Publish at March 27 2024 Updated March 27 2024
Bullying is nothing new. Unfortunately, it has always taken place in all social environments, and particularly at school. Few people can say they have never been the target, witness or instigator of school bullying. Today, however, it's making more headlines because we're increasingly aware of the deleterious effects on children. Especially since the phenomenon has become more pronounced in the virtual world, which makes it easier to remain anonymous.
In September 2023, the United Nations painted a bleak picture of the issue of cyberbullying. According to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, nearly 130 million students between 13 and 15 worldwide are affected, which corresponds to one child in 3. Philip Jaffé, a member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, summed up cyberbullying as follows:
Cyberbullying includes flaming (insults and arguments online with someone), harassment (repetitive and offensive messages sent to a target), exclusion (blocking someone from friends lists), cyberharassment (using electronic communication to stalk another person by sending repeated threatening messages). It should be added that [...] cyberbullying usually takes place at a distance and anonymously.
This makes the situation more complicated to manage. It's easier to reprimand bullies who behave badly on school premises than those who do so anonymously online. It's much more difficult to target those youngsters who hide behind pseudonyms. All the more so since a study conducted by McAfee, which surveyed teenagers worldwide , showed that 53% of them admitted to having insulted or taunted another person without identifying this behavior as cyberstalking.
So, while school bullying in the past often stopped at the threshold of the victim's home, the victim is no longer even safe at home. Their computer and phone can become the new doorway to mockery, false rumors and, in some cases, even compromising photos online. This puts a considerable strain on the mental health of young people, for whom periods of respite are rare or non-existent.
But are social networks to blame? Many sociologists find it difficult to point to social networks as the reason for the presence of harassment. Instead, they argue that virtual space facilitates this type of violence, which has always existed.
What is fascinating, however, sociologically, is the great paradox of the younger generations, who tend to denounce racist, homophobic, grossophobic and other insults, while at the same time being among those on the Internet who make the most use of such comments.
For some sociologists, this can be explained by the fact that these generations have experienced a very dichotomous worldview (good versus evil), with a palette of emotions far less varied than others, where half-measures are less common. The covid-19 pandemic may also have contributed to some people's diminishing sense of empathy, replaced by rigid thinking that leaves no room for what others experience or feel.
Gender norms remain strongly entrenched in the school environment. Girls will be attacked by others as soon as they seem to take a little liberty with their dress, behavior and so on, whereas boys will be attacked if they dare to show more sensitive aspects of their personality. The whole notion of reputation plays a big part in harassment in general: male students with a bad reputation will be favored, which will not be the case for their female peers.
Are adults really in a position to teach lessons? One only has to look at the often deplorable level of discussion on the networks offered by people of legal age to realize that insults and threats arise after just a few exchanges. If even parents can't behave properly online, why should their children?
The issue of cyberstalking is therefore becoming increasingly visible, as its effects are tangible in the lives of victims. In the long term, we know that people can develop major problems of mental equilibrium, substance abuse and, in some cases, even suicide.
As recently as 2023, two teenagers in France took their own lives after being harassed at school and online, to the extent that the French government has decided to take a tougher legal stance on harassment cases, with automatic judicial assessment, banning from networks, confiscation of phone, compulsory citizenship training and, in the case of death by suicide, the harasser could receive a 10-year prison sentence.
These types of legal consequences (criminal and civil) are also present in Canada, as this article reminds us. But victims still need to dare to lodge a complaint. The city of Trois-Rivières, Quebec, has developed an "anti-troll" kit for high school students. Various resources are available for creating a warning to harassers, knowing when to lodge a complaint or resorting to citizen mediation. Launched in 2022, the kit is expected to offer an elementary school version in 2024. Eventually, it is intended to be accessible and usable by all police forces.
Before we get to the point of legalizing the phenomenon, perhaps we need to prevent potential intimidation. This requires media education, both from parents, who must instill safe and polite online behavior, and from schools, which must also remind students of all the concepts surrounding cyberbullying and its effects.
The development of empathy also seems to be at the heart of solutions to reduce the risk of harassment and raise awareness among students of the theme of difference, among others.
