Notes below came from the NBTA professional development at the Fredericton Conference Centre, May 2013.
Cyber-bullying (and Digital Citizenship)
There's no magic solution to all cyber-bullying.
Nothing has yet been developed that works every time.
But we are the adults who have a chance to influence students for good!
We, as teachers, have a role to play! A fight or bullying or material posted online all have an impact in our classroom!
Many students and parents are not aware of the importance of Digital Citizenship issues.
New Forms of Cyber-bullying
Sexting (Blackmail after breakup - "Sextortion")
Counselling someone to commit self-harm
Posting to Facebook Wall of inappropriate or hurtful messages
Twitter & Tumblr
Texting (cell phone)
Other Criminal Code Offenses
Uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm
Unauthorized use of computer service
Impersonating another with intent to gain advantage
False Message - where you know something not to be true but communicate
Hate Crimes
Counselling someone to commit self-harm
Child Pornography (images of gender regions)
Responses to Cyber-bullying
Report the problem to an ISP / Facebook /...
Use it as a teaching moment
Use school discipline
Use as mediation where both parties are put face-to-face (but be sure to bring in a trained mediator)
Use scripted interventions (especially from the 1980's)
File criminal charges
Legal Issues
Often need to confirm who's fingers were at the keyboard. This is very difficult and often involves a lot of police resources to prove that a person did something specific.
Harassment are behaviours intended to disturb or upset. "Criminal Harassment" has an element of danger and there is a reasonable fear for someone's safety.