Cyberbullying: What Makes It Unique - Episode 13

The theme of this month’s videos is all about cyberbullying. To kick off the month, we are talking about what makes cyberbullying unique.

Transcript

Hey, there. Welcome back to PACER Talks About Bullying. I'm Bailey. Thanks for joining us. This month, we are talking about all things cyberbullying.

Imagine this. A piece of paper is ripped from a notebook and an insult is scrawled across the page. It's passed from classmate to classmate. Everyone opens it, laughs and then passes it onto the next person. The teacher interferes it, rips it up and throws it in the garbage.

Now imagine that same insult as a text message. It's forwarded from classmate to classmate. And then someone posts it on social media and it's seen by hundreds. There's no throwing it away. There's no ripping it up.

As technology has evolved, so has the way that students bully. Cyberbullying is hurting or harming someone online through technology. It can be through a cell phone, social media, gaming websites, really anywhere online. This week, we're going to talk all about cyberbullying and some of the unique characteristics. Let's get started.

One of the first unique things about cyberbullying is that it can be done anonymously. This means that the student who's experiencing cyberbullying may have no idea who's doing it, who's writing those hurtful things about them. And it's also easy for a child to hurt another and not be held accountable.

Another unique characteristic is that it can happen 24/7. One thing cyberbullying is often called is the new bathroom wall. So before technology, if someone wanted to write something hurtful about you, they might write it on the bathroom wall or on your locker. But then at 3:00 p.m. when students leave school, they don't have to look at it anymore. Whereas with cyberbullying, it can happen day or night, at home or at school. It can happen anywhere. And it's a really hard thing to get away from and not see.

Another unique characteristic about cyberbullying is that it can reach a very large audience. With resharing and reposting, things that are said online have the potential to go viral, meaning that a hurtful photo or image or text message can be seen by hundreds versus just a few students in the hallway or the locker room.

And finally, it's often easier to bully through technology because of that greater physical distance. A lot of times, students may not take cyberbullying seriously because they are not there to see the reaction of the person being cyberbullied, the impact that that hurtful comment or that hurtful photo is having on them. And while those are just a few of some of the unique characteristics about cyberbullying, it's important to remember that all forms of bullying are equally hurtful to students, whether they happen in the online world or the physical world.

That's all that we have for this week. Make sure to join us right back here next week. And remember, when we all stand together, no one stands alone. See ya!