CYBERBULLYING .... WORK IN PROGRESS !!!

Cyberbullying, work in progress!!

Some data about Romania

Podar Adrian, teacher

“Mihai Eminescu” National College,

Oradea, Bihor County, Romania

Cyberbullying, work in progress!!... Yes! According to statistics, it is a reality in the process of constant change and a phenomenon that is constantly amplifying. Here's some information about the situation in the United States[1].

It is noted that the phenomenon of cyberbullying has doubled over a period of 9 years. The average for 2007-2016 is 27.9%. Statistical data was collected by the Center for Cyberbullying Research among high school and high school students on a representative sample. Of the respondents, only 16% agreed that they would behave violently on the internet, with behaviors that could fit into the definition of cyberbullying. It must be: intentionally, repeatedly, targeting the injuries of the other, and occurring through electronic devices[2]. Cyberbullying is related to low self-esteem, suicidal intentions, anger, frustration and a variety of other emotional or psychological problems, we discover from the same sources.

Globally, cyberbullying is more nuanced. A study conducted between 2011 and 2018 shows that there are two poles of this reality: India - reporting 37% and Russia - 1%. From this study, we find that in Romania - data are only for 2018 - parents reported cyberbullying in 11%, which is below the global average, but above Hungary, for example, with a 10 % and below Italy or Poland by 12%.

According to the studies, cyberbullying has always doubled between the periods of time spent studying it: 2002-2007 and 2007-2018. What is worrying, according to statistics, is that little has been done to diminish the phenomenon. Moreover, the manners in which the phenomenon manifested have diversified. The latest situation is identity theft, as is the case of Facebook, which is trying to stop this phenomenon by different platforms. One of these is presented to us as proposed in Italy[3]. The platform is called Fermiamo il bullismo and was developed in collaboration with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. The platform contains downloadable pdfs and indications for those who are victims of violence, for parents and teachers who are bullied, but also for parents and teachers accused of harassment.

   Continuous amplification of the phenomenon of cyberbullying. Years 2004-2018.    

Cyberbullying undermines the full realization of the UN's Sustainable Development Objective 4 - we read on the UNESCO website - on the quality of education. Traditional and online aggression are closely linked, both forbidding equal access to education and acting against safety, non-violent and inclusive learning environments for all children and adolescents.

 The need to involve the national education sector is clear. Evidence from a study shows that 62% of the digital users interviewed did not know or were unsure of how much they could find help when they were assaulted by electronic devices. Based on the evidence available, participants gathered in London to develop the new campaign to combat cyberbullying agreed that the focus should be on children and young people. However, there is also a major opportunity to increase the commitment and support of adults, including parents, teachers, school administrators, youth leaders, coaches, health professionals and others.

The call to a global campaign to tackle this issue was first announced in the International Symposium School Violence and Harassment. It was co-organized by UNESCO and the Institute for the Prevention of School Violence at Ewha Womens University in Seoul in January 2017, where the UNESCO Report on the Global Situation of School Violence and Harassment was published. The Cyberbullying Global Campaign, supported by No Bully, wishes to engage in creative collaborations, decentralized actions, and provide adaptable messages and materials, as well as provide clear guidance to help change transformation. The participants who participated in the London meeting came from around the world and included social representatives and other industry representatives, researchers, civil society partners, young people, representatives of the Ministry of Education and UNESCO. This initiative could be closely linked to the UNESCO program on combating school violence and harassment as part of efforts to protect the health and well-being of young people against online aggression. The campaign is under development.

Romania's policy to manage cyberbullying or aggression in the virtual environment is uncertain. The site politiaromană.ro[4] talks about this and makes recommendations[5]. The reality is, as we find out in the press, a sad one. Romania has gradually become the country with the most frequent acts of aggression in the virtual environment[6]. The survey dates back to 2011. The helpline sigur.info reported 218 cyberbullying acts, out of a total of 650; exactly one-third. We are in 2017 – said the IlikeIT show presenter back then – at school, we would rather sing and draw instead of learning the right behavior in front of the TV or computer[7]. Cyberbullying is a major problem favored by a weak legislative framework, comments Iulia-Laura Dobre, Elena Enăchescu[8]. There is no cyberbullying legislation in Romania, but in the New Penal Code, from February 1, 2014, harassment has a wider meaning (unlike the old code, which mentioned only sexual harassment), cyberbullying as harassment and punishment as such. The Law on Harassment is part of Chapter VI ("Offenses against Freedom of Persons") of the New Penal Code.

  Percentages of cyberbullying in Romania.

