Australian Covert Bullying Prevalence Study (ACBPS)

Australian Covert Bullying Prevalence Study (ACBPS)

This study was commissioned by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) to investigate young people’s experiences with covert bullying. The report aimed to shed new light on covert bullying among school-aged children, with the ultimate goal of identifying feasible, effective and sustainable policy and practice to address this phenomenon.

Data was collected across three separate studies from a total of 20,832 Australian students aged 8 to 14 years from over 200 schools and 456 school staff.

In this study, cyberbullying ‘was defined by young people as cruel covert bullying used primarily by young people to harm others using technology such as: social networking sites, other chat-rooms, mobile phones, websites and web-cameras’. Covert bullying was broadly defined as ‘any form of aggressive behaviour that is repeated, intended to cause harm and characterised by an imbalance of power, and is ‘hidden’, out of sight of, or unacknowledged by adults’.

A vast amount of data was analysed, mostly concerning the prevalence and effects of covert bullying. For the purposes of this abstract, only the results for cyberbullying will be mentioned. It was found that:

·  The vast majority of Year 4 through Year 9 students had not experienced cyberbullying, with only 7-10% of students reporting that they were bullied by means of technology over the previous school term

·  Slightly higher rates of cyberbullying were found among secondary students and students from non-Government schools

·  Cyberbullying appears to be related to age (or access to technology), with older students more likely to engage in cyberbullying than younger students

·  Home cyberbullying is likely to be higher among older students, especially if parents don’t have the knowledge and skills to help their child

·  Students who provided qualitative data suggested that places where older students cyberbully or were cyberbullied include social networking sites such as MSN, MySpace and Bebo, whereas younger students referred more to bullying by sending emails and messages to phones

·  Year 9 students (compared with other year levels) were more likely to have been bullied over the internet, both by someone they had met while on the internet (12%) and by someone whose identity they did not know (17%)

·  Young people reported losing faith in reporting bullying because some teachers and other adults were not taking action or not recognising covert bullying as bullying when they saw it or when it was reported, especially via cyber means

·  Students reported qualitatively they would not tell an adult if they were being or had been cyberbullied for fear of having their computer or mobile phone removed

·  The majority of staff (67%) felt that other teachers at their school needed more training to enhance their skills to deal with a range of issues related to covert bullying, such as dealing with incidents or addressing bullying within the curriculum. Actions and motives underlying covert bullying behaviour need to be understood to know how to intervene and prevent the practice.

The report concluded with dozens of recommendations, including short-term and long-term proposals for national policy and practice. There were also specific recommendations for education systems and schools.

Cross, D., Shaw, T., Hearn, L., Epstein, M., Monks, H., Lester, L., & Thomas, L. (2009). Australian Covert Bullying Prevalence Study. Retrieved June 5, 2009, from The Australian Government. Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Web site: http://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/

Behind the scenes: insights into the human dimension of covert bullying

The main aim of this study was to explore real stories about covert bullying and to look at the impact of covert bullying on ‘those in schools: the students, teachers, parents and principals’.

To measure the effects of covert bullying four phases of research were employed. Phase One involved the digital recording of stories from diverse groups of stakeholders. Phase Two was the construction of a website so that stories could be heard by members of the public and those in school communities. Phase Three was the thematic and narrative analysis of the stories. The final, ongoing phase involves gathering stories online from the global community about covert and cyberbullying. ‘Individuals can lodge their stories which will then be assessed by the project team for inclusion on the cyberbullying stories website’. The project website can be found at: http://www.cyberbullyingstories.org.au

Covert bullying was defined as typically repeated behaviour which is concealed, secret or clandestine, that inflicts psychological or emotional harm through indirect, relational or social means. The term cyberbullying adds to this definition by stating the medium which is employed, via electronic communication devices, such as computers and mobile phones.

