CYBERBULLYING PREVENTION IN SCHOOLS

Cyberbullying is a growing problem among teenagers. Students are always connected via text messages and social media websites. The years of a student being bullied at school and then going home to a safe space where their bully was no longer able to torment them are over. Constant connectivity allows for 24-7 access for the bully to torment their victim. Combine this with an increasing number of social media outlets and the tormentors’ belief that they can remain anonymous online; it is clear there is a need for students to learn ethical communication methods in school. This essay will examine why cyberbullying is on the rise, different forms of cyberbullying, and how rhetoric, the art of persuasion through communications, plays into social media landscapes. The essay will look at programs to prevent cyberbullying in schools throughout the world. It will show how learning about rhetoric in social media will help faculty implement a successful cyberbullying prevention plan. The essay will conclude with a basic plan a communications manager can implement to curb cyberbullying in the school setting