Prevention of Cyberbullying Needs to Begin in Schools, Says MARC

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Cyberbullying has become a serious concern for both parents and teachers as more and more young students are now using the internet from home. Although the internet can be a great place for learning and interacting with others, but your kids may also get victimised by bullies online.

So what can you do to protect your child from online bullying? A new study says it is important to teach our children about cyberbullying and how to cope with it.

The MARC Study on Cyberbullying

According to a new study conducted by the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center (MARC), schools, districts and states need to modify the way they address cyberbullying and teach students about its prevention. Anne Collier of The Christian Science Monitor says that this is the first time a study has focused on the elementary school students. She believes that the findings reveal the urgent need for Media Literacy Education and Social-Emotional Learning starting from lower grades.

Education- An Urgent Need

The study by MARC was conducted by surveying over 11,700 students in 3rd, 4th and 5th grades in different schools in New England from 2010 to 2012. It suggests that cyber education should begin much before students reach middle school as they start using various online devices fairly early. Cyberbullying education must teach students about the dynamics regarding online game-playing. Moreover, when young students report problems on email or Facebook, it should be considered as a sign of online risk involvement.

According to data, use of Facebook among 3rd, 4th and 5th graders have increased drastically in last few years. The number of young girls using Facebook increased to 49 per cent in 2012 from just 19 per cent in 2010. The study also shows that use of mobile phones has also increased among students in every grade. It was observed that 22 per cent of 3rd graders and 52 per cent of 5th graders were using mobile phones by the year 2012. Furthermore, the use of smartphones also increased in every grade.

Protecting Your Child from Online Bullying

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The new study on online bullying also revealed that if your child owned a smartphone, then it increased the chances of your child being either a cyberbully or a cyberbullying victim. The survey showed that 18 per cent of 5th graders who owned a smartphone and 12 per cent of those who did not have a smartphone reported to be a cyberbully. On the other hand, 34 per cent of 5th graders who owned a smartphone and 12 per cent of non-owners admitted to being a victim of cyberbullying. The numbers were almost same for 3rd and 4th graders.

Thus if you are planning to buy a smartphone for your elementary school-aged child, you need to seriously consider both the advantages and risks related to your child’s usage, suggests MARC.

Teaching about Cyberbullying

The study found that education on cyberbullying proved to be highly effective in Massachusetts. The number of children who did not understand cyberbullying reduced to 10 per cent in 2012 from 24 per cent in 2010. Victims of online bullying were keener on reporting if they received cyberbullying education, particularly among 5th graders. Students who acted as bullies online said they received little or no education at all.

The Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center (MARC) believes that awareness and education about cyberbullying at the elementary level is imperative for providing better safety to students in schools and can be effectively implemented.

What do you think? Let us know how you will protect your child from being bullied online.