Print Sheet
This module aims to highlight the effects of harassment online or by text message on the recipient of the message and to outline the appropriate coping strategies. It aims to foster a sense of care and respect for others online and by mobile phone.
Learning Outcomes:
When they have finished this module, your pupils will be able to:
- Outline appropriate strategies for coping with online harassment and bullying
- Demonstrate appropriate care and respect for others in their online interactions
Curriculum Links:
SPHE:
Myself:
- Safety and protection - Personal safety
identify people, places and situations that may threaten personal safety
realising how and when to get help
- Making Decisions
recognise and explore the risks and the consequences of making a particular decision
learn and begin to devise a simple decision-making strategy
recognise and explore how the views, opinions, expectations and responses of others can influence personal decisions or actions
Myself and others:
- My friends and other people
begin to cope with disharmony in, or loss of, friendships
practise and recognise the importance of care and consideration, courtesy and good manners when interacting with others
recognise, discuss and understand bullying
explore and examine ways of dealing with bullying
- Relating to others: Communicating; Resolving Conflict
identify and discuss various responses to conflict situations and decide on and practise those that are the most appropriate or acceptable
Myself and the wider world:
- Media education
explore the different ways in which information can be transmitted and learn to be discerning and selective about this information, with particular regard to language, behaviour, authenticity and attitudes
Stay Safe Programme
The Stay Safe programme is a personal safety skills programme for primary schools. Stay Safe is a mandatory resource and must be used within the context of the SPHE curriculum to cover relevant content objectives.
Topic 1. Feeling Safe and Unsafe
Topic 2. Friendship and Bullying
Topic 4. Secrets and Telling
Cross Curricular Links:
Language: English
Oral Language
Element:
- Developing communicative relationships through language:
Outcomes:
- Engagement, listening and attention
- Social Conventions and awareness of others
Element:
- Understanding the content and structure of language:
Outcomes:
- Acquisition and use of oral vocabulary
- Demonstration of understanding
Element:
- Exploring and using language
Outcomes:
- Information giving, explanation and justification
- Description, prediction and reflection
Reading
Element:
- Understanding the content and structure of language
Outcomes:
Element:
- Exploring and using language
Outcomes:
- Purpose, genre and voice
- Comprehension
Writing
Element:
- Understanding the content and structure of language
Outcomes:
- Conventions of print and sentence structure
- Vocabulary
Element:
- Exploring and using language
Outcomes:
- Purpose, genre and voice
- Responses and author’s intent
Teachers' Notes: Bullying is not a new phenomenon. However, the ways in which it happens is changing. Technologies are being used by young people in a number of negative ways to annoy, harass and intimidate others. Depending on the context, these behaviours can be considered anywhere on a spectrum from relatively harmless to very damaging. According to the Anti-Bullying Procedures a once-off offensive or hurtful message, image or statement posted on a public online forum where that content can be viewed and/or shared by other people is considered as bullying behaviour. In contrast a once-off offensive or hurtful text message or other private communication offline does not fall within the Procedures' definition of bullying. Many pupils struggle to admit if they have been bullied when the word bully is used. However, pupils will admit if they have felt excluded online or something has upset them. The language around bullying can cause issues in identifying cases.
Activity: What is Cyberbullying? Lets watch a video
This activity introduces pupils to the topic of cyberbullying and promotes respectful communication online.
Resources Needed:
- Computer connected to the projector/whiteboard
- Computer lab or class set of devices for pupils if available
Duration: 10 minutes
Step 1: Introduce the topic of this activity to pupils, telling them that they are going to look at respectful online communication.
Step 2: Play the ‘What is cyberbullying?’ video for pupils. Ask pupils to listen for the first time hearing it. Then play again for pupils asking them to really listen to advice given. Before playing the video a second time, ask pupils prompt questions to help them listen directly for the safety tips, such as:
- Why was Archie upset?
- What is a cyberbully?
