What is Cyberbullying?
Understand › Prevent › Respond
Understand
Children, young people and many adults are keen adopters of new technologies, but sometimes their lack of awareness can leave them open to the threat of bullying via the technology.
Cyberbullying is when a person or a group of people threaten, tease, embarrass or abuse someone else by using ICT, particularly mobile phones, the internet and related technologies such as social networks. The effects of Cyberbullying can leave the victim feeling upset and very vulnerable. It can be difficult to escape from the bullying as it can take place anytime of day or night and can make you feel very isolated and insecure even in your own home. Cyberbullying is a bullying and safeguarding issue and should be treated as such.
Cyberbullying can take many different forms such as:
Threats - Text message being sent to your mobile
Public Posting - Your personal information and/ or images shared publicly on a social network without your permission
Exclusion - Exclusion from a discussion group or online gaming group
Manipulation - Your personal information altered and displayed for others to see
Hacking - Your password insecure enabling others to logon as you and delete, change or copy information
Abuse and Name Calling - Hurtful voice and text messages sent to your phone
Cyberbullying effects all ages and teachers, as well as their pupils can be victims of bullying. Sometimes victims even become the bully.
Prevent
- Robust and effective policies that apply to the whole school community should be in place and reviewed regularly.
- Anti-bullying Policy (link to Herts policy)
- ICT Acceptable Use Policy (Link to Herts Policy
- Taught programmes of Anti-bullying
Respond
- Support the person being bullied
- Investigate – you can use the Incident Flowchart to support with this process
- Work with bully to apply sanctions
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