LODDON MALLEE - Cyber Safe Kids

Figure 13. Proportion of students who reported harassing someone else online at least
once and in at least one way in the last month by year level
% of Students
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
*Note: Caution must be used interpreting year 9 and year 11 data as less than 11 participants in
each renders data not representative.
Interestingly, in the year 10 group, the group with the highest incidence of victimisation, there
was also a high rate of perpetrating online harassment.
BEING A BYSTANDER AND AN “UPSTANDER” TO ONLINE HARASSMENT
The students were asked how often they felt online harassment occurred within their friendship
groups and their experiences of being a bystander and being an “upstander” (someone who
watches but then acts against the harassment) against online harassment.
Thirty two (11.2%) grade 4-6, 22 (41.2%) year 7-8, 40 (50.7%) year 9-10 and 10 (100%) year
11 students have watched a friend harass someone else online. Of these students, 19 (59.4%)
grade 4-6, 14 (61.9%) year 7-8, 13 (31.6%) year 9-10 and 5 (50%) year 11 students reported
that they said something to the perpetrator about the behaviour. They were asked to complete
an open ended question about what they said to the perpetrator. For the majority of reports, the
students behaved as “upstanders” and told the person to “please stop,” “grow up and stop
being rude and mean,” and “that it wasn‟t right and that they shouldn‟t do it.” There were a few
reports in which the students encouraged the bullying behaviour by saying things like “this is
funny.”
35 LMCP Bendigo Region Report