Hello, my name is Ms. Wroth.

Today, we're going to be looking at the lesson called Responding to online harassment.

This fits into the lesson unit, Our online lives: How can I stay in control online? Now, in this lesson, we are going to be talking about things that might make you feel worried or uncomfortable.

For example, we are going to be learning about how to respond to online harassment and abuse.

So for this lesson, it is recommended that you have an adult present with you before you continue watching.

Today's lesson outcome is, I can describe how to respond to online harassment.

Let's begin by taking a look at our ground rules together.

Laura says we should listen to others.

"It is okay to disagree with each other, but we should listen properly before making assumptions or deciding how to respond.

When disagreeing, challenge the statement and not the person." Andeep says We should respect privacy.

That means we can discuss examples, but we mustn't use names or descriptions that identify anyone, including ourselves.

Izzy says, "Choose your level of participation.

Everyone has the right to choose not to answer a question or join in a discussion.

We must never put anyone on the spot." And Jacob says, "No judgement.

We can explore beliefs and misunderstandings about a topic without fear of being judged." All of these ground rules keep everyone safe in the lesson.

Here are today's keywords.

We have harassment and hate speech.

Harassment means when someone repeatedly bothers, bullies, or disturbs another person, making them feel unsafe, uncomfortable, or upset.

And we have hate speech, which means illegal language used to insult or attack others based on things like their race, gender, or beliefs.

Keep an eye out for these keywords, as they're going to crop up throughout the lesson.

Here is the lessons outline, and we're going to begin with, Is everyone equally vulnerable online? The internet can be a great place of inspiration, positivity, and meaningful connections.

Unfortunately, however, there can be some negativity, harm, and harassment and cyber bullying online.

Anyone can experience harassment online.

Online harassment can take many different forms. For example, it can include cyber bullying, impersonation, and image-based abuse.

It's important to recognise what counts as harassment so that you can identify it and take action.

Police Officer Paula says, "Unfortunately, these negative experiences are often experienced more frequently by people with protected characteristics.

It can make people feel unwelcome in online spaces and communities." Groups who are more likely to experience harassment online than others include girls and women, members of the LGBT community, racial and ethnic minorities, religious groups, and people with disabilities.

Time for a check for understanding.

What is missing from the list below? Certain people in groups are more likely to experience harassment and abuse online than others, such as girls and women, racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities.

Pause this video so you can think about your answer.

Okay, well done if you remembered members of the LGBT community and religious groups.

Harassment can happen in various online spaces.

Sophia says, "Sometimes when I play games online, people will make horrible sexist comments towards me and make me feel unwelcome, just because I'm a girl." Warning signs that harassment is escalating includes messages becoming more frequent or aggressive, the harassment begins to spread to multiple platforms, personal information is being shared with others, and threats of real world harm are made.

Police Officer Paula says, "Remember, harassment often starts small but can quickly get worse.

Trust your instincts.

If something feels wrong, then it means it probably is." Dr.

Elsie says, "Online harassment isn't just words on a screen.

It can have serious effects on mental health and wellbeing.

Here's how online harassment can affect people." Their anxiety and stress levels may increase.

They might experience depression or sleep problems. They might feel socially isolated.

Their academic results and progress can be impacted, and they might experience self-esteem issues.

Here's why online harassment can feel so intense.

It can happen 24/7, making it hard to escape.

It can be seen by many people, making it feel more public and embarrassing.

Anonymous harassment can feel more threatening because you don't know where it's coming from or who's saying what, and it can follow you across different platforms and apps.

Sophia says, "I stopped using social media for months because I was so anxious about what people might say.

It made me feel really lonely and cut off from my friends." If harassment is affecting your mental health, you must talk to a trusted adult like a parent, carer, or teacher, or contact support services like Childline.

Time for a check for understanding.

List three to four ways online harassment can affect a victim's mental health.

Pause this video so you can have some time to think about your answer.

Okay, well done for having a go.

You might have said anxiety and stress, depression, sleep problems, social isolation, academic impact, and self-esteem issues.

