Cyberbullying is when bullying is occurring online. Many people, both students and adults, are affected by cyberbullying during their lives. We need to be proactive regarding how we teach cyberbullying because how well we educate students on the issue, could truly result in life or death.
In order to teach students more about cyberbullying, I would have students look at case studies from real stories of students who experienced cyberbullying and have class discussions about what we can do about the situation from different perspectives. I believe students need to be given time to process and empathize with other students’ real-world stories and learn from them. We also need to spend time building relationships between students in class. As teachers, we must work to explicitly teach empathy and provide time to our students to spend time reflecting and thinking through how they would and should handle cyberbullying.
Discussing the different ways we should address cyberbullying from different perspectives would be powerful for students. Oftentimes, even as a bystander, we can make a difference. In class, it would be effective to roleplay how to respond to cyberbullying so students understand exactly what actions they can take from different perspectives. It also is clear that sometimes, even adult parents, do not entirely understand how to handle cyberbullying personally or with their students. Frequently parents downplay or do not understand the appropriate actions to take to protect their students. Creating a space for both adults and students to learn about cyberbullying is essential to ensuring we have a community that can provide the necessary supports for those that are experiencing cyberbullying.
If we had the resources, I think it would be great if we could speak to people’s hearts through the stories of cyberbullying victims or their families. There is nothing more powerful than hearing testimony from an actual person who has experienced cyberbullying themselves. Monica Lewinsky has provided a beautiful response to cyberbullying that occurs in society. In addition to that resource, Ryan Halligan’s father has also provided a beautiful testimony that leaves a great impact on people who hear from him in person. We must take action to support our students and provide them with the resources necessary to be safe online.
Education with Meaning 