Victoria Clegg – BA (Hons) Graphic Communication Year 2
Cyber bullying campaign in schools
My specialist project will be about cyber bullying within high schools of ages between 11-16-year olds. I found this was the age group most likely to be bullied online or to be involved with bullying.
More than 1 in 3 children have experienced cyber threats online and well over half of young children will not tell their parents or teacher if they are being bullied.
Damaging pictures, hurtful messages can cause cyber bully victims to have low self-esteem and may consider suicide.
A young teenage girl at my daughters school last year took her own life because of online bullying and the way the bullies made her feel. She was a popular, outgoing, clever and pretty young girl who had her whole life ahead of her and no-one including her family knew she was being bullied online until it was too late. I feel quite strongly about this subject and would like to help in anyway I can as this effected quite a few students at my daughters’ school. Could this have been prevented?
My aims and intentions for the project is to help this age group understand the harm and effects bullying online causes, I want to make sure each and every student knows what to do and who to turn to if they know or are in fact themselves being bullied.
I want to establish how often cyber bullying happens in schools and what social media sites this age group uses the most and how often.
Do we need to set higher age limits for these social sites?
I would like to try figure out why children do not report online bullying to anyone or why students that are aware bullying is taking place do not report it either. What’s stopping them? Are they afraid of becoming known as a ‘grass’?
I’d like to find out how many high school children have had a negative experience or been bullied online and if any have lied about it.
Also, to try and educate them on how bullying online can have devastating effects on people and their families.
And finally make them aware of the sites that are rated the worse for cyber bullying and if any of them are signed up to these.
Areas for consideration
- What are their opinions on cyber bullying?
- Do they think enough is being done to prevent bullying online?
- Why they will not seek help?
- What they think causes people to bully online?
- Types of cyber bullying?
- Services and help available in schools?
- Are teachers aware of the signs
- Why is online bullying not reported enough?
- Do they know someone right now that’s being bullied or that is bullying?
- I will discuss services and groups available to students
I will mainly be targeting secondary school students aged 11-16 years and their teachers. I am also hoping the students’ parents will be happy to take part or be involved in the campaign to stop online bullying.
I want by the end of the campaign for children to feel confident enough to report these issues and to not feel intimidated or unsure about asking for help or ‘grassing’ someone up.
I think having a teenager daughter gives me quite an advantage for my campaign as I’m aware of the current online bullying issues at her school through her and her friends.
SWOT Analysis
Strength –
1-Raise awareness of cyber bullying and help children have a better understanding about bullying issues
2-Helping students know their rights and what services are available when being bullied.
Weakness:
1-Unaware how serious a bully issue can affect them and their families.
2-Denying there’s an issue.
Opportunity:
1-To raise awareness and help students know more on their rights.
2-To provide parents/teachers and students more information and train them about what to do in these situations.
Threats:
1-Children denying bullying occurs or fear of speaking up.
2-Parents not accepting their child is a bully
So firstly, id want to visit some schools and set up workshops for any children that want to come along and talk about the issues, this will gain me more knowledge to start my campaign design.
I intend to produce a campaign that is available to download in schools which amongst other things will have leaflets in with all the help, services and support groups available in schools and online, these will be available on small cards easy enough to fit in a blazer pocket.
It will have posters included with the signs and symptoms to watch out for and who to report cyber bullies if it occurs.
For this project I hope to gain more knowledge of cyber bullying, what causes someone to bully?
They will know signs and symptoms of someone who is being bullied
I’d like to get more people coming forward when bullying occurs
I would like them to know who and where to go if it happens
I want to make services and help more accessible
I want them to be confident enough to tell a parent or teacher
Are there enough support groups and services available in schools?
Design a downloadable pdf cyber bullying pack/Campaign for all schools.
Design a leaflet with information for parents on how they can seek help and support for their child.
Victoria Clegg 