NEW ENCOUNTERS? THE CHALLENGES OF CYBERBULLYING

Professor Shauna Van Praagh & Alyssa Wiseman

November 17, 2015 What is Cyberbullying?

"A person is bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself." - Dan Olweus (1993 and before)

-An Act to prevent and stop bullying and violence in schools, 2012

Definition is fairly consistent worldwide—entails three criteria:

(1) Verbal or physical aggression; (2) That is repeated over time; and (3) That involves a power differential. “Sticks and Stones”

“I couldn’t write about online bullying without writing about face-to-face bullying too because Facebook and other social networking sites aren’t a discrete, walled off universe.” (39) - Emily Bazelon, “Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy

Despite wide media attention, cyberbullying is not necessarily more widespread than face-to-face bullying.

Still, cyberbullying presents new concerns...

“Sticks and Stones”

New concerns include:

(1) The Internet makes bullying harder to escape; (2) The Internet allows the perpetrator to bully without having to confront his or her victim; (3) The number of potential witnesses can be exponentially higher; and (4) There is the possibility that comments and images/ videos can go viral.

Also, with undefined boundaries, whose responsibility is it to prevent or “deal” with cyberbullying? “It’s Complicated” danah boyd brings to light problematic tendencies and reactions:

(1) Scapegoating technology: easier to focus on what is tangible rather than broader systemic issues at play; (2) Parental nostalgia: we idealize our childhoods and forget the problem we faced when we were young; (3) “Digital natives”: draws away attention from the problems children face in the digital era

In creating these divides, different stakeholders may absolve themselves of responsibility. Calls to Action ‘The Land’: An Adventure Playground Safe Structures for Play Neither Play Nor Adventure? “Secure Learning Environment”

Bill 56: An Act to prevent and stop bullying and violence in schools (QC)

Amends the Act respecting private education and the Education Act

Imposes obligations on students, educators, administrators and boards “Safe Learning Environment”

ACCEPTING SCHOOLS ACT (ON) “Safe Learning Environment” Private Law CYBER-SAFETY ACT (NS) Private Law Private Law Private Law

CIVIL CODE OF QUEBEC Private Law PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT (ON) Criminal Law PROTECTING CANADIANS FROM ONLINE CRIME ACT (FED) Children at War Facebook Resources Looking to the Future

Given the rapidly changing nature of the technologies involved, the emerging applications which pose new challenges of their own, and that direct parental supervision is much less relevant to children’s online usage, a key priority is to encourage children themselves to be responsible for their own behaviour and safety as much as possible. Fostering participation requires a focus on empowerment rather than restriction of children’s usage (O’Neill, Livingstone, & McLaughlin, 2011), emphasizing responsible behaviour and digital citizenship, treating children as a competent, participatory group encouraging self-governing behaviour. As such, children and young people should be recognized within the context of information society policies as active agents on the internet with a responsibility to promote safer and better practices, as well as rights holders with an expectation of support for online participation.

Brian O’Neill, “e-Society and Children’s Participation: Risk, Opportunities, and Barriers” in eds. Tomayess Issa, Pedro Isaias & Plet Kommers, Information Systems and Technology for Organizations in a Networked Society (2013)

THANK YOU!