Children naturally love to share about themselves, and social media provides that platform for each child to express their ideas and share their creations. However, they don’t quite appreciate that by freely sharing their content online, they expose themselves to a lot of anonymous criticism that may not be kind or helpful. 

Learning how not to respond to every comment is something that some adult users of social media are still grappling with. Young children are especially vulnerable in not knowing how to deal with unkind comments online. We cannot prevent instances of cyberbullying, but we can build up our children’s emotional tenacity and help them understand that cyberbullying efforts only affect us if we allow them to. In the video, the young girl asked the anonymous cyberbully, “Who are you anyway?” I think that the question was very poignant; any stranger can pass comments on us, but we choose whether we want to give it the same significance and value as we would to a comment given by someone we know personally. 

I thought that the teacher’s advice of printing out the nasty comments as evidence was very helpful. It gives the child a sense of agency in taking practical steps towards dealing with the issue at hand, rather than harp on the emotional hurt inflicted by the cyberbullying. Thankfully, the teacher was able to take further actions upon reviewing the contents of the comment in the video. Even if it is not possible, I feel that the simple act of printing the comments out with the intention of referring it to an adult for further action to be taken allows me to transfer my energy and focus towards taking action that helps me fight back against cyberbullying. It’s kind of how as adults, making a police report helps us gain a sense of having taken a step towards dealing with a wrongdoing.  

Being digital natives, our students are likely to encounter cyberbullying as they navigate the digital world so it is imperative that we teach them how to react when they encounter it. They need to be taught how to deal with their emotions when they get hurt and upset and know that they are not tackling the problem alone which is what the teacher did in the video.  Preventive measures will definitely help to reduce the problem and Borba’s 6 Rs provides a useful resource for cultivating an anti-bullying classroom environment. I personally believe that the last 3 Rs – Respond, Refuse and Replace are the most effective ways of mitigating bullying. 

Although there may be some signs of bullying that teachers could possibly pick up from observing the students, it can be really challenging especially for beginner teachers such as ourselves when there are so many other things to worry about. To make things more complicated, cyber bullying happens in a realm that teachers have little to no control or supervision over, making it difficult for us to detect. Even our students’ parents may be unaware of what is going on.  So unless our students bring the matter to our attention like what happened in the video, we are often in the dark about how our students are interacting with each other on online platforms or Whatsapp.  Hence, I think that establishing a positive classroom culture where the students feel safe and comfortable enough to confide in their teacher if they are being bullied or if they see their peers being bullied is very important.  If these matters are brought to the teacher’s attention, at least help can be provided before the matter escalates.    

Most schools are taking a proactive approach in dealing with cyberbullying. It is addressed and discussed during FTGP, assembly talks and in the case of Yu Neng Primary School, showcasing it in a form of video. The school adopt a “Stop, Block and Talk” to inform students of coping strategies if they are subjected to cyberbullying. Such messages though rendered useful, may not necessarily be effective in reaching out to especially students who are introverted. Personally, it boils down to the Teacher-Student relationship.

As teachers, we have the power to influence given our direct interaction with students daily. Hence, we need to prioritize building rapport (within professional boundaries) with our students. So that they do not feel isolated and have a significant adult to rely on when in doubt. In the video, the issue was brought to the teacher’s attention only when her friends inform the teacher. I felt that the teacher could have approached Si Ting to understand why she did not hand in her homework. As perhaps through the brief interaction, the issue of her being cyberbullied would have been raised.

Also, for the issue of cyberbullying to be effectively addressed, there is a need for schools to work alongside with parents. Based on a CNA article, it was mentioned that those who were subjected to online bullying did not inform their parents. Even Si Ting did not inform her mother when she was bullied online. The reasons for not telling their parents are mostly due to parents telling them to ignore the problem. Or for some, risk getting their access to technological devices cut off. Here, it is evident that the advice given to their kids are misplaced. Perhaps schools can actively work with parents by providing recommendations on how to proactively intervene by teaching their child social responsibility and phone etiquette.

One of my main concerns lies with the increasing popularity of online gaming platforms. Players are interacting with people from all over the world, and with people of different ages. My concern is that children on these platforms, such as LOL, Maplestory, and Among Us, are often getting bullied by others. I feel that people often get carried away online with their comments as they are able to hide behind their anonymity. They might feel more ‘powerful’ hiding behind their fake profiles/usernames and therefore, do not think twice about their comments. After all, words have the power to both destroy and heal (in this case, destroy). 

I had a student who came to school one day visibly upset and was very reserved throughout lessons that day. I later discovered that he was very upset and hurt over the mean comments he was receiving from people when playing Among Us. Players would kick him out from the room and/or say mean things to him because he wasn’t as good as the other players. This just shows how cyberbullying affects their self-confidence.

As teachers, it is important for us to pick up changes in our students’ behaviour. Furthermore, we need to know how to assist our students and how we can help them deal with the trauma of it. In the video, I noticed that the student was very quick to admit about her cyberbullying experience. While that is ideal, I believe that it would not always be that easy in reality. It would be dependent on the rapport between the student and the teacher. It might take some prying before the student is willing to admit his/her problems. Additionally, I felt that the teacher gave the student good advice on how to handle such situations if they were to occur again.

That being said, the responsibility doesn’t lie on the teacher itself, but also of the school, parents, and students. Schools are taking a more proactive approach in dealing with cyberbullying. The programmes are taken more seriously and are being constantly upgraded/improved. It is important to remind and teach students how to be responsible online and how to walk away from the situation.