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In sixth grade, Sierra received a text message identifying her as the slashed figure in the drawing above.

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place through technological means. It can occur through text messages, social media sites, online forums, or gaming platforms – anywhere people can view, participate in, or share content. Its purpose is to intimidate, spread rumors, harass, threaten, or otherwise use digital media to abuse someone mentally, emotionally, or verbally.

Cyberbullying can happen anytime, anywhere there is a digital device, and spread quickly in ways that can never be undone. Sometimes we don’t even realize we are doing it because it lacks the nonverbal cues we see and feel when interacting face-to-face. Easy access and perceived anonymity also may embolden us to write something we would not say to someone if they were standing in front of us.

An element of cyberbullying that is of particular concern is that sometimes children, youth, or adults don’t realize that they are cyberbullying either because of ignorance about online etiquette or because digital interactions often don’t have the benefit of the kind of nonverbal communication that happens in face-to-face communication. Also, the ability to be anonymous online or hide behind a digital medium can also too often leave people saying or doing things through digital means that they wouldn’t do face-to-face. 

Especially now, when so much of our interaction is happening online, every educator needs to know about internet safety for their students. Watch this webinar to gain new tools for helping students make sense of ideas they are being exposed to and tips for helping them to avoid the dangers and pitfalls of internet use, social media, and gaming.

Tactics of Cyberbullying

Some of the most common cyberbullying tactics include:

  • Posting comments or rumors about someone online that are mean, hurtful, or embarrassing.
  • Threatening to hurt someone
  • Telling someone to kill themselves.
  • Posting a mean, hurtful, or embarrassing picture or video.
  • Pretending to be someone else online to solicit or post personal or false information about someone else.
  • Posting mean or hateful comments or content about personal characteristics, including race, religion, gender, sexual orientation and ethnicity, online.
  • Creating a mean or hurtful webpage about someone.
  • Doxing, an abbreviated form of the word “documents”, which is used to exact revenge and to threaten and destroy the privacy of individuals, by making their personal information public, including social security, credit card and phone numbers; addresses; links to social media accounts; and other private data.

What We Can Do

Establishing a Safe, Respectful and Positive School Climate for maximum Student Achievement

The Generation Text Online Program provides the classroom teacher and her students with both the framework and practical application to:

  • Stop bullying in the learning environment
  • Prevent cyberbullying and online harassment and intimidation
  • Establish a positive, respectful and safe classroom culture and climate  

The Gen Text Approach will give your school district an opportunity for experiential learning that will have your school community laughing and having fun while building the skills that will equip them to manage their emotions and establish strong and positive relationships in the classroom and throughout the school.  This step by step approach equips the teacher with teaching and learning strategies that are effective with 21st Century Learners, empowers students to make good choices, and provides the teacher with routines that guide consistent and repetitive practice in order for students to internalize these relational skills.

This program provides teachers with easy to implement (no-prep) lesson plans, on-site PD, online self-directed training, ongoing classroom coaching, and online videos aimed to provide teachers with routine SEL activities and supports for a safe, positive and respectful classroom climate. Generation Text Online’s approach and Framework addresses culture and climate in classrooms and provides a common language and common strategies to provide consistency throughout the district.  The Gen Text approach is designed to work congruently with existing PBIS programs.

Watch more from the Next Generation Mental Health Symposium

This training program for staff members is designed to equip each educator with the knowledge and the resources to turn-key the strategies, activities, lessons and interactive role plays provided during the experiential learning of the professional development.  In addition to the staff development and the student access to the online program, there is a parent involvement and community engagement component. This component provides parents and community members with the language and the strategies to have meaningful discussions and develop routines that allow parents to support their children to be resilient.  Teachers will have an opportunity to engage parents in activities in the classroom that will allow an opportunity for parent involvement in the approach. The community engagement component involves training community members in this same approach. Community members will also have access to this online approach. Community members are trained and supported to engage with students and faculty through program called Breakfast Bunch,  Lunch Bunch, and an After School Mentoring Program.

The Generation Text Approach guides your teaching staff, administrators, parents and community members to use developmentally appropriate strategies, a common language, student oriented vocabulary and an inquiry based skill set through lesson implementation. The objectives of this course include:

  • Guiding the 21st Century student to use appropriate vocabulary and actions which display respect to teachers, other staff members and peers.  
  • Building a relationship between the student and the teacher, in order to maximize the learning and prevent lesson interruption.
  • Building communication skills for successful collaboration.
  • Building the skills to resolve conflict and work cooperatively with others.
  • Learning routines and practices that are meaningful, engaging and promote social and civic responsibilities.
  • Practicing active listening and reflection skills.
  • Building Resiliency in 21st Century Learners.

This course serves as a social, emotional and cognitive component to classroom instruction. It will guide the teacher into building a relationship with the 21st Century Learner and it will successfully aid in establishing and maintaining a positive classroom climate.

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