According to statistics, by gender, the victims of cyberbullying are 16.60% boys and 25.10% girls. 70% of children and young people were at one time or another of their lives victims of aggression in the virtual context. 37% experienced it very often, 20% - daily. The phenomenon occurred either on the computer or on the mobile phone.

 Society, microclimate - family - and macro-climate - as a whole - adapt to the digital world by promoting face-to-face communication. Parents are helpful when encouraging children to give up digital devices in social situations and interact with their peers through play[9]. To increase trust in the educational institution, students should be perceived as educational partners[10].

Violence in the virtual environment can be prevented and diminished by democratizing education. This happens through parents' participation in school life[11]. School is invited to open up to the community and its needs by increasing its visibility and transparency of pedagogical processes for its beneficiaries. We therefore propose an extension of school-family collaboration, since cyberbullying is a reflection of the aggressive way of networking in society[12].

 At an international level, UNESCO has taken several steps[13]. Implementation of international policies at local level can lead to training for both teachers and students. As a school, how do we admire this phenomenon? We consider it appropriate to develop, for example, an optional integrated school subject, covering relevant topics in this field.

Instead of a conclusion, we intend to promote two ideas[14]. The first is an educational project titled "BLOCKaggression!". It ran from the 9 October to the 9 December 2018 and was addressed to primary, lower and upper secondary school teachers. In order to reduce and combat the phenomenon of cyberbullying, the Net Hour team provides teachers with a resource pack containing both a series of videos that address this topic and plans for 3 lessons that can be implemented in class with students. The campaign ended in December 9, 2018, and teachers were invited to follow the procedure outlined in the initiative's guidelines to receive certificates in an exclusively electronic format attesting their involvement. More information about the initiative can be found at www.oradenet.ro/block-agresivitatii, and the registration of volunteers is available at www.oradenet.ro/fii-voluntar.

The second proposal is the #NoHateredOntheNet, launched by the same the Net Hour. This is an extension that can be installed in Chrome on any computer. Once downloaded, it installs easily with the role of detecting aggressive or injurious words on any website accessed with the Google Chrome web browser, including social networking chats, and overwriting negative words with educational, respect and tolerance.

An important feature of the #NoHateredOntheNet is that when children encounter overwritten words or phrases, they will be redirected to the oradenet.ro website where, on a page dedicated to combating cyberbullying, they will find important information about the way they can react and combat the harmful effects of this phenomenon. These include: caution about providing pictures and personal data; avoiding replies to aggressors, which will be perceived as an encouragement to continue bullying; the announcement of parents or teachers, if aggression occurs in school.

  Bibliography

Online sources

https://www.comparitech.com/internet-providers/cyberbullying-statistics

http://conta.ase.ro/Media/Default/Page/7%20Dobre.pdf

https://cyberbullying.org/summary-of-our-cyberbullying-research

http://www.laparoladigitale.it/2017/08/la-guida-definitiva-al-cyberbullismo

https://www.mamamo.it/educazione-digitale/cyberbullismo/facebook-instagram-bullismo

https://www.mediafax.ro/social/romania-pe-primul-loc-in-europa-la-hartuirea-pe-internet-care-sunt-cele-mai-intalnite-probleme-online-8900633

https://oradenet.salvaticopiii.ro

https://www.politiaromana.ro/ro/stiri-si-media/stiri/nu-ignorati-semnele-cyber-bullying-ului

https://stirileprotv.ro/ilikeit/smart-things/ilikeit-ce-trebuie-c-tim-despre-cyberbullying-fenomenul-care-afecteaza-grav-copiii-c-i-adolescenc-ii.html

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/news/a_new_global_campaign_to_address_cyberbullying

Other resources

Benga Oana, Băban Adriana, Opre Adrian, coord.

Strategii de prevenție a problemelor de comportament, Cluj-Napoca, Editura ASCR, 2015

Blândul Valentin Cosmin - Psihopedagogia comportamentului deviant, București, Editura Aramis, 2012

Neamțu Cristina - Devianța școlară. Ghid de intervenție în cazul problemelor de comportament ale elevilor, Iași, Polirom, 2003

Whitson Signe - Fenomenul de bullying: 8 strategii pentru a-i pune capăt, București, Editura Herald, 2017

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[1] https://cyberbullying.org/summary-of-our-cyberbullying-research. Consultat 31 oct. 2018.

[2] Oana Benga, Adriana Băban, Adrian Opre, coord., Strategii de prevenție a problemelor de comportament, Cluj-Napoca, Editura ASCR, 2015, p. 20.

