What Characteristics of Cyberbullying Does the Undergraduate College Student Experience?

1. What Characteristics of Cyberbullying Does the Undergraduate College Student Experience? A Survey Analysis Carol M. Walker, MEd, MA Doctoral Candidate, IUP

2. Cyberbullying Defined • The use of information and communication technologies such as e-mail, cell phone and pager text messages, instant messaging, personal Web sites or blogs and online personal polling Web sites. The technology is used to promote deliberate, repeated and hurtful behavior by an individual or group, with the intent to harm others (Haber & Haber, 2007, p. 52). • Cyberbullying should be considered the use of interactive technologies such as social networking sites, cell phones (text, video, voice, or picture messaging), instant messaging, or other newly developed technology-based communication tools. These tools are used to repeatedly deliver slanderous, hurtful, obsessive, or obscene messages that result in harm to the recipient (Walker, 2010.

3. Cyberbullying • Who? • Why?

5. Age and Extent of Cyberbullying • Growth in technology • Cell phones • Social Networking • Age • Extent • Varies greatly

6. My Cyberbullying Research • Theory • Social Dominance Theory • Survey • 27 item survey • 6 Demographic and 21 cyberbullying

7. Demographics • 120 undergraduate college students • 70 female, 50 male: age 18 – 24 • 16% live at home, 53% on campus housing, and 31% off campus but not at home • Grades: 51% A-B, 47% B-C, 2% C-D • Technology use: • 14% between 1 & 2 hours daily • 31% between 3 & 4 hours daily • 55% over 4 hours daily

8. Results • 54% of respondents know someone who has been cyberbullied • 100% of male respondents know someone who has been cyberbullied • Technologies used: Facebook (56%), Cell Phones (45%), AIM (43%) most frequently reported • 11% of participants reported being cyberbullied ~ 43% of them 4 or more times • Statistically significant results:

9. Psychological Impact • Suicidal ideation • Eating disorders • Chronic illness • Depression (often long-term) • Low self-esteem • Poor academic performance • Problem behaviors • Drinking and drugs

10. Legal Issues • Several court cases to date • J.S. v. Bethlehem Area School District • Layshock v. Hermitage School District • Emmett v. Kent School District

11. Intervention and Prevention • Gather all forces • System level • Establish guidelines for appropriate use of computer networks • Classroom Interventions • Incorporate lessons on cyberbullying • Implement effective social skills and conflict resolution

12. Prevention techniques for students • Don’t engage the person • Print everything out • Change your screen name • Don’t share personal info in chat rooms • Identify the sender • Contact the service provider • Think before you send • Parents, get involved • Teachers, get involved • Comprehensive action is needed Stover, D. (2006) www.eddigest.com

13. Enhancing Child Safety & Online Technologies • December 2008 • http://wiredsafety.org/resources/pdf/2009_isttf_final_report.pdf • Wired Safety • http://wiredsafety.org/ • iSafe • http://www.isafe.org/ • National Criminal Justice Reference Service • http://www.ncjrs.gov/InternetSafety/cyber.html • Stop Bullying Now • http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/adults/default.aspx • Stop Cyberbullying • http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/cyberbullying/for_educators.html

14. The Desiderata

15. Sources: • Strom, P. & Strom, R. (2005) When teens turn cyberbullies. Education Digest, 71(4), 35-41 • Stover, D. (2006). Treating cyberbullying as a school violence issue. School Board News, 26 (8) • Mason, K.L. (2008). Cyberbullying: A preliminary assessment for school personnel. Psychology in Schools 45(4), 323-348 • Pickett, A.D., & Thomas, C. (2006). Turn off that phone. American School Board Journal