- What can you do if someone is being mean online?
- What advice does Ruby give Archie on how to deal with a cyberbully?
- What made Archie feel better?
Key Vocabulary
- Cyberbullying
- Intimidation
- Humiliation
- Harass
- Exclude
- Respect
- Tension
- Evidence
- Troll
Step 3: Continue to activity 2 to check your pupils understanding after viewing this video.
NOTE: Subtitles are available for each video - simply click the cc button on the right corner of the video. Lyrics sheets can be accessed by clicking the Print sheets button above.
Activity: Cyber bullying - Types of Online Harassment
Embedding Digital Technologies
Schools with access to digital devices (e.g. tablets, laptops, phone) can capture pupils responses on relevant discussion activities using a variety of web-based tools e.g Padlet, Mentimeter, etc. Students could also use devices/cameras to record their discussions.
Duration: 5 minutes
Resources Needed:
- Computer connected to projector 30 minutes
- Computer lab or class set of devices for pupils if available
Key Questions:
- What is cyberbullying?
- Why is this an example of cyberbullying?
- How is cyberbullying the same as bullying?
- How does cyberbullying hurt a person?
Key Vocabulary:
- Cyberbullying
- Harassment
- Embarrassment
- Impersonation
- Exclusion
- Intimidation
- Troll
Pre-teaching of key vocabulary is recommended as some pupils may not understand these words fully.
Step 1: Recap on previous lessons on bullying. Through the process of questioning and provoking a discussion the pupils will be able to explore the issue of cyberbullying and suggest what to do if one is being bullied or cyberbullied.
Step 2: Discuss the following with the pupils. Group, pair, or whole class methodologies can be used here.
- What is cyberbullying?
- Can you think of any examples of cyberbullying?
- How does cyberbullying hurt a person?
Activity: Cyberbullying: Types of Online Harassment - Matching Activity
Resources Needed:
- Computer connected to projector
- Computer lab or class set of devices for pupils if available
Duration: 10 minutes
Step 1: Instruct pupils to match the different types of online harassment with the descriptions. Pupils may complete this individually on their devices or as a class on the whiteboard if a class set of devices is not available.
Different types of online harassment:
- Personal Intimidation – This behaviour includes receiving threatening text messages, posting abusive and threatening comments on the victim’s profile or other websites, or sending threatening messages via messaging apps or on social media.
- Impersonation – This behaviour involves setting up fake profiles and web pages that are attributed to the victim and it can also involve gaining access to someone’s profile or instant messaging account and using it to contact others while impersonating the account or profile owner.
- Exclusion – This behaviour involves blocking an individual from a popular group or community such as a school or class group in WhatsApp, deleting them from friendship lists, and/or using ‘ignore functions’.
- Personal Humiliation – This behaviour involves posting images or videos intended to embarrass someone. It can involve users sharing and posting images or videos of victims being abused or humiliated offline, or users sharing personal communications such as emails or text messages with a wider audience than was intended by the sender.
- False Reporting – This behaviour involves making false reports to the service provider or reporting other users for a range of behaviours with a view to having the user’s account or website deleted.
Step 2: Through open-ended sentences the pupils examine ways of dealing with bullying and cyberbullying. The pupils need to know who to confide in, how to tell, when to tell and how to get help. For example:
- If I was being cyberbullied I would…
- If my friend was being cyberbullied I would…
Activity: Archie and Ruby's Top Tips for How to Deal with Cyberbullying - Discussion Time
Resources Needed:
- Computer connected to the projector
- Class set of devices if available
- Poster making materials - paper, colours, markers, etc
Duration: 20 minutes
Step 1: Read through the key advice for dealing with cyberbullying. Again, pupils may complete this individually on their devices or as a class on the whiteboard if a class set of devices is not available. The pupils are asked to explain the advice and coping strategies and take note of them.
- Don’t Reply
- Keep the Message
- Block the Sender
- Tell someone you Trust
- Report Problems.
