Cyberbullying
Download: Common cybersafety issue - cyberbullying (word 239kb)
This section of the website aims to help teachers to identify and address school-based issues arising as a result of cyberbullying between students. It may also assist teachers who feel they are the victims of cyberbullying from colleagues, parents or students.
What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying is commonly defined as the use of information and communication technologies to support repeated and deliberate hostile behaviour intended to harm others. It is sometimes used as an extension to other forms of bullying, and can result in the target of bullying experiencing social, psychological and academic difficulties.
Children and young people can also be affected by hostile behaviour that does not fit the definition of cyberbullying. For example, a one off insensitive or negative remark or joke online or via text is not cyberbullying by definition. However, the impact can be widespread due to the rapid dissemination and the relative permanency of the message sent. For the purposes of brevity, both cyberbullying and other hostile cyber behaviours will be referred to as cyberbullying for the remainder of this section.