Timing: 35 minutes
Learning outcomes: learners will be able to…
- Identify key people who can help them to deal with cyberbullying issues.
- Identify key online sources of help and support for cyberbullying issues.
Key vocabulary: cyberbullying, reporting, support, help, advice, resolution, responding, preventing.
Resources: Google Slides, Helping hand worksheet (slide 5)
Key questions:
- Who would you ask for help if you were worried about bullying?
- How could these people help you with a bullying issue?
- Where else could you turn to for help? (e.g. helplines, organisations, etc.)
- Does your source of help change depending on your role in a cyberbullying incident?
- Why?
PLEASE READ THESE DOCUMENTS BEFORE STARTING THE ACTIVITY
Starter activity (10 minutes)
Start by asking learners how they would seek help for an online problem. Encourage them to consider as many different sources of help as possible.
These may include:
- Individuals (online or offline) who can help (such as teachers, parents/carers, online moderators)
- Tools on online platforms (such as reporting tools)
- Organisations or helplines that provide support for children and young people
Activity (15 minutes)
Using the worksheet on slide 5, ask learners to consider how they would get help or support for a cyberbullying issue. This could be help for themselves (if they are the target) or help for someone else that they see being bullied online.
Ask learners to write a source of help to each of the five digits on the hand. They should ensure that they have a mix of different sources (individuals, tools and organisations) and that these should be relevant to the apps/games they most frequently use.
If time allows, learners could decorate their ‘helping hand’ to make it more eye-catching – these could be used as a display to share with other young people in the community about who to turn to for help with cyberbullying.
Plenary (10 minutes)
As a whole group, encourage learners to share the sources of help they chose. Ask learners if they would go to different sources for help if they were being targeted by online bullying, as opposed to witnessing bullying of someone else taking place. Discuss this with learners and encourage them to explain how and why these sources of help change depending on their circumstances.
For educators
This activity can be shared with parents/carers to help them discuss with their child where they can get help and support with cyberbullying. It could also be used to help parents/carers consider who they would turn to for help and support if their child was involved in cyberbullying (either as a target or a perpetrator).
You may also wish to complete this activity to help identify the sources of help that you would turn to when dealing with a cyberbullying incident involving your learners.