Cyberbullying How to Prevent Bullying in Online Schools?

Globally, cyberbullying and bullying in the classroom are major issues that continue to haunt millions of students each year. Experts have suggested numerous ways to tackle these problems for online communities. However, these problems need support at various levels, and parents/stakeholders must make all the necessary efforts to avoid and resolve these issues.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 14% of public schools, report instances of bullying daily or once a week. These figures are 28% in middle school, 16% in high school, and 9% in primary school.

Let’s discuss bullying in schools and cyberbullying in education.

What is Cyberbullying?

As per the Federal government website (managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), cyberbullying is a form of bullying through digital devices. It can happen through computers, mobile phones and tablets in the following ways:

SMS
Applications
Forums
Gaming
Email
Social media

Most forms of cyberbullying often include sharing personal information (without consent), sending negative content and unlawful behavior etc.

Reasons for Bullying in Education

A BBC report states some striking facts about the reasons why children become bullies/bullying in education. Here’s a look at these reasons:

Domestic violence
Sibling aggression
Growing up in violent homes
Lack of a supportive atmosphere at home
The zeal to be powerful/difference in power

Some Facts

Before we discuss how to prevent bullying, let’s take a look at some facts.

Back in the year 2009, 28% of students between the age groups of 12-18 years were bullied in schools. This figure dropped to 22% in 2019.

In the same year (2019), the number of electronically bullied cases was 16% (grades 9-12).

2009	2019
28%	22%

Some more crucial figures for cyberbullying in 2022:

Category	U.S. Teens	Boys	Girls
Name calling	32	31	32
Spreading false rumors	22	16	29
Receiving explicit images	17	15	19
Asking irrelevant questions	15	13	17
Physical Threats	10	10	10
Having explicit images shared without consent	7	5	8
Any cyberbullying	46	43	49

How to Stop Bullying in Online Schools?

Stay Well-Informed and Proactive

In all cases, bullying and cyberbullying in education require a proactive approach from every stakeholders. Never assume that bullying can come in a typical setting. Because there is no specific form or manner in which these threats can prevail.

All stakeholders must learn to be closely connected with the students/children. Encourage them to open up about their issues in school. If you notice any change in any child’s behavior, be proactive to ask the child about it. Ensure to take a follow-up to delve deep into the issue. Most cases of bullying in classroom can go unnoticed in many traditional or online schools. Therefore, ensure that you are vigilant enough to identify these problems because many children (like introverted or differently-abled ones) might not speak up about their issues upfront all the time.

Educate the kid

Parents and stakeholders must take all efforts to teach the kids about various forms of bullying. To prevent cyberbullying, it is essential to teach the child about the threats involved with the irresponsible use of the internet, sharing pictures/videos etc. with strangers, etc. Most kids have some knowledge of these problems/facts, but you need to be more specific and share examples of others who were victimized due to online bullying.

At International Schooling, we are highly vigilant about the safety of our students. We have the most advanced systems to keep track of student activity. Know about our practices and policies in detail through this page.

Stay Vigilant and Monitor Closely

While children can be highly vulnerable to bullying in classroom, it is our duty as stakeholders to have an eagle eye on everything around our kids. Thankfully, technology offers a lot of solutions like parental controls, options to restrict access, history tracking etc. Stay vigilant and keep a check on the child’s online activity. Teach the child how to identify threats and promote a habit of limiting responses to unknown messages, emails etc.

Make it clear to the child that everything that he/she does online is under supervision. Do not allow personal devices till a certain age. And be very active with the timing allowed to use devices (over and above the study duration/online sessions). For students who enroll in online schools, parents are given a proper intimation/timetable about the virtual sessions planned for the week/month etc. Ensure that the child does not use devices at odd hours when it is difficult to track his/her activity.

If you wish to know more on ‘how to prevent bullying?’, do play your role well as a stakeholder by doing the following-

Escalate the Matter Instantly

All types of cases (cyberbullying or bullying in schools) need to be addressed without any delay. All stakeholders need to know the proper channels to report abuse or cases of bullying. You can make use of options like ‘report abuse’, contact the school authorities (academicians in online schools) or contact the government authorities directly.

how cyberbullying helps in stop bullying in online school

How Can an Online School Prevent Bullying in Schools?

Positive Learning Environment

A student can get a positive school environment in an online school. Unlike a traditional school, a virtual school is free from threats of physical violence. In addition, it also has the advantage of a small batch size that makes it easier for teachers to manage students. Students can explore concepts in a safe learning setting within their home premises.

Better Opportunities to Socialize

With the limited yet healthy interactions between peers, virtual schools need not worry about questions like how to stop bullying in schools.

In general, students are more independent learners in an online learning environment. Hence, they have fewer and better interpersonal connections—the elements of intercultural understanding. Diverse classrooms also make these schools safer for students. Virtual learning promotes healthy collaboration with superior monitoring mechanisms and trained educators. All this reduces the risks of cyberbullying in education. In addition, virtual learning platforms also have a sound design to create a safe learning experience throughout the student’s academic journey.

Do you know that International Schooling has a dedicated team to create a seamless and secure learning process?

Reach out to our experts to know how we make this possible!

Final Thoughts

Cases of online bullying and regular bullying in schools need to be addressed immediately. Our vigilance and knowledge are the greatest tools in our hands against these challenges. Stay updated about the latest government policies. And keep track of all information that can help you provide a secure learning experience for your kid.

If your child has been a victim of any such case, you can readily choose online schooling and help the child overcome the scars of unpleasant incidents.

If you wish to know more details about how a virtual platform like International Schooling can safeguard your kid from threats like bullying, please visit this page.

Thanks for Reading!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is cyberbullying how to prevent it?
The form of bullying that happens through devices like mobile phones, computer tablets etc.
How to stop bullying in schools?
We can avoid cases of bullying by being vigilant and educating kids about these issues. It is also important to report these cases immediately and follow up rigorously.
How to report cases of online bullying?
You can reach out to the government helplines or report the matter to the concerned website (such as social media etc.).

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