California School Counselor - Summer 2008 - (Page 9)

Internet serves as a lifeline to peers (Campbell, 2005). Counselors and the Online Social World The online social world generates a host of challenges for counselors in untying the Gordian knot of interpersonal disputes, especially those of which occur both online and in face-to-face exchanges. “He said—she said” has the potential to explode to “hundreds said” as disputes move to social networking sites (e.g., MySpace and Facebook). Obviously, the complications engendered by online miscommunication and attendant quarrels will be further confused by interracial, inter-cultural communication differences. Another hurdle for helping professionals and parents is the idea that online communication is inherently bad, always to be mistrusted. Parents and educators may appear uninformed or authoritarian if they thoughtlessly assume that the brave new world of cyberspace is inherently perilous. Young people tend to see electronic media as nothing special, merely a convenient extension of their rich and vibrant social lives (Hoover & Oliver, 2008, p. 134). Even though young people see online communication as a natural expansion of their social lives, they do not always know how to behave adaptively—in ways likely to defuse potential disputes. There exists a Wild West feel to the Internet. At this point insufficient time has passed for the establishment of formal and informal rules for Internet etiquette. This holds great implications for counselors: • As is true for the case of face-toface bullying (Hoover & Oliver, 2008), we suspect that educational techniques will produce more salutary eﬀects on cyberbullying than will punitive approaches. Among these methods will be development of and education about rules for netiquette. (See Kaboose Family Network, n.d. for an excellent starting article.) • It is useful to connect lessons about in-vivo bullying to cyber attacks. Young people must come to understand that the diﬃculties resulting from written attacks are similar to and produce challenges similar to those evidenced in face-to-face bullying. (Hoover & Oliver, 2008, Chapter II; Rigby, 2001) Few people are aware that worries over attacks, cyber or otherwise, produce measurable decrements in academic achievement in toxic school environments (Barnes, et al., 2006). • Communication issues engendered by online behavior and the development of netiquette will be further complicated by racialand culture-based diﬀerences. Counselors especially need to be aware of the ways in which racial sensibilities interact with counseling procedures (American School Counselor Association, 2004). Counselors are likely to be in the front lines dealing with cyberbullying issues. While much research needs to be completed, the following selected conclusions were drawn as part of a comprehensive literature review (Hoover & Oliver, 2008). Cyberbullying comes to school. School officials may intervene in cyberbullying episodes when these incidents produce a “clear connection between an incident and life at the school,” especially where the incidents are likely to produce disruption or a threat of disruption (Hoover & Oliver, p. 142; Willard, 2007, p. 134). Teach to the problem. Rules and expectations for use of school computers and online etiquette need to be established and taught just like any other set of expectations. Strong evidence supports effects of “teaching” behavioral expectations much in the way that one would teach mathematics (PBIS, n.d.), as opposed to relying on consequences. Technology-use contracts. Computer-use contracts are highly recommended. School counselors can recommend these to parents; many organizations have promulgated forms for this purpose (Hoover & Oliver, 2008). Communication. As it is with maintaing lines of communication on all topics (e.g., gender identity, sexuality, drug issues, racial bias), it is just as important for educators to talk about apprehensions resulting from cyber attacks. Open communication about computer use is essential for two primary reasons. First, a lack of monitoring is correlated with harm from cyberbullying (Ybarra & Mitchell, 2004); second, many young people express the fear that if parents and educators learn of cyber harassment, they will lose their computer privileges. Identity and depersonalization. Counselors must remain aware that identity issues may play a role in online dangers. First, students may hide their identity and thus encounter threats exceeding their developmental-bound coping skills (e.g., being asked by an adult to send a picture online). Second, social distance produced by online communication may foster more intense harassment (Bandura, 1999). The Racial Digital Divide Bullying is recognized as a crosscultural phenomenon (Hoover & Oliver, 2008), but treatment and definitional aspects differ by country and across cultures (Elsea, et al., 2004). The same generalization will be true of cyberbullying; at least no clear indication exists that bullying phenomenon, including online attacks, operate fundamentally differently across race. However, what is apparent is that, in a sense, society participates in a form of cyberbullying. At least three significant issues for counselors emerge from a discussion of cyberbullying and computer use: (1) the existence of a digital divide between white and black families, (2) the existence of positive sites directed to black youth and families related to cultural identity and pride, and (3) the fact that black youth will encounter hate sites when surfing online. The racial digital divide can be portrayed as an equity issue (Eamon, 2004), using the argument that, in the information society, access to information and computer technology is necessary 9 The California School Counselor | summer 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of California School Counselor - Summer 2008

California School Counselor - Summer 2008 Contents Presidential Perspectives Jackie’s Jottings Executive Director’s Report Cyberbullying and Equal Access Northern California Conference Highlights Book Review Making a Difference One Family at a Time An AB 1802 Success Story Legislative Update CASC Members Honor Assemblywoman Linda Sanchez Pics, Clicks and Technics Calendar Index to Advertisers

California School Counselor - Summer 2008

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