By: Chantal Tibbitts, School-Based Specialist and Nick Boehm, Public Information Officer
Dear Ask A Therapist,
I work with kids between the ages of 8 and 18 every day. I wouldn’t change my job for the world. Getting to make a difference in a child’s life is very meaningful and rewarding. I am often one of the first people to notice when a kid is being bullied, and I always do my best to take the right steps in helping him or her out. However, with so much of today’s bullying occurring online, it’s not like how it was when I was growing up. It’s hard to figure out what kids are doing online, and it’s difficult to get them to understand the importance of being nice to one another online. I was hoping you could give me some advice on how to deal with online bullying, because I think with a little help we can all play a part in putting a stop to bullying.
Answer:
You are absolutely right to suggest that bullying looks a lot different now than it did 20 or even 10 years ago. Because online bullying (cyberbullying) lives on the Internet, it follows children wherever they go, making it more difficult for some children to find refuge from their bullies. When children leave school for the day, the images, rumors, and lies posted on the Internet follows them home, to afterschool activities, or even to after school jobs. Instead of a rumor being spread throughout the school, a rumor now has the chance to spread throughout the Internet.
Research is showing a growing trend in cyberbullying. The statistics on stopbullying.gov suggest that about 9% of students between sixth and 12th grade have been cyberbullied. However, certain minorities are reporting much higher numbers. For example, about 55% of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) students report being bullied online. What makes cyberbullying even more difficult is that it often goes unreported.
It’s a good idea to start talking to children at a young age about what it means to be nice to others. Establish that all rules for interacting with people in daily life also apply for interacting online and explain to them how cyberbullying causes harm in the real world. If you are in an educator’s role, encourage your school or club to implement mandatory Internet safety courses that cover appropriate Internet behavior as well as the many ways peers can respond to cyberbullying, such as reporting, blocking, avoiding, and asserting themselves. It can also be a good idea to use filtering and blocking software to prevent kids from viewing the inappropriate content often used to bully.
Adults should advocate for children by taking all the necessary steps required to stop the bullying. This may include contacting the parents of a cyberbully, having website administrators remove harmful posts, and getting the police involved when crimes have been committed or if the bully is threatening with violence.
Children bully for numerous reasons but it is often related to a child’s ability to gain control and power by taking it away from others. Some children learn the behavior at home or from a role model such as an older sibling or celebrity, which is why it’s important to model good technology use to children. Just as you would teach children positive values in real life, it’s important to teach them positive values online.
Lastly, try not to ban access to technology because of cyberbullying. Banning access doesn’t get to the root of the problem and it doesn’t ensure that the bullying won’t occur once the ban is lifted. Children may also become less likely to come to you for support if they are experiencing conflict online. Instead, talk to children and make sure they fully understand how their misuse of technology creates serious problems, and come up with a plan to make sure the bullying stops.
Community Reach Center has school-based therapist stationed throughout Adams County schools that are able to work with students through cyberbullying issues by promoting healthy online behavior and appropriate cyberbullying response as well as help students cope with any problems resulting from bullying. Additionally, our I’m Going Places program can offer students in Adams County a positive mentoring relationship with a trusted adult as well as a space for students to feel a sense of belonging.
For more information about school-based therapy, I’m Going Places, or any of the services Community Reach Center offers, visit us online at www.communityreachcenter.org. For more information on cyberbullying, go to the cyberbullying research center website at www.cyberbullying.us.
Chantal Tibbitts is a School-Based Specialist at Community Reach Center. Nick Boehm is the Public Information Officer at Community Reach Center.
Community Reach Center has worked diligently to preserve and promote a commitment to excellence, professionalism and integrity within our community health care system for nearly 60 years. We are an integral component of the community with an unparalleled team of dedicated professionals committed to providing our clients with a system of quality care that will support them in real life. The Center offers you evidence-based behavioral health services for all ages, at five outpatient offices and in public schools, community colleges, emergency rooms, physician offices and detention centers.
To learn about Community Reach Center or our services, visit www.CommunityReachCenter.org or call (303) 853-3500.