It was found that:

·  Covert and cyberbullying had a negative effect on all stakeholders in schooling communities

·  Bullying made people feel isolated, excluded, unsafe, vulnerable, lonely, powerless, and violated, among other descriptions

·  The bullying of children with special needs, including Asperger’s Syndrome, and the parents of these children, ‘has not been given voice before in the bullying literature’

·  Unexpectedly, parents experienced covert bullying within the Australian schooling system

·  Cyberbullying was found to be operating in covert and overt ways

·  The use of technology is enabling the transference and continuation of bullying behaviour from one environment to another, with no clear starting or end point

·  Strategies to educate students regarding the dangers of creating something online that will “live” forever in cyber space, is paramount

A number of practical strategies to combat covert and cyberbullying were detailed for students, parents, teachers, and school communities as a whole.

Twelve key recommendations concluded the report, including:

·  That a national study be conducted to review school anti-bullying policies to examine whether they specifically include covert and cyberbullying

·  That a team or consultative group of young people be convened: to inform school communities, government and policy developers about cyberspace; and to help to develop their own codes of conduct and contracts of acceptable behaviour.

·  That a review of teacher education programs be conducted to audit the extent to which they provide some under-graduate and post-graduate education in relation to bullying generally and covert and cyber bullying in particular

·  That an examination be undertaken in relation to the legal responsibilities of schools and communities in regard to covert and cyber bullying

Spears, B., Slee, P., Owens, L., Johnson, B., & Campbell, A. (2008). Behind the Scenes; Insights into the Human Dimension of Covert Bullying. Retrieved June 6, 2009, from The Australian Government. Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Web site: http://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling

‘Twenty-four seven on the computers’: girls, ICTs and risk

This article explored how girls used and manipulated information technology in their lives. It examined questions of access and of social risk in relation to computers in the home and how these are nuanced by gender. Text samples from advertisements, government websites and interviews with high school girls in Australia were studied.

The researchers noted that online chatting and internet messaging, synchronous communication applications which are often used in tandem, provide opportunities to look at risk and access. Data showed that parents’ views about internet risks for their children were skewed by the gender of their child. Communication with strangers was of concern to more girls’ parents than boys’, and it was also of more concern to girls than boys.

Using excerpts from cyber-safety government websites and online advertisers, this study demonstrated that cyberspace is often presented in a negative, predatory light, particularly for girls. The researchers conclude that it would be better ‘to recognise that cybersites can be productive spaces within which young people, especially girls, might be engaged in their own important work’. Shifting focus from the internet as a predominantly dangerous place, to a creative space, aids in the understanding of ‘how young people use ICTs to maintain and develop friendships and social networks across the limits of time, space and culture’.

Gannon, S. (2008). ‘Twenty-four seven on the computers’: girls, ICTs and risk. Gender and Education, 20(4), 361-373.

Gender and online privacy among teens

This study examined the gender differences in privacy risk perception, the level of privacy concerns, and privacy protection behaviour on the internet. Survey data was collected from 395 students at one public high school in America. Their ages ranged from 14 to 18 years.

Significant gender differences in privacy risk perception were found. Girls perceived more privacy risks and had a higher level of privacy concern than boys. Regarding privacy protection behaviours, boys tended to read unsolicited email and register for web sites. Girls provided inaccurate information as their privacy concerns increased but boys refrained from registering to websites as their concerns increased.

The researchers concluded that there is a necessity to educate girls and boys on privacy issues differently. Higher levels of risk perception and privacy concerns can cause girls to curtail their online activities. Therefore, ‘educators need to inform girls on how to cope with risks associated with information disclosure’.

Youn, S., & Hall, K. (2008). Gender and Online Privacy among Teens: Risk Perception, Privacy Concerns and Protection Behaviours. CyberPsychology & Behaviour, 11(6), 763-765.

Young people and cyberspace

This article discusses the importance of educating young people about the dangers on the internet. ‘This is the first generation to grow up digital – in a world where computers, the internet, video games and mobile phones are ubiquitous. Most of this generation can’t imagine a world that existed without this technology, and they are using Web 2.0 to communicate, collaborate and create with potentially millions of others around the globe’.