[3] https://www.mamamo.it/educazione-digitale/cyberbullismo/facebook-instagram-bullismo/. Consultat 31 oct. 2018.

[4] Romanian Police internet site.

[5] https://www.politiaromana.ro/ro/stiri-si-media/stiri/nu-ignorati-semnele-cyber-bullying-ului. Consultat 31 oct. 2018.

[6] https://www.mediafax.ro/social/romania-pe-primul-loc-in-europa-la-hartuirea-pe-internet-care-sunt-cele-mai-intalnite-probleme-online-8900633. Consultat 31 oct. 2018.

[7] https://stirileprotv.ro/ilikeit/smart-things/ilikeit-ce-trebuie-c-tim-despre-cyberbullying-fenomenul-care-afecteaza-grav-copiii-c-i-adolescenc-ii.html. Consultat 31 oct. 2018.

[8] http://conta.ase.ro/Media/Default/Page/7%20Dobre.pdf. Consultat 31 oct. 2018.

[9] Signe Whitson, Fenomenul de bullying: 8 strategii pentru a-i pune capăt, București, Editura Herald, 2017, p. 103.

[10] Valentin Cosmin Blândul, Psihopedagogia comportamentului deviant, București, Editura Aramis, 2012, p. 232.

[11] Cristina Neamțu, Devianța școlară. Ghid de intervenție în cazul problemelor de comportament ale elevilor, Iași, Polirom, 2003, p. 81.

[12] Ibidem, p. 240.

[13]http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/news/a_new_global_campaign_to_address_cyberbullying/. Consultat 31 oct. 2018.

[14] https://oradenet.salvaticopiii.ro.

BULLYING IN SCHOOLS OR THE BULLYING SCHOOL

Cătălina Tănăsescu, teacher

Mircea Ghițulescu Middle School,

Cuca, Argeș County, Romania

 At a European level, Romania ranks 3rd in 42 countries where the bullying phenomenon was investigated. One in four children was repeatedly humiliated at school in front of their classmates; one in six children was repeatedly beaten; one in five children repeatedly humiliated by another child at school. The sociological study "Child Bullying" by the Save the Children Organization, in 2016, highlighted the need to adopt measures to stop this alarming phenomenon.

The most recent report published at the end of October by the Bucharest School Inspectorate shows that the number of violent acts in pre-university education in the capital city was 2.3 times higher than last year as compared to the school year 2016-2017. Specifically, if 2 years ago the total number of bullying acts at school level was 139, in 2017-2018 their number reached more than double, i.e. 326. Of these, 218 were classified as attacks in person, 35 attacks on school security, 10 attacks on goods, and 63 were considered as other acts of violence in the school surroundings. For violence against students, four teachers were sanctioned in the school year 2017-2018. In fact, it is sure that the number of violent acts in school was higher. The "skipping out" of some cases, the gap between what students are saying and what they are reporting is the result of a difficult to define concept of violence. Defining violence in school is not an easy task. Not only does violence imply excessive and extraordinary events, but also the identification of daily violence, including the definition of microviolence.

The phenomenon has always existed in the pupils' group dynamics, but, since the beginning, administrative preoccupation has generally been ignored until its media discovery. School violence sells well. The way the phenomenon is presented in the media leads to the impression of an epidemic of brutal rage and a growing danger in school. On the other hand, misconceptions and beliefs about violence, bullying and victimization are common and widespread. These often affect the sensitive and neutral judgment of adults in bullying situations, preventing them from detecting the signs of bullying in time and from responding appropriately. Violence in school must be viewed critically and pragmatically, with a view to combining scientific knowledge and reflection on strategies to combat or prevent.

The problem of violence in school is, first and foremost, a daily, repetitive, proteomic oppression. School is a space for learning and social relationships together. It can only successfully work as a complete work: "School should be a safe and positive educational environment" (Olweus, 2010). The "ordinary" violence is present in every school, it is an everyday violence, common and not necessarily criminal. Teasing, exclusion, humiliation, harassment, brutality, improper handling, scandal, or indiscipline represent just as many ways in which one may be the victim of violence in school. The solution would be to conceive the fight against the phenomenon, not simplistic, in the short term, but in the long run, through daily prevention and dissuasion.

The concept of bullying is associated with a particular experience of violence. The already old concept was defined by Dan Olweus, who carried out the first research on this subject in Norwegian schools, on a sample of 140,000 young people. It defines the phenomenon as an aggressive and systematic abuse of power over the long term. According to the researchers who studied the phenomenon, bullying involves long-term, physical or psychological violence committed by one or more aggressors against a victim who is unable to defend themselves, the aggressor acting with the intention of harming the victim.

