Dealing With Online Bullies Outside the Classroom

More and more schools across the country are trying to address the issue of bullying. But bullying online has grown considerably. What happens when it occursoutside of school walls? Should schools regulate the off-campus online behavior of their students?

Hold Children Responsible for Their Actions 
(Comment From Franklin Schargel)

Children need to be held responsible for their actions. And while the punishments need to be age-appropriate, they also need to be meaningful to the children. Schools working with parents need to determine a ladder of punishments for improper actions. Among the privileges children could lose might include being removed from band and the football team, and not being allowed to attend school activities such as the prom. These rules should be shared with the students and their parents.

Schools Must Step in Early 
(Comment From David Mainwaring)
Online bullying (and bullying in general) definitely has an academic effect and will pose problems when the pupil is constantly immersed in a bullying environment. To believe otherwise is naive. If schools simply stepped in and intervened before most cases spiraled out of control, we probably wouldn't have so many dead teenage bully victims.

Kids Learn to Bully From Adults 
(Comment From Ruth O'Neill)

As a teacher in South Australia I can tell you we do monitor out-of-school online bullying as best we can. Students are told to take screen shotsand report it as harassment at school. If the perpetratoris a student then they are given a meeting to try and solve the conflict or detention or suspension depending on the severity. If it's extreme then the police may be called. We also work with our middle school students to teach them resilience to help them overcome bullying and offer some tips for avoiding conflict, such as not adding random friends to Facebook.

My personal view is that bullying starts with adults. Most bullies are kids with problems such as overly strict parents, lack of parenting, feelings of powerless or siblings that bully. Kids are a product of their environment and adults need to teach them kindness and tolerance.

Article Source:http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2014/10/28/dealing-with-online-bullies-outside-the-classroom

Image Source: https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR7nvt21Rz_DB2i3dgcywMpqd1krirEggnQbv9fEKIqQXXoujJ8

VOCABULARY WORDS:

1. Bully (noun) ~ a blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker people

2. Regulate (verb) ~ to control or direct by a rule, principle, method, etc.

3. Behavior (noun) ~ manner of behaving or acting.

4. Appropriate (adj.) ~ suitable or fitting for a particular purpose, person, occasion, etc.

5. Privilege (noun) ~ a right, immunity, or benefit enjoyed only by a person beyond the advantages of most

6. Academic (noun) ~ of or pertaining to a college, academy, school, or other educational institution, especially one for higher education

7. Immerse (verb) ~ to involve deeply; absorb

8. Intervene (verb) ~ to come between disputing people, groups, etc.; intercede; mediate

9. Spiral (verb) ~ to advance or increase steadily; rise

10. Screen shots (noun) ~ a copy or image of what is seen on a computer screen at a given time

11. Harassment (noun) ~ the act or an instance of harrassing, or disturbing, pestering, or troubling repeatedly

12. Perpetrator (noun) ~ a person who perpetrates, or commits, an illegal, criminal, or evil act

13. Severity (noun) ~ harshness, sternness, or rigor

14. Overcome (verb) ~ to get the better of in a struggle or conflict; conquer; defeat

15. Tolerance (noun) ~ a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward opinions and practices that differ from one's own

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:

1. What punishments were mentioned in the article? Do you think those punishments are enough to control bullying?

2. How can bullying affect the academic standing of the child being bullied?

3. Do you agree that bullying is due to adult influences? If yes, how?

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSIONS:

1. What are the different examples of cyber bullying?

2. If you were a victim of cyber bullying, would you report the incident or would you stay quiet and ignore it? Why?

3. Is cyber-bullying a problem in your country? How can it be stopped? Give and discuss your ideas.