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Unit 1 · Topic 05 · Digital Safety and Citizenship

Cyberbullying (Target, Bully, Upstander, Bystander)

Hook

Kabir dropped a catch in the inter-house match. An easy one.

By eight o'clock that night, a picture of the exact moment was in the Class 4 group chat.

Across it, in big letters: BUTTERFINGERS KABIR.

The Story

Anaya saw it and laughed. It was, honestly, a funny photo.

Six other people had already replied with laughing faces. Somebody added a second version with the ball drawn ten times bigger. Somebody else wrote "post it in the Class 5 group also".

Anaya's thumb was over the forward button when she noticed something. Kabir was in the group. He had been online at 8:02. He had said nothing since.

She thought about Kabir at lunch, talking about the match all week.

She put the phone down.

Then she picked it up and did four things.

First, she did not forward it. Second, she messaged Kabir on his own: "That picture isn't funny. Are you okay?" He replied with one word: "meh." Then, after a minute: "thanks."

Third, she wrote in the group: "Stop. He's in here reading this." For about a minute nothing happened. Then two other people wrote "yeah, stop" and the laughing faces dried up.

Fourth, she took a screenshot of the original post and showed Ms. Rao before school.

Ms. Rao did not make a speech. She asked the group to take the picture down, and it came down.

At lunch Kabir said, "Everyone saw it."

"Everyone saw it stop, also," said Anaya.

He thought about that and stole her samosa, which meant he was fine.

The Class 4 group chat that night, minute by minute, with each message labelled by role: bully, bystanders, target and upstander Class 4 group chat — that night 8:00pm — photo posted: "BUTTERFINGERS KABIR" BULLY 8:01pm — six laughing faces, one bigger-ball version BYSTANDERS watching grows the crowd 8:02pm — Kabir is online. He says nothing. TARGET 8:03pm — Anaya laughs, nearly forwards it BYSTANDER 8:04pm — "Stop. He's in here reading this." UPSTANDER 8:05pm — two others say "yeah, stop". The laughing stops.
The same chat, minute by minute, with every role labelled.

So What Just Happened?

Cyberbullying is using phones, chats, games or posts to hurt or embarrass somebody, again and again or in front of a crowd.

There are four roles in that group chat. The target is the person it is aimed at — Kabir. The bully is whoever made and posted it. A bystander sees it and does nothing; the six laughing faces were bystanders, and so was Anaya for the first minute. An upstander sees the same thing and does something helpful: refuses to pass it on, checks on the target, speaks up, saves proof, tells an adult.

Nobody is born into one of these roles. Anaya changed from bystander to upstander in about sixty seconds, and that is the whole point.

One mean post at the centre with four roles around it — bully, target, bystander and upstander — and an arrow showing that a bystander can become an upstander ONE MEAN POST BULLY makes or posts it to hurt or embarrass someone TARGET the person it is aimed at — did nothing to deserve it BYSTANDER sees it, does nothing — laughing counts as nothing UPSTANDER won't forward, checks on the target, speaks, tells anyone can cross this line, any time
Four roles around one post — and the only line that matters.

Remember This

  • Cyberbullying is using screens to hurt or embarrass someone, repeatedly or in front of a crowd.
  • The target is aimed at, the bully posts it, the bystander watches, the upstander acts.
  • Laughing and forwarding are not neutral. They make the crowd bigger.
  • Upstanders do four things: don't forward, check on the target, say stop, tell an adult.
  • Nobody's role is fixed. Anaya changed hers in a minute.
The four upstander moves in order: do not forward, message the target privately, say stop in the group, and save proof and tell an adult CHEAT CARD — bystander to upstander, in four moves 1. DON'T FORWARD no laughing face, no share, no reply 2. MESSAGE THEM privately: "that's not funny, are you okay?" 3. SAY STOP one calm line in the group — others follow 4. SAVE + TELL screenshot it, show a trusted adult Never: fight back with a meaner post. That makes two bullies and no upstanders, and the target is still alone.
Four moves, in order. Anaya did all four in under five minutes.

Try It Yourself

Write the four words target, bully, bystander and upstander on four small paper slips.

Ask someone at home to read out a short situation — a mean nickname in a game, a laughing reply, a friend going quiet.

Hold up the slip for every role you can spot, and say out loud what the upstander move would be.

Word Bank

Cyberbullying
Using screens to hurt or embarrass someone, repeatedly or in front of a crowd.
Target
The person the mean post is aimed at.
Bully
The person who makes or posts it.
Bystander
Someone who sees it and does nothing; laughing counts as doing nothing.
Upstander
Someone who sees it and acts to help the target.

Questions

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