Internet Safety/ Cyber Bullying

Cyberbullying among preteens, ages 9-12 is on the rise due to the increase in this age group's access to smartphones, tablets, and 1:1 Chromebook usage in schools. The definition of cyberbullying is willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cellphones, and other electronic devices (2020). Cyberbullying can be carried out through social media, often through false accounts created to embarrass, threaten, or abuse another person, and in online gaming. Until recently, all of the data collected has been about teens. Cyberbullying.org conducted a study in June and July, 2020, of 1,034 tweens (9-12 year olds) in public and private schools. The study found that 14.9% had witnessed cyberbullying, while 14.5% of students had been victims of bullying. Somewhat surprisingly, the study found that 3.2% of the students admitted to being the cyberbully. (2020). Digital citizenship seeks to develop the skills and knowledge to use the internet and other digital technology responsibly and ethically. By learning these good citizenship qualities and internet safety skills in elementary school, the hope is that students would learn skills to withstand the often debilitating and lasting effects of cyberbullying and strategies to avoid bullying others. The following Wakelet is a collection of great resources to help teacher librarians, classroom teachers, students, and parents build good digital citizenship skills. References Patchin, J.W. (October, 2020) Cyberbullying among tweens. Retrieved from www.cyberbullying.org. accessed October 20, 2020.