Step 2: Ask the pupils to rank these 5 items in terms of importance, 1–5, and discuss their reasoning. This can be done in their copies. They could then show this to their parents at home. This might give parents the opportunity to show their child how to save a message or block a sender.
Key Advice for Children:
- Don’t reply to messages that harass or annoy you – Even though you may really want to, this is exactly what the sender wants. They want to know that they’ve got you worried and upset. If you respond with an even nastier message it makes them think that they really got to you, and that’s just what they want. They might even complain about you!
- Keep the message – You don’t have to read it, but keep it. If you keep getting messages that upset you, you will need to have evidence in order to get help. Website owners, mobile phone companies and the Gardaí will all look for evidence before they will be able to take any action to help you.
- Block the sender – You don’t need to put up with someone harassing you. If you are getting messages that upset you, you can block the person simply by clicking the block button. On some mobile phones you can block a caller’s number.
- Tell someone you trust – Talking to your parents, friends, or someone you trust is usually the first step in dealing with any issue. In the case of school-related bullying messages you should also talk to a teacher you trust or a guidance counsellor. If you need to speak to someone straight away you can also call Childline on 1800 66 66 66. Childline also offers a text support service (text ‘Talk’ to 50101) and an online chat service on https://www.childline.ie/ to help support young people.
Step 3: Instruct pupils to design a poster for Archie and Ruby's Top Tips for How to Deal with Cyberbullying - include a symbol for each of the 5 tips!
Activity: Teacher Demonstration - How to Take a Screenshot on your PC, Phone or Tablet.
Resources Needed:
- Computer connected to the projector
- Class set of devices if available
Duration: 5 minutes
Step 1: Demonstrate for pupils how to take a screenshot on their pc, phone or tablet.
How to Take a Screenshot on your PC, Phone or Tablet Teachers
Note: Taking a screenshot is an important skill for young people and parents to have. This will show you how to Screenshot an image on your mobile phone, computer and tablet. Screenshots are essential for recording evidence of cyberbullying.
It must be acknowledged that screenshots can be used to instigate bullying, as they allow the taker of the screenshot to copy incriminating photos and messages. However, in order for a young person to be prepared to handle cyberbullying situations, it is crucial that he/she knows how to record evidence of cyberbullying through taking screenshots.
Link to article on Webwise website on ‘How to Take a Screenshot on your PC, Phone or Tablet’.
Follow through the steps with the pupils. When complete tell the pupils ‘Now it’s your turn! Take a screenshot of this page and save it to you gallery/photos folder on your device.’
Activity: Role Play ‘Cyberbullying Situations’
Teachers' Notes: 3rd and 4th Class only.
Cyberbullying is another type of bullying. Dealing with and reacting to bullying will have been covered all the way through the child’s learning in the primary school discreetly in the SPHE lessons but also in a positive whole school climate and an active anti-bullying policy.
STAY SAFE PROGRAMME:
The Stay Safe Programme contains a module on the area of Bullying in primary schools. This can be a useful time for the pupils to recap on this knowledge.
This activity is designed to give pupils the knowledge and skills to be aware of cyberbullying when it occurs. It also uses role play to enable the pupils to practice how they should approach cyberbullying in terms of how it is making them feel. The role play activity also gives pupils a forum to practice their assertive skills in a relaxed atmosphere.
MySelfie and the Wider World
MySelfie and the Wider World is an SPHE resource intended to engage 5th and 6th class pupils on the topic of cyber bullying. A series of short animations are the centrepiece of the resource. This five-lesson resource helps pupils develop the skills and understanding to be responsible, socially conscious and effective internet users, as they explore social networks for the first time.
Embedding Digital Technologies
Schools with access to digital devices (e.g. tablets, laptops, phone) can capture pupils responses on relevant discussion activities using a variety of web-based tools e.g Padlet, Mentimeter, etc. It would also be worthwhile asking pupils to take a screenshot of relevant tasks completed and save this in a shared folder so that you, the teacher can check if they are able to do it.
