Cyberbullying and verbal bullying sound different. What is said online usually would never be said out loud, especially to the victim's face. There are many contributing factors to this difference, including not being seen while typing takes away some perceived guilt of the bully. The bully may feel like what they are saying or doing is not a big deal. They may not recognize any consequences for their actions. Also, not seeing the damage of your words can also take away from the impact of what is said. When texting, posting on social media, etc., bullies can feel instant gratification from attacking others. These are all important concepts for teens to understand while they use technology. This activity will help them self-discover these ideas.
In this activity, students will illustrate a scenario of cyberbullying and verbal bullying situations and explain why it's easier to choose one over the other. This will also provide a perfect discussion starter for class. Ask students open questions like: would you cut someone in line of the grocery store? The students should all say no. Then ask them why do people in cars cut each other off then? The student usually list reasons like, they can’t see your face, etc. Finally ask them, do these reasons make cyberbullying easier too?
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Student Instructions
You will be creating and analyzing cyberbullying and verbal bullying situations.