Cyberbullying: Educational Implications & Solutions

Stephanie Kwok

University of British Columbia

MET EDUC 511

December 15, 2018

Word Count: 2,995

 The advent of the internet has brought about many benefits, particularly for students

doing research and learning about technology-related curricular topics within education.

However, issues relating to internet safety and privacy are a growing concern for administrators,

parents, and policy-makers. As Hinduja and Patchin (2010) state, “as technology evolves, so do

many of the problems faced by those who have access to it” (as cited in Vines, 2015, p. 1).

Cyberbullying is on the rise in high schools, corresponding to the increase in students owning

their own personal laptop and mobile device. The lack of education and awareness pertaining to

digital citizenship – or, respectful online behaviour - by students, parents, and teachers results in

unsafe behaviour and putting others at risk. This essay will discuss cyberbullying, and how it is a

phenomenon rooted in societal misuse and abuse of the internet, enabled by modern

technological elements such as 1) online anonymity, 2) digital footprints, and 3) the internet as a

global communication network. Internet safety skills will also be discussed, such as using early

intervention strategies with both children and parents, and discussion of topics that include

digital footprint management, data privacy, and digital citizenship.

I. Cyberbullying: What Constitutes as Cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying is a new term for bullying brought about by the use of social networks and

technological media. “Unlike bullying, [it] includes the possible anonymity of the cyberbully,

and larger potential audience, the difficulty of disconnecting oneself from the social networks,

and the possible absence of direct face-to-face contact, which is usually present in bullying” (Paz

Elipe, María de la Oliva Muñoz & Rosario Del Rey, 2018, p. 673). Cyberbullying involves the

abuse of power by a group or individual through information and communication technologies. It

is both malicious and intentional, and directed towards victims unable to easily defend

themselves. This is in contrast to traditional bullying, where there is often a “power imbalance,

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usually of physical strength or strength in numbers” (p. 673). Neither of these are necessary for

cyberbullying to occur, but the effects are just as devastating if not more so; victims of

cyberbullying may experience depression, low self-esteem, anger, frustration, or develop suicidal

thoughts. Unlike with traditional bullying, cyberbullying is not limited to a specific location or

physical space. Victims can be subjected to cyberbullying within own home, at school and any

place in which one is able to access the internet.

In Hinduja and Patchin’s 2014 study, statistics purported cyberbullying victimization

rates to range from 18.8% to 34.6%, averaging out at 25.2%. Many who experience

cyberbullying, also face traditional face-to-face bullying. Hinduja and Patchin’s 2009 study

stated that “42% of victims of cyberbullying were also victims of traditional bullying” (p. 61).

Research has also indicated a trend in cyberbullying activities starting in later intermediate

grades and peaking around grades 7-8 (Tokunga, 2010). Additionally, gender dynamics have

been noted from surveys taken, where females were more likely to report being cyberbullied, and

males were more likely to display cyberbullying behaviour. Cyberbullying forms range from

mild to serious crimes; where such activities may include flaming, harassment, denigration,

impersonation, outing (sharing one’s embarrassing secrets, information, or photos online),

trickery, exclusion, and cyberstalking. It is common for these crimes to be compounded with one

another.

Flaming, harassment, and denigration are commonly seen in comment sections on

websites such as YouTube, as users post anonymously without fear of negative repercussions.

However, impersonation, outing, and cyberstalking are more serious in that cyberbullies act with

the full intention of antagonizing their victims; when they get hold of personal or private

information repercussions may include issues with identity theft, extortion, blackmail,

plagiarism, or sexual exploitation. This was the case with Megan Meier, a victim of

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impersonation and trickery-based cyberbullying (Vines, 2015, p. 55). A mother, Lori Drew,

believed that Megan had started rumours about her daughter Sarah. In an attempt to find out the

truth, Lori, her daughter, and co-worker created a fake Myspace account profile in order to

communicate with Megan. The three convinced Megan she was talking to a 16-year old boy who

was interested in her. In a turn of events when the discussion began to deteriorate, they told

Megan that the world would be better off without her. Megan, who was already taking

antidepressants hung herself as a result.

One of the most famous incidents with cyberbullying is the case of Amanda Todd, a 15-

year old victim of blackmail and sexual exploitation online. Amanda had been convinced by a

stranger to bare her chest on camera but was later blackmailed with a screenshot of her topless

that had been taken without her consent. The stranger circulated the photo of Amanda online and

harassed her to the point where Amanda developed anxiety, depression and panic disorder. This

resulted in her turning to drugs and alcohol and changing school multiple times. Each time

Amanda relocated to a new school, the stranger would cyberstalk her online, harass and spread

malicious comments, and share the topless photo amongst her new peers, teachers, and parents.

Amanda turned to self-mutilation and several attempts at suicide before she finally hung herself.

Consequently, when the perpetrator was finally caught, it was discovered that he was a 35-year

old male from the Netherlands with zero relation to Amanda or her family. This man had been

terrorizing Amanda and 39 other victims, blackmailing them with their private photos and

information. In this extreme example, the victim and her family were helpless and unable to

defend themselves from being targeted and stalked. The cyberbully was a predator who preyed

upon the weak and thrived upon the emotional distress he caused others.

