Cyberbaiting

First it was cyberbullying. Now it's cyberbaiting. That's an emerging trend where students taunt their teachers to the point that the teacher reacts. Then students capture the outburst on their cell phone and post a video online. It's another example of using social media inappropriately.

According to a recent report from the Norton Online Family Report nearly one in five teachers has experienced cyberbaiting or knows a teacher who has. So, what do you do? First, talk with your teachers about the phenomenon. Awareness is perhaps the best strategy for assuring that it won't happen to you. Second, work with your students on appropriate use of social media. The National Crime Prevention Council suggests that educating students, and their families, about responsible use is the best way to deal with cyberbullying and cyberbaiting. Finally, review your school's discipline code to make sure that it is up-to-date and provides explicit guidance about how to respond when cyberbaiting, or other forms of cyberbullying, occur.