Is Technology a Threat? Bullying and the Internet

Consider the following questions:

1. How important is technology in your life?
2. What’s the most important gadget in your everyday life, the one without which you would feel lost?
3. How has Internet changed our lives in the last 10 years?
4. Do you use any social networks? Which one/ones? If you don’t use them, why?
5. What social networks are popular among young people? Should they be allowed to use them? Why/not?
6. What are the risks of technology and Internet for children nowadays?

One of the most worrying risks of technology and Internet for young people is cyberbullying. Bullying at school is not a new phenomenon, but Internet has given the harassment a new dimension.

The following video shows a case of cyberbullying from the perspective of an unlikely victim. Before you watch, consider the following questions:

1. What kind of person is a bully? Why do you think they do it?
2. What kind of person is bullied? Is there a pattern common to all the victims of bullying?
3. What advice would you give to someone who is being bullied?
4. What advice would you give to someone who is being bullied online?

Watch the video and take notes of how the bullying started and how it escalated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dubA2vhIlrg

Discuss:

• What do you think the boy should have done?
• What can teachers do in these situations?
• What should parents do in these cases?

The soundtrack of the video is a beautiful song by Ben Folds. Listen and complete the missing words:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LgJTtOoUug

Learn more about the phenomenon of cyberbullying. Click on the image to watch an expert answering the following questions:

1. What’s cyberbullying?
2. How can you protect your child from cyberbullying?
3. How do your know if your child is a cyberbully?
4. What can you do if you suspect that your child is being harassed by a cyberbully?

Listen to an expert giving advice about bullying. Click on the image to watch the video and take notes of the answers she gives to the following questions:

1. What is bullying?
2. My child is being bullied, what can I do?
3. My child is being bullied at school, should I report it to the school?
4. My child’s school isn’t taking action against bullies, what should I do?
5. I think my child is being bullied by their teacher, what should I do?
6. My child doesn’t want me to report the bullying to the school, what should I do?
7. Should I confront my child’s bully?
8. Should I confront the parents of my child’s bully?
9. My child has been accused of bullying at school, what should I do?