Spring 2021 Digital Citizenship Newsletter

Elementary Edition

Is there a difference between joking, being mean, and bullying? What is it?

Bullying or cyberbullying situations always include a target (the person being bullied) and a bully (the person doing the bullying). The bullying or cyberbullying can occur for many different reasons.

The target and the bully are usually not the only ones involved in a cyberbullying situation. There are also the people who see it. These people can either be bystanders or upstanders. A bystander observes a conflict or unacceptable behavior, but does not take part in it. An upstander does try to stop it.

• What are some reasons cyberbullying occurs?
• How can you respond if you are cyberbullied?
• What do you think are some ways to be an upstander if you see a bullying or cyberbullying situation?
  

These are all important to know in case you experience or see a cyberbullying situation. Another really important thing to know about is empathy. Empathy is when you imagine the feelings that someone else is experiencing.

• Empathy could motivate someone to be an upstander instead of a bystander.
• If you try to empathize with the bully, it could help you understand why the bully is acting that way.

Credit: Is It Cyberbullying? | Common Sense Education

Teachers, please visit the site above for the full lesson with lesson resources.

For more information about Cyberbullying, check out What is Cyberbullying? | How to Prevent Cyber Bullying? (nuedusec.com)