Cyberbullying – the crime of the 21st century





The prevalence of cyberbullying is astounding. In this week’s readings, I was surprised that cyberbullying isn’t just an issue with teens and middle schoolers.  Elementary students are also victims. And unbelievably, so are adults! The fact that adults, in the workforce, choose to cyberbully other adults is incomprehensible. Where did the “Golden Rule” go? What happened to respect? How do we expect our children to learn how to act when the adults are not role models? In the school system, staff are expected to take all reports of bullying, in-person or cyber, very seriously. We have a zero-tolerance policy. Parents alert the media at the slightest hint of error on the staff’s part yet are indignant when asked to follow the same expectations at home. As a current middle school teacher, 50 minutes a day, 5 days a week, is not enough time for me to teach your child respect, how to treat others, and cover the science content I’m expected to teach. If adults are not modeling and teaching children how to treat everyone with respect, and those same adults are not supporting and reinforcing the school system’s efforts to teach children respect, we are essentially shoveling the snow from the sidewalk during the blizzard.

As a teacher librarian, I have access to numerous resources and tools to teach students about cyberbullying.  Teaching direct lessons about what cyberbullying is and what to do about it if it happens to you is an easy, specific way to help students. Creating a tip line linked to the school page or library page is another easy way to assist students.  Reading stories about victims of cyberbullying can make it real and help students feel connected. 

Read alouds for children about bullying/cyberbullying: 









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