Standing Up to Cyberbullies
What is cyberbullying and what can you do to stop it?
Spring 2021 Digital Citizenship Newsletter
Elementary Edition
Think about these questions:
Is there a difference between joking, being mean, and bullying? What is it?
Who's Involved?
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.
Things to think about ...
- 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.
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