Welcome to today's lesson.

My name is Ms. Wittams-Howarth.

Today, we're going to be learning about why people bully online.

Some parts of the lesson might be upsetting or uncomfortable.

You are required to be accompanied by an adult, and if at any stage you feel uncomfortable or upset by the lesson, you should close the screen and speak to that trusted adult.

So the outcome of today's lesson is I can explain reasons why online bullying happens.

Before we start the lesson properly, let's go through some ground rules that are there to keep us and everyone else safe.

So first of all, we've got Laura and she says, "Let's listen to others.

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

When disagreeing, it's important to challenge the statement, not the person who's making it." Next we have Jacob and he says, "There is no judgement.

We can explore beliefs and misunderstandings about a topic without fear of being judged." And that includes if we have a question that we're not sure whether we want to ask or not.

There's no stupid questions.

So if you've got a question that you want answered, I can pretty much guarantee there'll be somebody else in the room who's got exactly the same question as you.

So feel free to ask it.

Then we have Izzy and she says, "You can choose your level of participation." And that means everyone has the right to choose not to answer a question and not to join in discussion.

We never put anyone on the spot, and that includes the trusted adults that are with you.

And lastly, we've got Andeep.

He says, "Respect, privacy.

We can discuss examples, but do not use names or descriptions that identify anyone, including ourselves." We've got some key words for today's lesson.

You'll notice that they're involved throughout the lesson, so that you can spot them more easily.

The first one is the word motivation, and that means the reason why someone does something.

The second word is insecure, and that means feeling unsure about yourself or worried about what others think.

And then we have secure, and that means feeling confident about yourself.

We have passive bystander, and that means someone, who does nothing when something bad happens.

And lastly, on the next slide, we've got active bystander, someone who takes action when something bad happens.

In our lesson today, we've got two parts to it.

So the first part is why might people bully online? And the second part is why might people be passive bystanders? Let's get started then with the first part.

Why might people bully online? There are many different motivations behind online bullying.

We might assume everyone who bullies online does it because they're simply a bad person.

However, being online can make people act differently.

Even someone who is nice offline can bully online because they cannot directly see the result of their actions.

This is amplified by the fact that many people bully online through anonymous accounts.

When we say something to someone in person, we can see how it affects them.

We can see their facial expressions, we can see their body language.

Cyberbullying takes away any idea of how words can negatively impact the person on the receiving end of them.

Not worrying about how others react or feel to someone's words might motivate them to continue being hurtful online.

Let's do a check.

How well have you been listening so far? People only bully online because they're bad people.

True or false? Have a little think.

I'll take your feedback in a moment.

So if you said false, you'd be absolutely right.

Now, see if you can come up with the reason why.

So again, have a think.

We'll take feedback in a moment.

So if you said, even people who are nice in real life may feel motivated to bully online, because online spaces provide them with anonymity to behave differently.

Well done if you got that right.

That's really great.

Well done for your listening.

Some people may feel insecure and resort to putting others down to make them feel better.

Online bullies may pick on someone's lifestyle choices, their appearance, their hobbies or abilities if they don't feel secure about their own.

Izzy says, "Someone who is secure in themselves does not bully someone else online or in person." Because they feel okay about themselves, they don't need to make other people feel bad.

Some people may find enjoyment in making others feel bad and feel motivated to bully others online.

Some online spaces may encourage negative and hurtful behaviour, making online bullying feel more acceptable or even fun.

Online bullying is never acceptable.

Feeling good about making others feel bad is not typical.

If someone is aware that being hurtful to others is something they enjoy, it's really important they speak to a trusted adult.

There will be support there and they will get help.

Let's do another check.

How well have you been listening so far? When is cyberbullying acceptable? Got a multiple choice quiz here.

So A, if it helps the person doing the bullying feel less insecure, or B, if it makes the person doing the bullying, find enjoyment or C, it is never acceptable to bully online.

Have a think.

We'll take feedback in a moment.

So what did you put? If you put C, you'd be absolutely right.

It is never acceptable to bully online.

Another motivation for online bullying is a feeling of power.

Being hidden behind a screen can make online bullies feel that they have the power to say whatever they want without consequence.