Unfortunately, certain groups can also be more vulnerable to experiencing hate speech online.

Hate speech can be hateful comments online aimed at a person's characteristics, threats against an individual or group of people, spreading harmful stereotypes about a group of people, using slurs against a person or group, and harassing a person or group with harmful, hateful content or messages.

Hate speech is unacceptable in any context.

Hate speech online and in person can have serious consequences.

Police Officer Paula says, "Hate speech is unlawful.

Hate speech can be used to incite people to violent acts through the spreading of harmful stereotypes and disinformation." Time for a check for understanding.

True or false? Online harassment is not that bad because there are no real-world consequences to it.

Hmm.

Is that statement true or false? Pause this video so you can have some thinking time.

Okay, well done if you said that statement was false.

This statement is false because some types of harassment, for example, harassing a person or group whilst using hate speech, can incite real-world violence.

Furthermore, those who experience harassment online may develop mental health conditions.

Okay, time for a task now.

Answer the question.

Is everyone equally vulnerable online? Now, you must answer this question in a full paragraph.

Pause this video so you can have some time to do the task, and then we can go through the answers together.

Okay, well done for having a go.

In your paragraph, you might have included the following.

"Although anyone can face online harassment, some people are more likely to experience it than others.

For example, girls and women, members of the LGBT community, and people with disabilities.

This harassment is often aimed at someone because of their protected characteristic, which can make them feel unwelcome in online spaces.

Some online harassment may be considered hate speech, which includes threats against individuals or groups and spreading harmful stereotypes.

Hate speech and harassment are unacceptable in any context.

They can have serious consequences 'cause they may incite people to real-world violence against particular individuals or groups and victims may develop mental health conditions as a result." Well done if your answer was similar to mine.

We're now going to move on to the second and the final part of our lesson, What can I do about online harassment? We all have a role to play in creating safer, more inclusive online spaces that reduce the harms of online harassment and hate speech.

Small actions can make a big difference.

Police Officer Paula says, "If everyone stands up to online harassment and hate speech, we can make the internet a safer and more welcoming space for all.

Here are some ways that you can be a positive digital citizen.

Report online harassment and hate speech.

Use the platform's built-in tools to do this.

Support victims if you know them in person, so you might do this by sending them a private message of support.

Think before you post.

Consider how your words might affect others.

Amplify positive voices.

Like, share, and comment on content that spreads kindness.

Use inclusive language.

That means avoiding words and phrases that might exclude or hurt others.

Respect privacy.

Do not share photos or information about others without their permission.

And be authentic.

Don't pretend to be someone you're not online.

How do I support someone experiencing harassment? Well, you should listen without judgement.

Let them know you believe them and it's not their fault.

Encourage them to report.

Offer to help them report the harassment to the platform.

Help them save the evidence.

Screenshots can be important for reports.

And stay connected.

Check in with them regularly to show that you care.

An active bystander works to stop harassment rather than just watching it happen and aims to contribute to positive online spaces.

Here are some ways that you can do this.

Standing up against harassment when you see it in a safe way, celebrating others' achievements and milestones, sharing educational content that helps others to learn, and modelling the behaviour you want to see from others.

Police Officer Paula says, "Remember, the internet reflects the people who use it.

By choosing to be kind, respectful, and supportive online, you're helping to create the kind of digital world you want to be a part of." Okay, time for a check for understanding.

Who has responsibility to stand up to online harassment? Is it A, only adults, B, site administrators and moderators, or C, everyone? Pause this video so you can have some time to think about your answer.

Okay, well done if you said C, everyone has the responsibility to stand up to online harassment.

Okay, let's do another check for understanding.

List three to four ways that you can be a positive digital citizen.

Pause this video so you can think about your answer.

Okay, so you might have said, reporting online harassment and hate speech, supporting victims of online harassment and hate speech, thinking before you post, amplifying positive voices, using inclusive language, respecting privacy, and being authentic.

Well done if your answer was similar to mine.

Social media and community platforms have settings that can enable us to take action against online harassment.

For example, settings that allow us to block, mute, and report other users.

