Cyberbullies: How to tackle them, DfES gives schools advice…

He said that the new guidelines would help every school tackle bullying in cyberspace with the same vigilance as in the playground. But with cyberbullying able to follow young people outside the school gate, parents and young people themselves should understand how to use technologies safely and work with their schools to deal with incidents firmly.

Jim Knight also said that, with sections of the industry already taking on the cyberbullies with helplines and information campaigns, the Department for Education and Skills would be speaking in the coming weeks with major Internet Service Providers and mobile telecommunication operators to explore what more could be done together to tackle cyberbullying.

Published on the Department for Education and Skills anti-bullying web pages http://www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying Tackling Cyberbullying sets out simple steps that schools, parents and pupils can take to prevent cyberbullying and to deal firmly with incidents where they occur, such as:

> schools' mandatory anti-bullying policies should include strategies to deal with bullying via mobile phone or Internet, alongside clear rules on the possession and use of mobile phones in school, with clear sanctions for rule-breakers;

> all e-communications used on the school site or as part of school activities off site are monitored and where necessary restricted;

> parents should ensure that they and their child understands how to use technology safely, including the use of moderated chatrooms and parental control software, as well as the risks and consequences of misuse;

> young people should not respond to abusive emails, text messages or phone calls, but should always tell an adult, and contact their service provider for advice on how to block calls, keeping emails and texts as evidence for tracing and possible police action;

> young people should keep to public areas of chatrooms, and never give out personal contact details online or post photographs of themselves.

Research published today by the Anti-Bullying Alliance identifies seven types of cyberbullying, ranging from abusive text messages, emails and phone calls, to bullying in Internet chatrooms, social networking sites and instant messaging. Up to one in five pupils have experienced some form of cyberbullying, with girls significantly more likely to be cyberbullied, especially by text messages and phone calls, than boys. However, around a third of victims never reported cyberbullying.

Jim Knight said:
"No child should suffer the misery of bullying, online or offline, and we will support schools in tackling it in cyberspace with the same vigilance as in the playground. Every school should account for cyberbullying in their compulsory anti-bullying policies, and should take firm action where it occurs.

"The Education Bill will give teachers a legal right to discipline pupils, strengthening their authority to take firm action on bullying. It will also send a strong message to parents and pupils that bullying will not be tolerated with court-imposed parenting orders to compel parents of bullies to attend parenting classes or face £1000 fines.

"Unlike other forms of bullying, cyberbullying can follow children and young people into their private spaces and outside school hours. This is why it is essential that parents and young people themselves should understand how to use technologies safely to protect themselves at home and outside school hours, as well as supporting their schools in dealing with incidents."

Gill Frances, Chair of the Anti-Bullying Alliance, said:
"Bullying in all forms - including cyberbullying - is unacceptable, and it is vital to develop effective strategies both for addressing and preventing it. We hope that the practical measures included in these guidelines will help schools, parents and young people themselves to find ways of doing this.

"As our research shows, a third of those who experience cyberbullying do not report it. If we are to succeed in preventing bullying, we need to break the climate of silence in which it thrives by empowering children and young people to speak out and seek help."

An investigation into cyberbullying, its forms, awareness and impact, and the relationship between age and gender in cyberbullying a report to the Anti-Bullying Alliance by Goldsmiths College, University of London, was also published yesterday.

It is compulsory for schools to have policies in place to prevent and tackle bullying. The Department for Education offers a comprehensive range of support for schools in tackling bullying, including a range of proven strategies developed by the major anti-bullying experts, as well as hard-hitting measures including parenting orders, fines for non-compliance, and permanent exclusion for bullying.

Related links to this article:
Department of Education & Skills
Tackling Cyberbullying is at this link
Anti-Bullying Alliance

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