Workshop given at the annual PR TESOL Convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico, November, 2011

1. Cyber Bullying:
Who, What, When?
Prof. Mary Moore de Reece
Puerto Rico TESOL Convention
November 18, 2011
San Juan, Puerto Rico

2. WHAT ??
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3. CYBER BULLYING IS…
• The electronic posting of mean-spirited
messages about a person (as a student) often
done anonymously.
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4. CYBER BULLYING IS…con.
• An individual or group that uses information
and communication involving electronic
technologies to facilitate deliberate and
repeated harassment or threat to an
individual or group.
• Also known as:
 ‘Electronic Bullying’
 ‘Online Social Cruelty’
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5. WHERE ??
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6. Cyber Bullies’ Technology
• E-mail
• Cell phones
• Text messages
• Instant messaging
• Chat rooms
• Facebook
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7. Cyber Bullies’ Technology—con.
• Uses technology BOTH within the school
environment and off-campus.
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8. Three Types of Bullying
Physical Verbal Relationship
Bullying Bullying Bullying
Hitting, Kicking, Name calling Refusing to talk
or Pushing to someone
someone
Stealing, Hiding Teasing Spreading lies
or ruining and rumors
someone's things about someone
Making someone Insulting Making someone
do something he feel left out ,
or she doesn't rejected or
want to do threatened
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9. CYBER BULLY CATEGORIES
• “Inadvertent”
– Role-play
– Responding
– May not realize it’s cyber
bullying
• “Vengeful Angel”
– Righting wrongs
– Protecting themselves
• “Mean Girls”
– Bored; Entertainment
– Ego based; promote own
social status
– Often do in a group
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10. CYBER BULLY CATEGORIES—con.
– Intimidate on and off line
– Need others to bully; if
isolated, they stop
• “Power-Hungry”
– Want reaction
– Controlling with fear
• “Revenge of the Nerds”
• (“Subset of Power-Hungry”)
– Often Victims of school-yard
bullies
– Throw ‘cyber-weight’ around
– Not school-yard bullies like
Power-Hungry & Mean Girls
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11. WHO ??
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12. BULLIES
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13. All bullies have one thing in common
• Something or someone is making them feel
insecure.
Therefore they bully to make themselves feel
better.
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14. All bullies have one thing in common-con.
• They could have something going on in
their family.
• They might not feel like they are getting
enough attention from parents or teachers.
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15. All bullies have one thing in common-con.
• They might have watched their parents or
older siblings get their way by being angry
and pushy.
• Maybe they are also bullied.
• They might be spoiled by their parents.
• The vast majority of cyber bullies are GIRLS
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16. TARGETS
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17. Targets of Bullies
• The bullies or the targets are either smaller
or bigger than most kids their age.
• The target may be a minority.
• May have a disability.
• Maybe have a name that is not ordinary.
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18. Targets of Bullies--continued
•If they get anxious or upset easily.
•If they are usually are alone and don't
have many friends.
•If they don't have a lot of confidence and
don't stand up for themselves.
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19. Some frightening statistics
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20. CYBER BULLYING PREVALENCE
• The i-SAFE America research team has
discovered a disturbing trend—cyber bullying
has affected more than half the students
surveyed, on both sides of the issue.
• Their latest assessments surveyed more than
1500 students ranging from fourth to eighth
grade across the country.
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21. CYBER BULLYING PREVALENCE—con.
They found out: (2010)
• 58% of kids admit someone has said mean or
hurtful things to them online
• 53% of kids admit having said something
mean or hurtful things to another online
• 42% of kids have been bullied while online
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22. More startling facts:
•The tradition of home as a refuge from bullies
on the school playground is over!
•The Internet is the new playground, and there
are no “off hours”.
•The popularity of instant messaging, e-mail,
webpages, and blogging means kids are a
target 24 hours per day, seven days a week.
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23. More startling facts: con.
•Even worse, i-SAFE found out 58 % of kids
have not told their parents or any adult about
something mean or hurtful that had happened
to them online!
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24. So, our question today is:
“What can schools and teachers
do?”
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25. Teachers and School Officials
Teachers and school officials need to be
aware of the rising trend of cyber bullying
as incidents online are brought onto
school grounds.
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26. Teachers and School Officials-con.
What can schools do?
•Assess the level of cyberbullying in the
school (recognize it IS a problem)
•Develop clear policies
•Provide staff training
•Create awareness for teachers
, parents, community and students.
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27. Teachers and School Officials-con.
What can schools do?
•Engage students in the creation,
dissemination, and application of a policy
for acceptable use of the school’s
information technology resources.
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28. Teachers and School Officials-con.
What can schools do?—continued
•Educate students on how to avoid
cyberbullying and how to respond to and
report cyberbullies.
•Provide professional development
opportunities for staff and teachers on
cyberbullying.
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29. Teachers and School Officials-con.
What can schools do?—continued
•Determine how the school’s efforts can be
coordinated with those of the community
(are there any in Puerto Rico?)
•Educate parents about cyberbullying.
•Train and utilize student mentors. Peers
often have more legitimacy than the
teacher.