Treyvaud says that in speaking with adolescents, they want their parents and teachers to ask how things work, such as MSN, MySpace or YouTube. They also would like their parents and teachers to set rules for their ‘real and online world behaviour, and enforce those rules’. Parents and educators should have an awareness of risk categories, including:

·  Content: what are young people accessing?

·  Contact: who are they making contact with?

·  Commerce: are they purchasing online? What kinds of marketing are they subject to?

Many children who have accessed pornography say they have found it inadvertently. However, few children will tell an adult about a negative online experience for fear that they will be denied access to cyberspace. Therefore internet safety programs ‘need to teach students about the behaviours that put them at risk and that they should avoid, and the warning signs to spot’.

The author concludes by listing a series of dot points that students should know about cyberspace and critical questions that students should ask of media and digital texts. Treyvaud also adds a series of online cyber-safety sites as a resource to parents and educators.

Treyvaud, R. (2008). Journey to the New World: Young People and Cyberspace. Screen Education, 49, 94-99.

Emerging risks of violence in the digital age

‘It is common for the technology skills of youth to surpass their critical thinking and judgment skills’. This study explored the risks and benefits of online interaction among adolescent girls. An online survey design was used to obtain information from a widely dispersed, American population of adolescent girls aged 12 to 18 years old, who were active users of the internet. The number of responses totalled 10,800 girls.

The following results were found for the female participants:

·  92% used a computer at home as their primary access site

·  70% indicated that their parents had discussed online safety with them

·  60% reported experiencing sexually explicit exchanges online

·  45% had revealed personal information to an individual who they had met online

·  61% had received pictures from someone online

·  23% had disseminated pictures of themselves to another person they met in cyberspace

·  As adolescent girls spent an increasing amount of time online, they were more likely to participate in destructive or potentially dangerous acts

·  Teacher training on internet safety had a positive effect in diminishing the potential risk for a girl’s exposure to cyber violence

The researchers concluded that ‘a significant number of adolescent girls were engaging in very risky activities when online and continued potentially problematic offline practices as a result of those online interactions’. However, ‘the survey results highlighted the influence of parents and teachers, whose guidance may assist students in making informed decisions and allow them to demonstrate an ability to apply online critical thinking skills and productive social participation’. Therefore there is a ‘shared responsibility of significant adults in making sure that children have access to and are safely guided through the internet’.

Berson, I., Berson, M., & Ferron, J. (2002). Emerging Risks of Violence in the Digital Age: Lessons for Educators from an Online Study of Adolescent Girls in the United States. Journal of School Violence, 1(2), 51-72.

Internet pornography exposure for youth

Youth exposure to internet pornography was examined in this American study. Exposure before the age of 18 was quantified via an online survey of 563 college students and gender differences were compared.

The results showed that:

·  72% of students had seen online pornography before the age of 18, (93% of boys and 62% of girls)

·  Most exposure began when youth were aged 14 to 17 years

·  Boys were more likely to be exposed to pornography at an earlier age

·  Boys were significantly more likely to view online pornography more often and to view more types of images, including extreme images

·  Considerable numbers of boys and girls had seen images of paraphilic or criminal sexual activity, including child pornography and sexual violence, at least once before the age of 18

·  Girls were significantly more likely than boys (42% of girls and 6% of boys) to report never looking for pornography on purpose, indicating they were involuntarily exposed

·  Both girls and boys described a range of feelings when looking at the pornography, including shock, surprise, guilt and shame and some positive feelings. There was diversity both within and between genders in each student’s response to pornography.

The researchers concluded that young people in the sample had a considerable amount of exposure to internet pornography during their teenage years; ‘this exposure can be described as a normative experience’. However, ‘the degree of exposure to paraphilic and deviant sexual activity before the age of 18 is of particular concern’. It was also noted that much more empirical research needs to be done on the impact of internet pornography exposure on young people.