Would more education around bullying in schools be a useful deterrent?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-30043084
Just seen this article about schools failing to educate students enough about cyberbullying. Do you think that more educations around bullying and the consequences would be a useful deterrent?
Just seen this article about schools failing to educate students enough about cyberbullying. Do you think that more educations around bullying and the consequences would be a useful deterrent?
I honestly don't know... when you look into the psychology of it, people do use anonymity - which the internet provides - as a cover for cyberbullying and other bad behaviour online. I don't think its that people don't logically know that they're not being very nice, but the fact that they can't see a tangible reaction or effect and there or no real consequences to themselves most of the time, I think people would continue to do it.
Sad state of affairs really
Sad state of affairs really
This is a very murky issue really. People often don't share the same ideas about what bullying even is, so reaching a state where children can clearly identify if they're being bullied or are bullying isn't all that close.
It's also very difficult to actually do something, even if bullying is understood to be going on. It goes on behind closed doors. Cyber-bullying could a blessing in a certain sense, since it leaves behind a trail of evidence that can be put in front of a perpetrator and acted on.
But these are all compensatory measures. What needs to be addressed are the causes of bullying. It's not as if children bully because they are raised improperly - it's a systemic problem.
The real issue, I believe, is that children are put into a situation where social status is so uncertain they feel they have to - in some circumstances quite literally - battle it out to determine supremacy. That's something we might have to address if we want to pay more than lip-service to fixing the bullying problem.
It's also very difficult to actually do something, even if bullying is understood to be going on. It goes on behind closed doors. Cyber-bullying could a blessing in a certain sense, since it leaves behind a trail of evidence that can be put in front of a perpetrator and acted on.
But these are all compensatory measures. What needs to be addressed are the causes of bullying. It's not as if children bully because they are raised improperly - it's a systemic problem.
The real issue, I believe, is that children are put into a situation where social status is so uncertain they feel they have to - in some circumstances quite literally - battle it out to determine supremacy. That's something we might have to address if we want to pay more than lip-service to fixing the bullying problem.
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by Queen Cersei
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-30043084
Just seen this article about schools failing to educate students enough about cyberbullying. Do you think that more educations around bullying and the consequences would be a useful deterrent?
Just seen this article about schools failing to educate students enough about cyberbullying. Do you think that more educations around bullying and the consequences would be a useful deterrent?
I think we have a responsibility to children and young people to provide more education surrounding cyberbullying. With surges of popularity in sites like Twitter, Ask.fm, Tumblr and even TSR that offer people the chance to communicate with others anonymously, the threat of abuse has never been higher for young people on the internet.
It's so easy to sit behind a keyboard and type vicious, cruel things to someone with (seemingly) total anonymity now, and I think young people need to be more aware of what to do in a situation where they find themselves the victim of online abuse and who they should talk to or what they should/shouldn't do. There should also be heavy emphasis on the consequences of being a cyberbully and what can/will happen if you are caught. I mentioned 'seemingly' total anonymity before, and that's because whilst it seems like nobody could possibly find out who you are, there are in fact often ways and means of doing so for the police. So you can get caught.
I like this quote from the article:
Ultimately I'm here to warn you that anyone can land in prison. It's not just going to be the stereotypical person from a broken home. I do have a degree, I have 13 GCSEs, so please just be careful what you do put on social media because what you write down, there's always a record.
Original post by miser
This is a very murky issue really. People often don't share the same ideas about what bullying even is, so reaching a state where children can clearly identify if they're being bullied or are bullying isn't all that close.
It's also very difficult to actually do something, even if bullying is understood to be going on. It goes on behind closed doors. Cyber-bullying could a blessing in a certain sense, since it leaves behind a trail of evidence that can be put in front of a perpetrator and acted on.
But these are all compensatory measures. What needs to be addressed are the causes of bullying. It's not as if children bully because they are raised improperly - it's a systemic problem.
The real issue, I believe, is that children are put into a situation where social status is so uncertain they feel they have to - in some circumstances quite literally - battle it out to determine supremacy. That's something we might have to address if we want to pay more than lip-service to fixing the bullying problem.
