Cyberbullying

What Educators Need to Know to Combat Online Cruelty

By Nancy E. Willard

Young people clearly have embraced the Internet as a tool for socializing. Unfortunately, though, there are increasing reports of teenagers, and sometimes younger children, using the Internet to engage in cyberbullying—being cruel to others by sending or posting harmful material or engaging in other forms of social cruelty.

Cyberbullying can take many different forms. Here are a few, with examples:

• Flaming. Online “fights” using electronic messages that contain angry and vulgar language. Joe and Alec’s online fight got angrier and angrier. Insults were flying. Joe warned Alec to “watch his back” in...