If we witness or experience harassment online, we should report the account responsible, block the account, tell a trusted adult about what we have seen or experienced, and reach out to the person experiencing harassment and offer them support.

We should never retaliate against people that are harassing others online.

This includes sending comments or messages back to the user.

Police Officer Paula says, "Retaliating against people who are engaging in harmful behaviour online can escalate things and make the situation worse." Okay, time for a check for understanding.

Change one word in this sentence to make the statement correct.

"We should always retaliate against people that are harassing others online." Okay, so which word are you going to change to make that statement correct? Pause this video so you can have some thinking time.

Okay, well done if you change the word always to never.

We should never retaliate against people that are harassing others online.

Online harassment can be unlawful if it meets one or more of the following conditions.

It causes fear or violence, so physical safety concerns, it causes alarm or distress, it involves threats or abusive messages, or if it involves repeated conduct on at least two occasions.

Police Officer Paula States, "Although there is no exact legal definition of online bullying and harassment, it can be prosecuted under a number of UK laws, including the Malicious Communications Act, Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, Protection from Harassment Act, Communications Act, Defamation Act, and Online Safety Act.

Police Officer Paula also states that being found guilty of an offence relating to online harassment under any of these laws could result in a fine or a prison sentence.

It is a serious offence to make another person concerned for their safety through cyber bullying or harassment.

Police Officer Paula states, "To report online harassment or hate speech, You can also contact the police on the non-emergency number 101.

Police Officer Paula states, "Online hate speech can be considered unlawful behaviour if the intention behind a person's words is to stir up hatred towards or violence against an individual or group.

Being found guilty of an offence relating to hate speech can result in a prison sentence.

Okay, time for a check for understanding.

True or false? There are no consequences for online harassment.

Pause this video so you can have some time to think about your answer.

Okay, well done if you said false.

So, this statement is false because although there is no exact legal definition of online harassment, it can still be prosecuted under a number of laws such as the Defamation Act if it makes the victim feel scared or concerned for their safety.

Time for a task now.

First, we're going to read the scenario below together, and then I would like you to offer advice to Aisha on what to do and what not to do.

Aisha says, "Recently, I have seen lots of comments online about women who wear the hijab.

They are full of offensive stereotypes and it is really upsetting me to see." Then I would like you to discuss this question below.

It says, "What are the potential consequences for online harassment in this scenario?" Pause the video so you can have some time to do the tasks, and then we can go through the answers together.

Okay, well done for having a go.

So, your advice to Aisha could include, "Aisha should block and report the accounts making the offensive comments on the site she's using via their built-in tools.

She should tell a trusted adult she has witnessed this and if she knows the victim in person, she could reach out to them for support.

She should not retaliate to the people who are posting hurtful comments and harassing others, as this can escalate the situation and make things worse." Well done if you said something similar to me.

For the second part of your task, you had to discuss the potential consequences for online harassment in this scenario.

So, your answer could include, "If the harassment makes a person feel unsafe and concerned for their physical safety, it can be considered unlawful behaviour under several different laws, including the Malicious Communications Act and the Defamation Act.

If the harassment online involves hate speech, it can be considered unlawful if it incites hatred or violence towards a person or group, and can result in a prison sentence.

Well done if your answer was similar to mine.

This brings us to the end of our lesson.

Here is a summary of everything that we've covered today.

Although the internet can be a positive space, some people may use it as a tool to harass others or spread hate speech.

This is an unacceptable use of the internet.

If we ever witness or experience harassment or hate speech online, we should report and block the offending account.

We should also tell a trusted adult as soon as possible.

We should never retaliate, as this can make the situation worse.

If the harassment makes a person feel unsafe or their comments promote hate speech and violence, it can be considered unlawful behaviour and be punishable with either a fine or imprisonment.

Here's a slide with different places that you can get support.

We have the Childline, which is a website and phone line which is able to offer confidential advice and support.

We have the CEOP.

The CEOP helps protect children from online abuse and exploitation.

And the Internet Matters.

The Internet Matters teaches children and parents how to stay safe and happy online while using the internet.