Online Safety
Module 3: Cyberbullying
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Cyberbullying is a form of bullying or harassment using electronic means. It has become increasingly common, especially among teenagers. Harmful bullying behavior can include posting rumors, threats, sexual remarks, a victims' personal information, or pejorative labels. Cyberbullying may be more harmful than traditional bullying.
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3.1 Different types of (cyber)bullying
Cyberbullying is the intent to offend, threaten, block or harass others by using technical devices such as the internet and mobile phones. The perpetrator - also called "bully" - is seeking a victim who cannot defend himself against the attacks. Cyberbullying takes place on the internet and via smartphones. Often, the bully is anonymous, so the victim does not know from whom exactly the attacks are coming. Cyberbullying among children and adolescents, however, is often associated with the personal “offline” environment, such as the school, the residential district, the village or the ethnic community. Hence, the victims are usually suspicious about who is behind the threats.
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3.2 How does the internet change bullying?
What is special about cyberbullying? Cyberbullying differs from offline bullying in some important aspects:
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3.3 Developing social and emotional learning skills
ENABLE (European Network Against Bullying in Learning and Leisure Environments) aims to tackle bullying in a holistic way, helping young people exercise their fundamental rights in the home, school, class and community (i.e. peer group).
The project aims to develop social and emotional learning skills as a means of building resilience in young people so that they can better understand and become more responsible and effective in their on- and offline social interactions. |
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3.4 How to set up an effective peer-support scheme
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How prevalent is bullying in schools? What makes an effective anti-bullying programme? What is the evidence for social and emotional learning? To answer these questions and provide an overview of the wealth of work in this area, ENABLE partners have produced a report highlighting key studies, accompanied by a series of data sheets. Download the summary report here.
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3.5 My well-being and yours online
Bullying will not go away if we do nothing! But it can if we do something. It is up to all of us to create and shape the online spaces that we like to spend our time in.
In order to stand up against cyberbullying, the Irish Safer Internet Centre (Webwise) launched the awareness-raising initiative Watch Your Space, targeting teenagers. For Safer Internet Day 2017, the Web We Want and ENABLE projects have joined forces against bullying and launched a new resource for children and young people: |
ENABLE (European Network Against Bullying in Learning and Leisure Environments) aims to tackle bullying in a holistic way, helping young people exercise their fundamental rights in the home, school, class and community.
The project aims to develop social and emotional learning skills as a means of building resilience in young people so that they can better understand and become more responsible and effective for their on- and offline social interactions. |
Additional resources
Module 3 Quiz