Cyber Bullying Level 8

Hey It’s Me Again! I’m Tek – your i-SAFE guide. i-SAFE is concerned with teaching you how to be safe online. We want you to recognize and avoid dangerous, destructive or unlawful online behavior, and hope to empower you to communicate what you learn from i-SAFE with others.

The Plan In this lesson, you will be learning about cyber bullying and netiquette. You will be developing articles or brochures on the concepts of being considerate online, etc.

All Right – Let’s Get Started Make sure you have a copy of the activity page called The Cyber Bullying Fact Sheet We will be using it to learn more about Cyber Bullying.

Time to Brainstorm What is bullying? Why do people act as bullies? What are some things that a bully might do? What are examples of things a cyber bully might do? Have any of you had incidents in which you were bullied? Have you had experiences with a cyber bully?

Let’s Take a Closer Look at the Cyber Bullying Fact Sheet

"All cruelty springs from weakness.” (Seneca, 4BC-AD65) Cyber Bullying Factsheet "All cruelty springs from weakness.” (Seneca, 4BC-AD65) Bullying has become an online event as well as a physical one. Intimidation online can be just as bad, and in some cases worse, than when bullying occurs in the physical community.

Bullying   Bullies are those people who gain gratification (a sense of happiness) when they have provoked or tormented others. They feel better by making others feel worse. Cyber bullies are those bullies who use the Internet to be mean to others.

Bullying   E-mail provides one method of communication for these bullies. Flame mail – mail designed to make another person mad – is used along with hate mail – mail that shows racism, sexism, or other prejudices. Another way bullies use the Internet is through bulletin boards and chat sites to make their comments public. Finally, some cyber bullies build websites devoted to making a person or persons feel bad.

Think About It! Do you think it’s a sign of strength or weakness to use the Internet for bullying? Why?

What to do if you are Cyber bullied Tell someone. Don’t keep this to yourself. Tell a trusted adult about the bullying. Don’t open or read messages by Cyber bullies. Tell the police if threatened. Tell your Internet Service Provider. Tell your school if it is school related. Schools have a bullying plan in place. Don’t erase the messages – they may be needed to take action. Instead, put them in a folder unread. Protect yourself – never agree to meet with the person or with anyone you meet online. If bullied through chat or instant messaging, the “bully” can often be blocked. Tell someone!

How to avoid being bullied online Don’t give out private information such as passwords, pins, name, address, phone number, school name, or family and friends names. This information can be used by bullies and other harmful people on the Internet. Use Netiquette. Be polite online and others will tend to do the same. If someone does get angry or bullies you, ignore them – online Cyber bullies want a reaction just like other bullies. Don’t send a message when you are angry – it is hard to undo things that are said in anger. Delete messages from people you don’t know or from people who seem angry or mean. When something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t. Get out of the site, chat, etc. Prevention

The best defense to avoid being a bully online: Use Netiquette. Be polite online and others will tend to do the same. If someone does get angry or bullies, ignore them – online bullies want a reaction.   Think about ways to apply E-mail netiquette to the following: Subject lines Attachments Forwarded messages Spam Chain letters Hoaxes Your original messages

Chatroom Netiquette Many of the same conventions that apply to newsgroups and e-mail are also relevant in chatrooms. You're still just typing your thoughts and sending them to people, but in a chatroom they're just a little quicker to respond.

While chatting: Avoid Using ALL CAPS - It’s considered yelling. Decide What Tone the Conversation Has Before Posting - Don't use offensive language or nicknames. Always avoid making personal attacks and calling names. Don't "Flood" the Chatroom - Flooding is repeating messages over and over, or filling the screen with gibberish, in order to impede communication in the chatroom. Be Nice to Newbies - Remember your first chats? If someone stumbles into your chat, who is obviously new to this medium, show some patience and help him or her get the hang of it.

Resources for your Community What resources are available at your school level? What is your school’s anti-bullying plan? What are resources in your community?

Time for Group Work Your teacher will divide you into groups for the next activity. In your small groups, read the activity page and follow the directions to complete it. 1st - Read the letters you received. Some will be from bullies and some from victims. 2nd - Each group should then draft a response letter advising one of the letter writers. Incorporate information on local resources, help, advice, etc. 3rd - Once the responses are drafted, design an advice article or informational brochure about how to recognize and handle Cyber bullying.

Present your advice letters and brochure/article to the class. Presentation Time Present your advice letters and brochure/article to the class. Then Discuss: How could you make a difference in other peoples lives and help both cyber bullies and victims. Refer to the Point to Ponder at the end of the Activity page: If the problem of online bullying grows, what might be some consequences to freedom on the Internet? How would those consequences affect you personally?

How Do you Know When You’re Done? Have you: 1. Covered all the reference sheets? 2. Discussed with your class what you have learned? 3. Completed the Online And Helpless worksheet? 4. Completed and shared your article or brochure?

It doesn’t have to end here! Find out about DRiVE!

Take Action It’s Easy with the i-Mentor Training Network! Visit the X-BLOCK at www.isafe.org to learn about the i-Mentor Training Network. It’s all online! The i-Mentor Training Network has short informative videos that will take you step by step through the process of accomplishing any of the i-SAFE Outreach activities you can do in your school and community. To watch the videos go to the i-Mentor Network located in the X-BLOCK of the i-SAFE website at www.isafe.org. The i-Mentor Training Network has short informative videos that will take you step by step through the process of accomplishing any of the i-SAFE Outreach activities. To watch the videos go to the i-Mentor Network located in the Kids and Teens section of the i-SAFE website at www.isafe.org.

Get the recognition you deserve as an i-SAFE Mentor Enroll online at www.isafe.org by clicking on Create an Account. Receive your own Student Toolkit and materials to get started. Get recognized as a Student Mentor? Sign up online at www.isafe.org in the Kids and Teens section of the website Fill out the Online Mentor Menu located in the Kids and Teens Section of the i-SAFE website. Student Tool kits complete with a DVD and CD will be sent to you with the information you need to get started. If a mentor group has not been established at your school, consider starting one yourself. Contact i-SAFE at www.isafe.org and an i-SAFE Representative will help you get one started. You now have the keys for success. It’s your turn to DRiVE. Join the DRiVE Campaign today.   Take Action www.isafe.org