II. Global Communicative Network & Social Media

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 As discussed, cyberbullying is similar to but also much more complex than traditional

bullying. However, these complexities are deeply rooted in the way in which technology has

evolved to cater to our functional needs and purposes and have become a double-edged blade in

the process. Benefits include that the internet and implementation of digital technologies have

expanded the possibilities for communication around the world. In high schools, students use

portable laptop devices, tablets, and cellphones to gather and communicate information for

school work. Academic uses may include word processing, editing, or development of typing

and coding skills. Students can also collaborate with peers for group projects and assignments by

providing feedback and input using synchronous and asynchronous platforms. Educational

technology has evolved such that students can not only liaise with classmates virtually, but they

can research relevant information online via hypermedia links promptly and succinctly.

Conversely, the global communication network that allows for the exchange of thoughts

and ideas also enables the spread of malicious and bullying comments and behaviour. In the age

of social media, users can speak to large audiences at a time. The most significant example of

this is with Donald Trump using the social media platform Twitter, where each tweeted message

is publicly displayed to a global audience. A single, thoughtless comment may unintentionally

embarrass an individual, but repeated intentional and malicious comments to an individual’s

social circle has the potential to cause both emotional and psychological damage. Additionally,

children and adolescents talk to an assortment of people on the internet, including strangers, so it

is not uncommon for cyberbullying by a complete stranger to occur.

III. Hypermedia & Digital Footprints

An additional causal component to cyberbullying is the introduction of hypermedia, a

unique feature of digital text and key factor to the Internet’s success. Hypermedia serves as a

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navigational tool through which Internet users are able to access and explore the virtual space

that is the web, through clickable links embedded in text, videos, graphics, and online audio.

Readers are transformed into active participants able to interact with what they read and see. In

educational settings, this means that when students do research, they can delve into areas of

interest by clicking upon links that may pique their attention or curiosity. Hypermedia affords a

fluidity emulating the human stream of consciousness, a phenomenon also referred to by Bolter

as “associative linking”, in which “the links constitute a path through a virtual space and the

reader becomes a visitor or traveler in that space” (Bolter, 2001, p. 21).

As opposed to the linear thought pattern prompted by printed text, the innovation of

hypermedia has resulted in the concept of the digital footprint. Digital footprints refer to the

passive recording and tracking of data generated by users whilst online. Every internet user

leaves behind digital footprints during their online activity. Whenever a person visits a website,

that visit is tracked. Various types of personal information are instantly recorded whenever a user

clicks on a link or ad, makes an online purchase, or performs a Google search. This traceable

data is saved into each person’s online portfolio constituting their online identity and is tied to

their computer IP address. When filling out personal information to sign up for a website, that

information is recorded into that company’s data archive, and is sometimes, unbeknownst to the

user, sold to subsidiary companies for profit. Similarly, when users post comments on social

media, blogs, YouTube videos, or any public online space, those comments become globally

accessible for all to see.

Artificial intelligence (AI) programming in technology utilizes analytics and predictive

search algorithms that can filter search results to personalize preferences and shopping trends.

The benefits of this include that we are able to view more online content that is customized to

our interests and likes. It also makes our lives easier by predicting our typing and texting patterns

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and offering autofill spelling corrections and suggestions for personal information and passwords

by using predictive text technologies. However, AI technology applications require that personal

data is collected and stored. As mentioned with digital footprints, when data is stored, it can be

bought and sold. Furthermore, personal information online is not always secure, and if accessed

by those with malicious intent, can make a person extremely vulnerable to exploitation. Both

students and adults should be aware of the dangers and implications of posting personal and

compromising videos or photos online, as it is extremely easy for friends and strangers to share

and spread anything once posted. Cyberbullying can occur when an individual exploits another

person’s digital footprint by stalking their online activity and using the information against them,

which was the case with Amanda Todd. With the prevalence of cyberbullying occurring at

middle school grade levels, adolescents are prime targets for bullies and stalkers when they

upload private media onto unsecured platforms.

IV. Online Anonymity

Last but not least, is the issue of online anonymity—an element characterizing online

user activity. While internet users are never completely anonymous online due to their traceable

digital footprints, privacy options provide users with the option of hiding their personal

information and true identities from the general public. Only website owners and larger

corporations who collect data for marketing purposes are able to see personal user data

otherwise. This veil of anonymity is abused by many, and the result is that many people end up

lying about their true identities; again, this was the case with both Megan Meier and Amanda

Todd.