Photo: HayDmitry / DepositPhotos
References
Alarie, Marie-Eve B. "Cyberbullying: a little anti-troll kit for elementary school students." L'Hebdo Journal. Last updated: May 19, 2023. https://www.lhebdojournal.com/actualites/cyberintimidation-une-petit-trousse-anti-troll-pour-les-eleves-du-primaire/.
Coulombe, Martine. "The rise of cyberbullying: between harassment and misogyny." CScience. Last updated: December 13, 2023. https://www.cscience.ca/la-montee-de-la-cyberintimidation-entre-harcelement-et-misogynie/.
"Cyberbullying among young people, any legal consequences?" JuriGo.ca. Accessed March 22, 2024. https://jurigo.ca/consequences-cyberintimidation/.
"Cyberbullying vs bullying: A parent's guide." mr.arthur. Last updated April 7, 2023. https://mrarthur.io/cyberintidmidation-vs-intimidation-un-guide-pour-les-parents/.
"Strong measures to put an end to cyberbullying." Radio-Canada. Last updated: October 2, 2023. https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2014412/cyberintimidation-harcelement-france-quebec-ecole.
Emptaz, Elvire. "Fighting for tolerance but championing cyberbullying: the great paradox of Generation Z." Madame Figaro. Last updated: September 23, 2023. https://madame.lefigaro.fr/societe/actu/lutte-pour-la-tolerance-mais-championne-du-cyberharcelement-le-grand-paradoxe-de-la-gen-z-20230923.
Ireland, Nicole. "Statistics Canada Report | One in four teens is a victim of cyberbullying." La Presse. Last updated: September 20, 2023. https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/2023-09-20/rapport-de-statistique-canada/un-adolescent-sur-quatre-est-victime-de-cyberharcelement.php.
Jnina, Zaina. "One in three children affected by cyberbullying worldwide." Hespress Français. Last updated: September 30, 2023. https://fr.hespress.com/332554-un-enfant-sur-trois-touche-par-la-cyberintimidation-a-lechelle-mondiale.html.
"The Anti-Troll Kit." Official website of the city of Trois-Rivières. Last updated: March 21, 2024. https://www.v3r.net/services-a-la-population/securite-du-public/police/anti-troll#consulter-la-trousse.
"Is cyberbullying the fault of social networks?" Parentalité Et Numérique - Territoires Numériques Éducatifs. Last updated: April 5, 2023. https://tne.trousseaprojets.fr/professionnel-education-nationale/idees-recues-sur-le-numerique/fiche-outil-10.
"Why is it so difficult to combat school bullying?" France Culture. Last updated: July 6, 2023. https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceculture/podcasts/le-temps-du-debat/pourquoi-est-il-si-difficile-de-combattre-le-harcelement-scolaire-1696258.
"Protect your child from cyberbullying." Public Safety Canada. Last updated: May 19, 2023. https://www.canada.ca/fr/securite-publique-canada/campagnes/cyberintimidation/protegez-votre-enfant-de-la-cyberintimidation.html.
"One in three children victims of cyberbullying worldwide." UN Info. Last updated: September 27, 2023. https://news.un.org/fr/story/2023/09/1139092.
You might also like:
The art of leading a virtual classroom
With the various confinements associated with covid-19, teachers had to learn quickly how to facilitate a remote classroom. Indeed, the challenge is daunting when it is not possible to physically interact with learners. However, with proper preparation and a touch of friendliness, the coldness of a videoconferencing device can be reduced.
Cooking together, a learning experience
The very act of cooking is not always a solitary one. Often, family, friends, colleagues or partners become a more or less experienced kitchen brigade. Cooking together, including children, is a powerful learning activity... and a delicious one.
Finding your place as a multipotential
Professional circles seem to be looking for a lot of specialists at the moment. This leaves multipotential individuals feeling lost, as they want to touch everything and, above all, not be locked into repetitive tasks. Yet their profile could well adapt to a changing world.
Immerse yourself in the past with a phone
More and more, virtual reality technology is being used for cultural tourism. It is now easy to immerse the visitor - even from home - in more or less distant times. A technique that holds a lot of potential to improve history lessons at school.
Travel is good for the young.... but not just any travel
When Montaigne and many others said that "Travel shapes youth", they weren't referring to leisure travel, but rather to more adventurous journeys filled with the unexpected and encounters. What are the ingredients?
