Over the past couple of weeks, I have been working as a Guest Artist in the Drama Department of a school in Mississauga, thanks to a program run by the Ontario Arts Council. It’s a truly wonderful school, and my grade 11 and 12 students are animated, curious and fantastic to work with. In the middle of a class yesterday, the Principal made an announcement and the entire school fell silent to listen. She spoke about the prevalence of Cyber Bullying in youth circles, and the responsibility all young people share to protect victims. She referenced recent theories on bullying, which focus on empowering bystanders. In-person bullying, she said, happens only when people who are neither bullies nor victims allow it to happen. We have all heard that said. But what about Cyber Bullying? The Principal stated that even when bullying happens online, it does so only if others allow it. Scrolling by is the same as strolling by. What incredible words of wisdom. They truly made me think, which is why I’m sharing them here.
Centauri Arts Camp has seen almost no incidents of bullying over the years, and in the few situations that do begin to emerge (as can be inevitable on occasion, when young people live in close proximity) the counsellors and the other campers have put a stop to it very quickly. In part, this is because we have worked hard to pass the message to campers and staff that empowering the bystanders is one essential way of preventing and stopping a bullying incident. If enough people give the message that those behaviours are not cool, the bullying loses momentum. But like most adults, I’m often less clear on how to protect young people from Cyber Bullying. At camp, we can ensure our staff are always around the campers. The same support from people who are older and wiser is not often present during online interactions between young people; passworded sites, privacy settings and pseudonyms are essentially doors closed and locked with adults firmly contained on the opposite side. At Centauri, kids have very little access to technology, so the opportunities to engage in impulsive cyber bullying rarely present themselves, but the issue of cyber bullying still concerns me as a parent and a teacher. Online dangers to young people are continually in flux; by the time we identify a risk factor and respond to it as youth workers, parents and teachers, another threat has emerged. Perhaps this is why I was so impressed with the Principal’s message: because rather than presenting a specific solution to one aspect of online bullying, it offered a wider solution that fits most scenarios, and works even when adults are excluded. Our interactions in cyberspace have grown to the extent that they replace face-to-face interactions (yet one more reason to insist kids go to camp, where social interaction is face to face and profound!). Despite this, we need to teach our kids that the same rules apply on line as for real world social situations. Don’t say on social media what you wouldn’t say to someone’s face. Maintain humanity and compassion in your dealings with others, just as if they were actually there. And when you see something unfair, damaging to others and downright wrong, speak out, even if you do so anonymously. We can choose not to be passive bystanders in bullying incidents online, just as we can in real, face-to-face interactions. Let’s empower our kids to end cyber bullying, since this is something adults are rarey in a position to do. Let’s help our incredible young people to spread the word about social responsibility, and pass along the message: scrolling by, is the same as strolling by.
Julie Hartley
Director
Centauri Summer Arts Camp