Improve your school or organisation’s approach to cyberbullying this National Safeguarding Month.
This National Safeguarding month, organisers UK Youth are calling on all organisations that work with young people to Stop what they’re doing, Look at their safeguarding practices, Listen to young people and take action.
At the UK Safer Internet Centre we wanted to provide advice for schools or organisations who want to reflect on how they prevent and respond to cyberbullying.
How you can improve your approach to cyberbullying this National Safeguarding Month
- Read our Cyberbullying Guidance and review what strategies you already have in place and what you could improve.
- Run sessions with young people about cyberbullying using our resources – from storybooks about kindness for 3-7 year olds to our new Crossing the Line toolkit with innovative films for teens.
- Learn how to report cyberbullying on the most popular apps and services and make sure your colleagues are aware of the Professionals Online Safety Helpline.
- Deliver staff training sessions using our free INSET presentation.
- Add something to your website or post on social media about cyberbullying.
- Listen to young people about their experiences and how they think you could better tackle cyberbullying.
Best practices in preventing and responding to cyberbullying
As part of its work in the UK Safer Internet Centre, Childnet has created cyberbullying guidance to support schools to effectively understand, prevent and respond to cyberbullying. The guidance was developed in consultation with experts, schools and young people to provide practical and evidence-based strategies.
Building on Childnet’s previous cyberbullying guidance for schools in 2007, the new guidance reflects the changed landscape of children’s technology use and the growing body of evidence about best practices in preventing and responding to cyberbullying.
The guidance is available at www.childnet.com/cyberbullying-guidance.
The below checklists were created as part of our broader cyberbullying guidance:
Checklist for preventing cyberbullying
- Are the senior leadership team confident and up-to-date in their knowledge of understanding, preventing and responding to cyberbullying?
- How does the school ensure the whole school community is involved in anti-cyberbullying activities, including the creation of related policies?
- Do staff have an understanding of how the children and young people in the school community use technology? Is the school familiar with the devices, sites and apps the community use?
- Do all members of staff understand how to report any incident of online abuse they become aware of? How are students encouraged to report cyberbullying?
- Does the school support anonymous and confidential reporting?
- How does the school support learners who are cyberbullied out of school hours, and in school holidays?
- How is the school providing digital literacy support and opportunities for staff and students?
- How is the school monitoring and measuring the impact of its prevention work?
Read more practical strategies in our Cyberbullying Guidance.
Checklist for responding to cyberbullying
- Do pupils and staff understand the basics of keeping themselves safe online – including privacy settings, reporting, and getting material taken down?
- Are staff familiar with the school’s processes for responding to cyberbullying?
- Are staff and pupils aware of the ways in which the school provides support for people who are bullied? Are people who have been bullied appropriately involved in the decision making and resolution process?
- Do pupils and staff understand which kinds of cyberbullying may be illegal? Do staff know what to do if they suspect cyberbullying activity is illegal?
- Are clear processes and policies in place in relation to searching pupils, confiscating devices and deleting materials?
- What are the consequences for bullying, including cyberbullying in your school? Is the whole school community clear about sanctions?
Read more practical strategies in our Cyberbullying Guidance.