It's also very difficult to actually do something, even if bullying is understood to be going on. It goes on behind closed doors. Cyber-bullying could a blessing in a certain sense, since it leaves behind a trail of evidence that can be put in front of a perpetrator and acted on.
But these are all compensatory measures. What needs to be addressed are the causes of bullying. It's not as if children bully because they are raised improperly - it's a systemic problem.
The real issue, I believe, is that children are put into a situation where social status is so uncertain they feel they have to - in some circumstances quite literally - battle it out to determine supremacy. That's something we might have to address if we want to pay more than lip-service to fixing the bullying problem.
This is really interesting, it never occurred to me that cyber bullying could actually be much easier to deal with as there is evidence as you say!
I definitely think there are a lot of cases where bullying occurs to determine 'who rules the roost' so to speak but I reckon upbringing can have a lot of influence in it, if a child has a parent that is a bully themselves they can either shy away from confrontation or mimic the behaviour- I'm just speaking from experience as a few people at school I would have classed bullies had some pretty terrifying parents!
I think there are two aspects to this.
1) I think that children spend too much time online, and in extreme cases they may lose the ability to communicate with real people who have real feelings. Instead communication becomes about scoring points and looking cool (that happens IRL too but is facilitated by a screen). I would quite severely restrict internet access under the age of 16 - I think there is no real necessity for social media access at that age. (It would have the added benefit of curtailing illegal (underage) access to online porn, which I think may be causing some problems too.)
2) I think that schools and school environments do not teach children how to socialise and communicate in a positive way with each other or with adults. It may sound extreme but I think there should be an assessed course in people skills, which could include aspects of communication (truth, humour, empathy, tact, use of language) and practical social dynamics (peer relationships, friendship, dating, social problem solving and parenting as well as working relationships and collaboration). (Interestingly, I think all this is basically applied English, and you and I may previously have learned it partly by reading lots of books...)
I think that schools should select those pupils who are popular (= accepted leaders) AND naturally good communicators (easy-going with good sense of tact and humour), give them special training and let them act as "seeds" for positive peer pressure - mainly diffusing situations before bullying even arises, nipping it in the bud. I think a popular kid using humour to reduce social friction between a wannabe bully and his target could be very effective, at least more so than lecturing from a teacher or other adults who only have enforced authority over children - I think authority has to be natural for any anti-bullying strategy to work. Finally, once kids have learned how to be considerate in real life, they can do it online too.
There is also something to be said for developing a thicker skin though, and I think the internet definitely helped me with that, so it's not all bad.
1) I think that children spend too much time online, and in extreme cases they may lose the ability to communicate with real people who have real feelings. Instead communication becomes about scoring points and looking cool (that happens IRL too but is facilitated by a screen). I would quite severely restrict internet access under the age of 16 - I think there is no real necessity for social media access at that age. (It would have the added benefit of curtailing illegal (underage) access to online porn, which I think may be causing some problems too.)
2) I think that schools and school environments do not teach children how to socialise and communicate in a positive way with each other or with adults. It may sound extreme but I think there should be an assessed course in people skills, which could include aspects of communication (truth, humour, empathy, tact, use of language) and practical social dynamics (peer relationships, friendship, dating, social problem solving and parenting as well as working relationships and collaboration). (Interestingly, I think all this is basically applied English, and you and I may previously have learned it partly by reading lots of books...)
I think that schools should select those pupils who are popular (= accepted leaders) AND naturally good communicators (easy-going with good sense of tact and humour), give them special training and let them act as "seeds" for positive peer pressure - mainly diffusing situations before bullying even arises, nipping it in the bud. I think a popular kid using humour to reduce social friction between a wannabe bully and his target could be very effective, at least more so than lecturing from a teacher or other adults who only have enforced authority over children - I think authority has to be natural for any anti-bullying strategy to work. Finally, once kids have learned how to be considerate in real life, they can do it online too.
There is also something to be said for developing a thicker skin though, and I think the internet definitely helped me with that, so it's not all bad.
(edited 9 years ago)
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