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V. Solutions

Understanding the nature of current technologies and their potentials for misuse is key

when educating youth about responsible use. Major topics such as online privacy and digital

citizenship are useful, but it is also necessary to give more detailed information to spread

awareness and understanding of where these issues stem from. Ideally, students should be taught

from an early age in order to allow for further support and scaffolding throughout the years. In

this way, students can deepen their understanding by the time they reach the critical years in

grades 7-8 in order to make informed, independent decisions when posting and navigating

online. When students surf and explore the internet indiscriminately, they run the risk of

accessing inappropriate websites with violent and or pornographic content. Furthermore, many

students are unaware about the potential domino effect online posts can have when something

goes viral. When a student makes a post, or sends a message, photo or video to a friend, that

person has the autonomy to send and spread it to others; YouTube videos can become viral in

this way, by viewers sharing interesting videos to others, who in turn continue to share to more

people. Many youth and adolescents post haphazardly and share content with little consideration

for how it might affect the original poster.

Teachers can also teach strategies for privatizing data by using advertisement blockers on

websites and increasing security on one’s internet browser. Basic preventative strategies include

choosing strong passwords for personal online accounts, deleting one’s browsing history on

shared or public internet access terminals and devices, and always logging out of websites and

accounts. Additionally, when filling out online forms, users should avoid entering unnecessary

information, as it is likely to be stored and used for other purposes. For older grades, particularly

at middle to high school level, additional strategies can be presented: students can be taught how

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prediction services (which analyze your searches and digital footprint to complete your searches

and URLs in the address bar) on search engines can be disabled, denying permission to sites to

leave cookies on your personal computers and devices, as well as how to use Virtual Private

Networks (VPN) in order to protect against hacking. Consequently, there are many ways in

which one can limit one’s digital footprint, but above all, it is important to make students aware

that they have a choice in the matter of keeping themselves protected. The key is to start

education of digital literacy topics and strategies from an early age in order to build upon and

reinforce learning as students get older.

After addressing all the issues and concerns regarding online privacy and internet safety,

it is important to also speak to how we can use digital footprints in a positive manner. Buchanan

et al. say that, “[a] positive digital footprint can be understood as a ‘personal brand’ that allows

others to see your interests, achievements, and skills” (2017, p. 285). This refers to digital

citizenship, where users should strive to act in ways such as they would in real life, contributing

to society in positive ways, rather than engaging in perverse, hateful, or bullying online

behaviour. Rather than resisting and fearing technology, teachers and adults should embrace the

change and attempt to harness the advantages of technology – first by helping youth develop the

skills and perspective to productively navigate the complications (Boyd & Hargittai, 2014, p.

213, as cited in Buchanan et al., 2017, p. 285). “Digital footprint education could help young

people develop a strong, positive online presence. Such a presence can showcase the skills and

achievements of an individual and signal engagement with and proficiency of internet

technologies, a current mandated educational outcome and a desirable attribute for the 21st

century” (Van Ouytsel, Walrave, Ponnet, 2014 as cited in Buchanan et al., 2017, p. 286).

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 Finally, in order to best teach students to become digitally literate, educators must also be

willing to take the first step, by partaking in professional development workshops and

opportunities in order to become more aware and informed themselves. Within Canada,

cyberbullying-related support is currently lacking at best. “The Commissioner and the

Representative find that the current program response to cyberbullying in B.C. is fragmented,

consisting mainly of the ERASE [‘Expect Respect and Safe Education’] program based in the

B.C. school system and a number of national and international initiatives (Reid, Denham &

Turpel, 2015, p. 25). For an issue as big as cyberbullying, it is pertinent that educators invest

more interest in the topic, as it will not only serve to help students within their own classrooms,

but potentially help to change and improve measures at the provincial and national level as well.

Teachers may not easily notice signs of cyberbullying within the classroom and may not feel it is

their responsibility to address the situation, especially when the cyberbully is not someone in the

same class, school, or city. However, cyberbullying affects the social-emotional state and

condition of students, which in turn can affect their work productivity, and relationship with

teachers, family, and peers, particularly when they come into class depressed, frustrated, or

upset.

Conclusion

In conclusion, mass communication networks such as social media channels, along with

traceable digital footprints and online anonymity elements have an immense influence upon the

way in which cyberbullying occurs and is carried out. Cyberbullies take advantage of vulnerable

individuals and use their weaknesses against them to exploit and control them. This can happen

between people anywhere in the world. Social media also provides cyberbullies with a platform

through which they can voice negative and hateful speech. Unlike with written text, digital text

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transforms all users into active publishers despite writing mediocrities and differing skill levels.

Writing is not always vetted, and negative comments and statements are not always censored.

In regards to digital footprints, although it “affords greater access to knowledge as well as

the ability to speak out and make one’s views widely available” (Dobson & Willinsky, 2009, p.

1), societal awareness of the digital footprint should be taught and reinforced within educational

systems in order to promote digital citizenship through early intervention strategies. As

emphasized by Buchanan et al., children as well as adults, should be taught how to curate their

online presence such that their digital footprint does not become a liability, and not all they do

online needs to be hidden (2017, p. 286). “So begins the paradox that while digital literacy

constitutes an entirely new medium for reading and writing, it is but a further extension of what

writing first made of language” (Dobson & Willinsky, 2009, p. 1). Just as we teach reading and

writing of printed text in school, we must teach navigation and vetting techniques when reading

digital text, safety and preventative strategies, as well as digital citizenship etiquette,

proofreading, editing, and citation procedures when publishing online comments and writing.

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