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Education Dive
Navigating cyberbullying more difficult amid COVID-19, but there are options
Among steps educators can take are limiting when students' cameras are
on during online lessons and embracing digital citizenship curriculum.
Lauren Barack
Aug. 5, 2020
Kathryn Seigfried-Spellar knows one of the first things parents and
educators may want to do when a student is cyberbullied is get them
offline. Yet the first step, according to Seigfried-Spellar, an
associate professor with Purdue University’s Department of Computer and
Information Technology, should be to just acknowledge how hard it was
for the student to report bullying in the first place.
“Kids are afraid of being victims of cyberbullying and also afraid of
how parents and teachers will react,” Seigfried-Spellar said. “They’re
afraid to have their tech taken away from them.”
A majority of adults can’t imagine not being online amid the
coronavirus pandemic. In the U.S. alone, 53% of adults said the
internet has been essential to their lives since COVID-19 hit,
according to Pew Research Center data from April. Students are
increasingly online, as well, not only engaging with their friends but
also taking classes.
While social distancing may have lessened physical bullying that
happened between classes, in hallways or after school, it likely hasn't
done the same to cyberbullying. In fact, an April 2020 report published
by L1ght, an AI-driven startup that helps detect and filter abusive and
toxic content online, found hate speech between children and teens on
social media and in chat forums increased 70% since students
transitioned to distance learning.
In the coronavirus era, when every one of a student’s friends is
probably online, along with many of their classes in the fall, it’s
impractical to have children off devices. But there are steps educators
and families can take to help students — both those doing the bullying
and those who are the victims — navigate the digital world more safely
and thoughtfully.
Turn cameras off
Seigfried-Spellar noted while digital tools are likely crucial in an
online learning environment, educators can make choices to tailor what
they’re using to what they need. For example, while many educators have
made use of videoconferencing tools, every feature doesn’t have to be
employed, she said.
She points specifically to chat functions. Teachers may want or need to
be visible for a demonstration or lesson, but students don’t always
have to be on camera. That scenario could create a situation that lends
itself to bullying, for example, if a student forgets their camera is
on, does something embarrassing, and another classmate screenshots that
moment and later shares it to embarrass the student among their peers.
“Teachers need to know how technology is being used, and maybe disable it to minimize bullying,” she said.
Encourage social connections online
On the flip side, being online can be extremely helpful for learners
who feel incredibly isolated right now. In fact, online communities can
be positive spaces for them, said Linda Charmaraman, senior research
scientist and director of the Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab
for the Wellesley Centers for Women in Massachusetts.
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