It may even make people behave in a way online that they would never do offline.

They feel like they can't be seen and that they can't be caught.

Online spaces motivate people to behave in ways that generate engagement.

That means that they get people to interact with their posts and their messages.

People may choose to bully online if they receive positive reinforcement for their behaviour.

For example, they get likes or comments approving of what they've said or done.

These people may feel more secure in themselves when people like what they do online, even if it is cruel to others.

It means that they will feel motivated to do more of it and do it again.

This may motivate them to continue bullying behaviours.

Another motivation might be humour.

Sometimes messages or comments intended to be funny can be received as unkind and can actually be considered cyberbullying.

Jun says, "Sometimes my friends make jokes about me online.

They think it's funny, but they can't see that it actually really upsets me." Let's do another check.

People liking and commenting on a bully's actions might make them feel more something and motivate more bullying behaviours.

It's another multiple choice.

So do you think it's A, secure; B, insecure, or C safe? Have a little think and then we will take feedback in a moment's time.

So if you said A, secure, you'd be right.

Well done.

So people liking and commenting on a bully's actions might make them feel more secure and motivate more bullying behaviours.

Well done if you got that right.

I have a task for you now.

Can you explain to Jacob why some people might bully online? He says, "I don't understand what could motivate someone to be a bully online.

It just seems so horrible to me." What are you going to tell him? You might want to have a conversation with the person next to you.

I suggest you pause the screen, have a go at this task and we will take some feedback shortly.

So what did you say? How did you help Jacob understand why people would bully online? You might have said something like this.

People who bully online might have different motivations.

Some people feel that they are being anonymous behind the screen, so feel more powerful.

They also can't see how their actions affect the victim.

Other bullies might be motivated by the online space they are in, as the space itself might encourage people to act in a certain way to generate engagement.

Other bullies may feel insecure and bullying another person makes them feel more secure about themselves.

So well done if you've got something a little bit like that.

Great work.

You've listened really hard.

Let's move on to the second part of the lesson now.

Why might people be passive bystanders? The way someone reacts when they witness bullying determines what sort of bystander they are.

Andeep says, "Someone who does nothing is a passive bystander." Sofia says, "Someone who takes action is an active bystander." There are different motivations behind being a passive bystander.

One reason maybe that they don't know what to do to help.

However, if someone is ever unsure of what to do, they should speak to a trusted adult at home or at school.

The adult can help them deal with the situation properly.

So there is always the option to ask someone else for help when support.

Let's do a check.

Passive bystanders do what when they see online bullying? A, something; B, nothing; C, anything.

So have a little think.

Pick the answer that you think is correct.

We'll take feedback in a moment.

So if you ticked nothing, you would be absolutely right.

Well done.

Passive bystanders do nothing when they see online bullying.

Well done.

Another motivation to be a passive bystander might be fear.

Passive bystanders might not take action because they're scared of the repercussions, either that the bully will target them or that their intervention will make things worse.

So they don't know what to do because they're scared of the results.

Sofia says, not taking action can actually make things worse.

It can make the victim feel that they are alone and the bully feel more empowered to keep bullying.

So the best thing to do is to have a go and do something thing.

Another motivation might be that the passive bystander assumes someone else will step in.

Alex says, "Why is it my responsibility to act if I just see online bullying and it's not happening to me?" Alex's dad replies, "It is everyone's responsibility to report cyberbullying to make online spaces safer and kinder for all." Someone might also be a passive bystander if it is their friends who are doing the bullying.

Maybe they don't feel sure about challenging their friend.

Maybe they don't want to lose their friendship.

It can be really hard to stand up to friends and tell them what they are doing is wrong.

However, doing nothing when someone is engaging in bullying tells the bully that you agree with their actions.

Passive bystanders might not realise that they have witnessed bullying.

They may think the bully is just harmlessly teasing someone, or the comments the bully is making are just not a big deal.

If you're ever unsure, contact the person being bullied and check if they're okay.

They might say, "Yeah, I'm fine." You know, they were just messing about.

Or they might say, "Ah, yeah, actually my feelings have been really hurt and I'm feeling really upset." And then you can support them.

So it is a really great idea to check in.

