bullying can be a danger on the internet - how cyberbullies work - what to do if you experience cyberbullying ## What is cyberbullying? A person who uses the internet to bully people is called a cyberbully. Cyberbullying is a serious problem. In some countries, over 50% of young people have experienced cyberbullying. Cyberbullying often takes place on social media sites, but bullies also use email and text messages. ## Methods cyberbullies use - **Harassment:** A bully sends threatening messages by text message or instant messaging. This is a serious form of bullying. The messages often make physical threats. They can be very frightening. - **Impersonation:** A bully chooses a target (a person they want to bully) and then sends messages that pretend to be from the target. The messages are sent to people who know the target. The aim is to cause trouble between the target and their friends. - **Exclusion:** A bully sends messages that publicly exclude the target from social groups and events. For example, the bully posts a message on a social media site saying that the target is not invited to an event. - **Dissing:** A bully circulates rumours (untrue stories and opinions) about a target. The rumours are designed to humiliate and ridicule the target. - **Photographs:** Some cyberbullies use their smartphone camera to take photos of a target. They then share the photos by text message or social media. They sometimes use the photos in harassment messages. ## Be creative Write a short story about cyberbullying. Choose one of the methods that cyberbullies use. Describe an incident when a bully used that method. How did the target feel about the bullying? What did they do about it? Why did the bully act that way? ## The effects of cyberbullying Cyberbullying is malicious and persistent. It can seem impossible to escape from. A bully can strike at any time, using text messages and social media posts. The internet brings the bullying into the target's home. Bullying over the internet is often anonymous. Not knowing who is carrying out the bullying makes it more frightening. Cyberbullying can be devastating if you are the target. It can affect every aspect of life. **Confidence:** No matter how much a target tries to ignore cyberbullying, the bullying will affect their self-confidence. Low self-confidence can lead to anxiety and depression. Being the constant target of rumour and ridicule makes a person feel powerless and vulnerable. **Loneliness:** Being bullied is a lonely experience. A person who is bullied often feels that no-one can help them. They feel isolated, which may cause difficulties in their relationships with family and friends. The target of cyberbullying can withdraw from their family and social groups. **Change of personality:** Being bullied can change someone's behaviour and personality. A person who is usually pleasant and respectful may start to misbehave or become aggressive. The stress caused by bullying can also lead to problems with sleeping and eating routines. The person may even become ill. **Performance at school:** A target of bullying sometimes does less well at school. The cyberbullying distracts them from their schoolwork and they find it difficult to concentrate in class. In extreme cases the person may start to miss classes. They no longer enjoy learning or being with school friends. ## What makes a cyberbully? If you are the target of a cyberbully, it is easy to think that you are to blame in some way for the bully's actions. It is important to realise that you are not to blame. There are many reasons why someone might become a cyberbully. - The cyberbully wants revenge for harm that has been done to them. It is rarely the person they bully who has caused the harm. - They turn their own unhappiness and insecurity on to someone else. - They are jealous of the person they bully. - They want other people to like and admire them. - The cyberbully feels threatened by people who are different to themselves. ## What should you do if you experience cyberbullying? **If you see someone being bullied** - Be careful not to join in. When you see a post that makes fun of someone, never click the 'like' button - not even as a joke. You will encourage the cyberbully and upset the person who the post is about. - Say something positive about the person being bullied. Showing your support will make the bullying easier to bear. - Offer support and friendship. Let the person talk if they need to. Encourage them to talk to an adult about the bullying. **If you are bullied** - **Collect evidence:** Take screenshots of posts so that you have a record even if the posts are deleted. - **Talk to someone you trust** about the bullying. Talk to a friend, family member or teacher. - **Don't respond to the bullying.** Responding can encourage the bully and make the situation worse. - **Spend some time offline.** ## Activity Write an information sheet on how to survive cyberbullying. If you have the time to do the Extra challenge, use some of the information you discover in your web search. ## Extra challenge Search the internet to find one or more sites that give good information on how to deal with cyberbullying. Add the sites to your bookmark list. ## Test 1. List the actions you should take if you are bullied online. 2. Explain two methods that a cyberbully uses. 3. Explain why someone might decide to bully another person online. 4. What should you do if you receive a threatening message on your phone or computer?