Right: An American group of parents, children and other citizens concerned about bullying in all its forms has organised a self-help and lobby group around Widey Court Primary School in the city of Plymouth. The poster at right is produced by the group. Along with most similar organisations, the group advises that children being bullied seek the advice of a responsible adult.Further implications
International research suggests that education is more effective than the threat of legal punishments in preventing cyber bullying.A United States study, conducted by online safety expert and Educational Technology Policy, Research and Outreach Director, Dr. Davina Pruitt-Mentle, found that the number of students describing effective responses to cyber bullying scenarios increased by more than 43 percent after the schools that the students attended introduced an effective education program to counter cyber-bullying.
This increase in student knowledge of how to respond to cyber bullying appeared to be the result of anti cyber bullying programs.
The programs helped students understand that some of their actions - such as telling the cyber bully to stop - may serve to antagonise the cyber bully into continuing their behavior. Students were also taught that deleting the message can remove a source of evidence and a means to track the perpetrator.
Student recognition that they should tell a trusted adult when someone else was being cyber bullied went up 77 percent.
After the training programs, students also recognised the key elements of safe online behaviour, including not giving out personal information. They had been taught the dangers of revealing personal information through online communication.
In some places in the United States, this anti cyber bullying curriculum is taught to children in grades five and six during the school year by specially trained officers in classrooms throughout the country. Students are taught by these officers how to identify cyber bullying and the steps they can take to prevent and to combat it. Students learn to protect their privacy and reach out for help if they - or friends - become victims of cyber bullying. To date, approximately 3,200 officers have been trained to provide the instruction.
The changes in the behaviour and knowledge level of United States students would seem to indicate that such education programs teaching safe Internet behaviour can be highly effective.
It seems unlikely that specially trained officers need to be recruited in Australia to deliver these programs. However, it does seem probable that existing teachers within Australian schools may need specialised training to deliver this sort of program. Funds would then need to be given over to schools to ensure that the training program was effectively delivered in schools. As in the United States, it would also be necessary to regularly survey students to gauge whether students' knowledge and behaviour regarding cyber bullying had changed.
The Australian Government is including education and information measures in its $125.8 million cyber-safety plan announced in May 2008. It is to be hoped that this will include an effective school-based education campaign designed to teach young people who to combat cyber-bullying.