 Eric Debarbieux says that "violence is just a part of bullying and vice versa" (Debarbieux, 2010). Limiting school violence to school bullying means ignoring adult violence against pupils or other violence. Bullying is a concept that tends to individualize the issue and place responsibility exclusively on the aggressor or the victim, sometimes the family, minimizing the influence of the socio-economic context and the institution. In November 2017, the Organization Save the Children launched the Campaign "Stop Bullying or Abolish Break Time!" To trigger an alarm on the aggressions of the victims of bullying. In 10 minutes, a child can lose confidence in her or himself and others and the long-term consequences on emotional development and social integration are extremely serious. There are 10-minute breaks, in which one in four children in Romanian schools is repeatedly victim of bullying. The campaign highlighted the violence of the school environment.

Being a victim or an aggressor implies a cumulation of features and a context. The origin of violence must not be placed solely on the individual, but the much deeper levels of violence that are part of institutional frameworks must be sought and identified. Can there be a violent school? The school climate influences the definition of violence itself, violence "can often be reduced to the degradation of the school climate" (Debarbieux, 2010). The link between the school climate and violence has been established since 1986 by the Gottfredson spouses and has since been investigated by numerous research. Research has long hesitated to include organizational variables or school-related variables on the list of risk factors themselves. Without neglecting the immense share of socio-demographic and contextual variables, especially economic, researchers such as Debarbieux 1996, Soule 2003, Benbenisthy and Astor 2005, attempt to measure the role of the school climate in explaining the variations in victimization suffered by both students and teachers, and in the evolution of security sentiment, self-esteem or school failure.

The team's research led by Denise C. Gottfredson is particularly convincing: in a sample of 234 schools, the results of an intensive survey on victimization and the school climate show that factors that most often explain the rise in victimization include teacher instability, lack of clarity and injustice in the application of the rules. A certain use of the risk factor approach may prove insufficient and dangerous if this approach lists categories of risk prediction without incorporating them in a systematic and contextual approach. One of the pitfalls of research and action in the field of school violence is to only consider an element of the system: either in a metaphor of the besieged school, the external factors, or in an illusory belief in the self-sufficiency of the school, exclusively internal factors, or, in naive psychology, only the individual variables. The approach to risk factors is a common one in psychology. The school factors considered are school failure, truancy, school dropout, frequent disciplinary problems, frequent school changes, poor attachment to school, and poor involvement in school activities. One of the problems of the risk factor approach is that it has been insufficiently contextualized; the literature uses too often models that are not related to the school variables. Contextualizing school violence at the level of school variables is one of the most promising research directions. School-related factors are: the effects of school size, the effects of organizing teamwork and school management, and the effects of pedagogical practices.

 Perceiving violence in school exclusively as violence enforced in school is "common blindness"

(Debarbieux, 2010); a simplistic naivety that contributes to recommending dangerous solutions that emphasize the phenomenon they claim to fight. If we laid stress on the idea that school violence is being built amidst school premises, we must not allow ourselves to be tempted to say that this is "teacher's fault", and all violence is to be explained by their incompetence or sadism. The reductionist notion: violence in school, school violence implies a radical simplism to be combated. However, sometimes school adults may themselves be aggressors. It is painful that for a certain segment of the population some "violence" is normal, and it is part of a traditional right of correction. Obligation to stand, additional issues, offenses, ridiculing in public are violent crimes based on a very long history. This type of violence was an "educational tradition" that suppresses the overwhelming majority of students' rights. The fear that a change of mentality might render teachers "powerless" should be overcome. The normal education that a child should receive excludes any type of violence.

In a broad contextual approach, violence in school is the result of a complex causal system and regards education as a whole. Violence sets many traps; it is an adversary without a law that leads to fighting. Exceeding the major pitfalls of exaggeration, denial, simplicity and ignorance, the fight against bullying involves the challenge of recognizing, knowing and acting, because preventing bullying is an act of high moral significance.

Bibliography
Depino Catherine	Violența în școală, București, Editura Trei, 2013
Debarbieux Eric	Violența în școală: o provocare mondială?, Iași, Editura Institutul European, 2010
Netzelmann Tzvetina Arsova, Elfriede Steffan, Angelova Marina	Strategii pentru o clasă fără bullying, eBook
Whitson Signe	Fenomenul bullying 8 strategii pentru a-i pune capăt, București, Editura Herald, 2017