Duration: 30 minutes
Resources Needed:
- Paper
- Writing tools
- Stay Safe teacher's’ manual-available online
Step 1: Ask the children about bullying. What is it? Write their definitions on the board. Explain that for this activity, the pupils will be focusing on cyberbullying. Remind them of the previous learning in 1st and 2nd class. Discuss the different types of cyberbullying and how they can manifest themselves. It is important that the pupils can define what cyberbullying is and that he/she knows that a once-off offensive or abusive post on a public forum or social networking service is considered to be bullying.
Step 2: In pairs, ask the pupils to write down a cyberbullying situation on a piece of paper. Encourage the pupils to talk in general terms and avoid discussing specific instances or other pupils. Some pupils may need help with thinking of different situations. Remind them of the examples of online harassment in this section. Discuss ways to handle the situations without fighting. Some safety strategies are:
- Say 'no' and mean it in an assertive way.
- Remind yourself that you deserve to be happy and not bullied.
- Get away and tell an adult you trust in private.
- The pupils may have their own strategies and these need to be encouraged and listened to. But, the core principles of assertiveness, action and confiding in someone have to be reinforced by the teacher.
Step 3: Again, in their pairs, ask them to pick one of their role play situations and reenact it using positive and assertive safety techniques. It may be better for the teacher to walk around from group to group and observe and give advice. If pupils are given the chance to ‘act out’ bullying, some can end up being focused on performance as opposed to practicing the safety techniques. Emphasis should be on practicing safety techniques.
Print Sheet
Activity: Anti-Cyberbullying Rap 'I Like It' - Let's watch a video
Duration: 5 minutes
Resources Needed:
- Computer connected to projector
- Computer lab or class set of devices for pupils if available ‘I Like It’ lyrics handout
Step 1: Recap on previous activity on cyberbullying and golden rules of chatting online and dealing with cyberbullies. Explain that this activity continues to explore cyberbullying and key advice for dealing with cyberbullies through a rap.
Step 2: Play ‘I like it’ video for pupils. Ask pupils to listen for the first time hearing it. Then play again for pupils asking them to really listen to advice given on how to stay safe online.
Step 3: Continue onto the activities 9-11 and complete the Check Your Understanding activities based on this rap.
Print Sheet
Activity: 'I Like It' Check Your Understanding - Matching Activity A
Duration: 5 minutes
Resources Needed:
- Computer connected to projector
- Computer lab or class set of devices for pupils if available I like It Check Your understanding Activity sheet A and B
Step 1: Instruct pupils to complete the Check Your Understanding activities based on the song. If access to a class set of devices or a computer lab is possible pupils can complete this individually or alternatively, if this is not possible, you can print worksheet versions of the activities for pupils to complete.
Step 2: Move onto Activity 10 to complete the Check your understanding Part B.
Activity: 'I Like It': Check Your Understanding - Matching Activity B
Duration: 5 minutes
Resources Needed:
- Computer connected to projector
- Computer lab or class set of devices for pupils if available I like It Check Your understanding Activity sheet A and B
Step 1: Instruct pupils to complete the Check Your Understanding activities based on the song. If access to a class set of devices or a computer lab is possible pupils can complete this individually or alternatively, if this is not possible, you can print worksheet versions of the activities for pupils to complete.
Step 2: Move onto Activity 10 to complete the Check your understanding Part C.
Activity: 'I Like It': Check Your Understanding - Matching Activity
Duration: 5 minutes
Resources Needed:
- Computer connected to projector
- Computer lab or class set of devices for pupils if available I like It Check Your understanding Activity sheet C
Step 1: Instruct pupils to complete the Check Your Understanding activities based on the song. If access to a class set of devices or a computer lab is possible pupils can complete this individually or alternatively, if this is not possible, you can print worksheet versions of the activities for pupils to complete.
