Firstly, guidelines for raising awareness about cyberbullying and skill building are presented for all stakeholders. This is the strongest area of many anti-bullying programs, including typical school strategies.
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Young people need:
- Awareness raising activities to help them understand cyberbullying, its effects, and consequences.
- Technical skills to use technology effectively and to stay safe online or using smartphones.
- Specific skills for various online activities like social networking, blogging, chatting or gaming.
- Principles of netiquette (the same standards of behaviour apply online as they do in real life).
- Knowledge and the confidence to respond effectively to a cyber-attack.
- Information about the risks and benefits of responding to cyber-attacks in different ways (what is likely to happen if they respond assertively, aggressively, passively, emotionally…).
- Opportunities to improve their social skills, level of empathy, moral reasoning, conflict resolution skills and anger management.
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Parents need:
- Information about a safer mobile phone and Internet use, about different modes of electronic communication and how they are used in cyberbullying.
- Knowledge how to help their children determine how they can report a problem, secure privacy settings or block unwanted communication.
- Awareness that even though their children are skilled technically they may not know how to use the technology in safe ways.
- Information on signs of cyberbullying, particularly becoming withdrawn, moody or depressed, upset or angry when online or reading a text, so they can provide support for their children during this time.
- Skills to talk with their children about cyberbullying and not to wait until bullying happens.
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Teachers need:
- Professional training to intervene effectively in cyberbullying situations.
- Understanding of group dynamics and conflict management skills.
- Development of their own digital competences including technology use, cyber-safety, and online etiquette rules.
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Schools need:
- Age appropriate strategies for action and behavioural change when intervening in bullying.
- Support to consistently implement existing strategies.
- Positive discipline, cooperative learning methods, and effective conflict resolution approaches,
- Endorsement of positive uses of technology and anti-cyberbullying interventions.
- Strategies to develop online communication and other social skills, such as digital citizenship.
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