Izzy says, "Hey, I saw those comments online.

Is everything okay?" That's a really good example of something that you might say to somebody.

Aisha then replies, "They were quite upsetting.

Thanks for reaching out though." So here Izzy is checking in with Aisha about comments that have been made to her online.

And Aisha is able to say that she's been upset by them, but she's gonna be feeling a little bit better because someone has made contact with her to check if she's okay.

That can make a really big difference.

Finally, people may be a passive bystander if they don't know the victim.

Passive bystanders may ignore bullying they see if it is happening to someone that they don't know.

However, even if you don't know the person being bullied, it is important to speak out.

The more people speak out against cyberbullying, the more people will realise that it is not okay to bully online.

So let's do another check.

What three things are missing from the list of reasons why people might be passive bystanders to bullying? We've got so far outta fear.

They don't know the victim.

They assume someone else will step in and help.

What's missing? Have a think.

We'll take feedback in a couple of moments.

So if you said any of these, you are right.

They don't know what to do to help.

They might not realise they have witnessed bullying, and it might be because if it's their friends, who are doing the bullying.

So well done if you've got all of those.

Really well done, great listening.

Being an active bystander can take courage, but it can help the internet become a safer and more welcoming place for all.

To be a more active bystander, we should speak to a trusted adult if we witness bullying.

We should reach out to the victim, offer them some support and encourage them to speak to a trusted adult.

And you should also report any incidents of cyberbullying that we see to the website or the app that is happening on.

We should do this if we feel safe and confident enough to do so.

If not, our trusted adult can help us.

Let's do another check.

To be an active bystander, we should report any instances of cyberbullying and tell a trusted adult, true or false.

Have a little think and we'll take feedback in a moment or two.

So if you said true, you'd be absolutely right.

Really well done.

I've got another task for you now.

What I would like you to do is label the image with three or four reasons why a person might be a passive bystander to bullying.

You might wanna have a conversation with the person next to you and then do this bit of the task okay? And there'll be another part coming up.

So take a few minutes, have a go at this and then we'll take some feedback.

Off you go.

So to the first part of the task, I asked you to label the image with three or four reasons why a person might be a passive bystander to bullying.

Here are some things that you could have included.

They might not know the victim, so they might think it's not their place.

Maybe they feel scared or uncomfortable to speak out against their friends.

Maybe they might not realise they have witnessed bullying.

Maybe they might just feel scared.

Maybe they don't think it's their responsibility and maybe they think someone else will step in and maybe they don't know what to do.

They're worried about reporting it and they're worried that they'll make things worse.

So well done if you got three or four of those, really great work, and excellent listening.

Here's the second part of the task.

What I'd like you to do now is label the image with three ways to be an active bystander against bullying.

So again, pause the screen, have a go at this task, and we'll take some feedback in a few minutes' time.

Off you go.

So what have you got? Let's have a look at some examples of things that you could have said.

You could have said, report any incidents of cyberbullying if we feel safe and confident enough to do so.

We could support the victim and encourage them to speak to a trusted adult.

And we could speak to a trusted adult if we witnessed cyberbullying.

So well done if you got those three ways.

Great work.

Here's a summary of today's learning.

There are lots of motivations as to why people bully online.

Some people may bully others because they are insecure and bullying makes them feel more powerful and secure in themselves.

Others might enjoy how it feels to be mean to other people.

When people witness bullying online and do nothing, they are passive bystanders.

People may be passive bystanders for a variety of reasons, for example, outta fear or because they don't think it's their responsibility to stand up to the bullying.

When people bully online or people ignore bullying, they don't realise the impact that the bullying has on the victim.

Therefore, it is important to be an active bystander if we witness bullying.

Here, we have some sources of support.

So firstly, we've got Childline, and that's a website and phone line, which is able to offer confidential advice and support.

And that's around 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

And then we've got CEOP, which helps protect children from online abuse and exploitation.

And then lastly, Internet Matters, which it teaches children and parents how to stay safe and happy online while using the internet.

Thank you ever so much for learning with me today.

It's been great to have you here, and I look forward to seeing you again soon for another lesson.

Take care of yourselves.

Bye-bye.