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Technology Solutions for Cyber Bullying

Fact: Our students and staff are being threatened, humiliated, intimidated and discriminated against through electronic means.
 
Fact: Majority of students are actually threatened by someone they have met.

Fact: Cyber bullying can and does occur all day, both at school and at home.

Fact: Both females and males are bullied and very few students tell anyone that they are being bullied.

Where might students and staff experience cyber-bullying or security threats?

  • Social networks including: YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, mySpace, MSN 
  • Mobile Phones including: SMS/Video/Picture/Text 
  • Email, Chatrooms, Blogs 
  • Internal/External School Portal Folders if there is a security breach 

These Technology Tools can be used to assist with addressing cyber bullying:

  • Internet Filters 
  • Secure Firewalls 
  • Anti-Virus/Malware Protection 
  • Monitoring and Management Reporting 
  • Password Protection 
  • Extension of Filtering and Management at Home for both staff and students 

Each Principal needs to also consider business issues such as:

  • Legal implications related to security breaches 
  • Virus spread 
  • Slow network bandwidth due to unwanted activity 
  • Stolen passwords and illegal access

A Possible Action List for your school for both the Principal and IT:

  1. First review your cyber bullying policy including potential disciplinary action. 
  2. Ensure each student has agreed to follow the rules of acceptable computer/IT use. 
  3. Perform an IT AUDIT of your existing technology – Focus on Security.
  4. Consult with your own Staff and within your school: include a parent, a school counsellor, and a student. 
  5. Review your forth coming School strategic plans. What hardware and software implementations are you planning? Are there potential security problems?

Related reading:

      Stop Cyber-Bullying in its Tracks - Protect Schools and the Workplace Technical Brief
      WatchGuard® Technologies
      Published: January 2011

To find out more about the technologies that help prevent cyber-bullying, talk to one of our Education Specialists.
Call 1300 368 010 or email us to set an appointment.