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30. Teacher Involvement
•“Only 25% of students report that teachers
intervene in bullying situations, while 71%
of teachers believe they always intervene.”
•Teachers not only must respond
immediately to instances of bullying, but
must support students who report bullying.
•Educators are obliged to take action
immediately if bullying occurs through a
school’s Internet system!
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31. Teacher Involvement—con.
•Notify parents of both known and
suspected cyber bullying
•Notify police if cyber bullying in your
school involves a threat
•Watch victims of cyber bullying for possible
retaliation (aggressor actions)
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32. Teacher Involvement—con.
•Teach students online “netiquette”, safe use
of social media, and how to monitor their
online reputation
•Have ongoing talks with all students about
the potentially devastating outcomes of
cyber bullying
•Respond immediately to students who
appear to need counseling
•Give encouragement to your student
mentors
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33. So, what do you tell your students?
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34. Prevention Techniques
 Don’t give out private information
such as
passwords, pins, name, address, ph
one number, school name, or family
and friends’ names. This
information can be used by bullies
and other harmful people on the
Internet.
 Don’t even reveal your password to
your friends. They might reveal it or
use it against you in a fight.
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35. Prevention Techniques—con.
 Don’t exchange pictures or give out e-
mail addresses to people you meet on
the Internet.
 Ask permission from parents when it
is necessary to give such information.
 Don’t send a message when you are
angry—it’s hard to undo things that
are said in anger.
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36. Prevention Techniques—con
Delete messages from people you don’t
know, or those from people who seem angry
or mean.
When something doesn’t seem right, it
probably isn’t. Get out of the site, chat, etc.
Realize that online conversations are not
private. Others can copy, print, and share
what you say or any pictures you send.
Be careful!
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37. What if we do nothing?
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38. THE BUREAU OF JUSTICE SCHOOL BULLYING
STATISTICS AND CYBER BULLYING STATISTICS –
School Crime and Safety:
• 46% of males, and 26% of females reported they
had been in physical fights according to the
school bullying statistics.
• The school bullying statistics and cyber bullying
statistics indicated that those in the lower
grades reported being in twice as many fights as
those in the higher grades. However, there is a
lower rate of serious violent crimes in the
elementary level than in the middle or high
schools.
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39. The school bullying statistics and cyber bullying
statistics went on to say that teenagers say
revenge is the strongest motivation for school
shootings
— 87% said shootings are motivated by a
desire to “get back at those who have hurt
them.”
— 86% said, “other kids picking on
them, making fun of them or bullying them”
causes teenagers to turn to lethal violence in
the schools.
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40. Students recognize that being a victim of abuse
at home or witnessing others being abused at
home may cause violence in school according
to recent school bullying statistics and cyber
bullying statistics.
— 61% said students shoot others because
they have been victims of physical abuse at
home.
— 54% said witnessing physical abuse at
home can lead to violence in school.
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41. The school bullying statistics and
cyber bullying statistics showed that
students say their schools are not
safe.
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42. What about the effects on you, the teacher?
•It can be very harmful to teachers and other
members of the school workforce:
 Undermining your confidence, self-esteem
and sense of security
Affecting your performance and attendance at
school
Causing stress and affecting your health
Affecting your professional reputation and
career
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43. What about the effects on you, the teacher?
Marginalizing certain groups
Fuelling prejudice in areas such as
race, religion and sexuality
Leading to suicidal thoughts
Affecting you for the rest of your life
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44. What does the Puerto Rico law say?
Puerto Rico General Education Council Act of 1999,”
amends Section 16- Evaluation of schools- The
licensing and accreditation process must include a
verification of the schools bullying
laws, cyberbullying is not specifically included in
the definition of bullying.
In 2008 “The Organic Act of the Department of
Education of Puerto Rico” amended Section
3.08, 3.08a, 3.08b, 3.08c, 3.08d, and 3.08e of
Chapter III of Act No. 149 of 1999- requires school
boards to adopt comprehensive bullying policies.
It is unclear if cyberbullying is included in the
bullying definitions.
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45. What does the Puerto Rico law say?
P.R. Laws Ann. Tit. 33, § 4013- Defines stalking
and intimidation, cyberbullying is included.
P.R. Laws Ann. Tit. 33, § 4014- Delinquent
conduct statute that criminally penalizes
stalking and intimidation, cyberbullying is
included.
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46. So, let’s protect our students
AND ourselves!
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47. One Last Thought
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48. References
•http://blog.zonealarm,com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/110216-ZA-
BULLY.png.Accessesd, August 10, 2011
•http://csriu.org.accessed. Accessed, September 26, 2011
•http://cyberbullying.org. Accessed, July 28, 2011
•http://cyber-safe-kids.com. Accessed, August 14, 2011
•http://www.how-to-stop-bullying.com/bullyingstatistics.html.Accessed October
9, 2011.
•http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=20753. Accessed November 7, 2011.
•http://www.promoteprevnt.org/publications/prevention-beliefs/preventing-
cyberbullying-schools-and-communjity.. Accessed, October 12, 2011.
•Illinois Child Welfare. Volume 3, Numbers 1 and 2, 2006-2007. Accessed, August
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49. Thanks for your attention.
Any questions?
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