By Andrea Menzies 11/1/2026
Cyber-bullying and the close action of cyber stalking have become a major problem in modern schools. Educators wish to teach students how to have an online identity in class for online job applications after school and for online classes to have student collaboration. Students also form popular meet-up groups in chat forums to meet new friends. Unfortunately, someone with a petty grievance may use the opportunity to do vicious things. Accusing other people of crimes and cyber-bullying they have not done is a method people use to do cyber-bullying. Males which get no phone numbers after joining a meet-up group may stalk girls and women. Warn both males and females that they should never give away personal information about themselves online when socializing and dating. They should only give information after many in-person meet-ups at a crowded mall where there is security. A second example is angry online-game fans who have been known to call the cops and say kids are holding their parent’s house hostage with guns after the loss of a game. Many cop cars show up and there are no hostages. The cops are ripped away from real emergencies to deal with this issue at an expensive loss of time and money. This became so common they had to pass laws against it. This hoax is called “swatting” and has put many kids in trouble as recently as this year. Here is a YouTube link to a recent case where a kid had 72 swatting cases in one year. A stunning reminder of just how hard working teaching jobs are somedays. The source Cyberbullying.org has some good tips in their website “Preventing Cyberbullying Top Ten Tips For Educators” online. These include “Formally assess the extent of the problem,” “Explain to students that all forms of bullying are unacceptable and that cyberbullying behaviors are subject to discipline,” “Cultivate a positive school climate,” “Specify Clear Rules regarding laptop use,” “Consult with your school attorney,” “Create a comprehensive formal contract to specify cyberbullying,” “Teacher social and emotional learning skills,” “Use peer mentoring,” “Designate a cyberbullying expert,” and best of all “Educate your community,” as methods to stop it in “Top 10” ways to avoid it at the following link for more information. In addition, ISTE has many great links including this one for internet guidelines both in the classroom and outside of it for the learner, leader, citizen, collaborator, designer, facilitator, and analyst.
Top 10
Preventing Cyberbullying: Top Ten Tips for Educators
Here is a kid with 73 swatting calls that is 14, being a teacher is hard work.
