The Gettysburg Area School District (GASD) board of directors approved a research study proposed by Gettysburg College Professor Dr. Christopher Barlett that will investigate the variables that lead 3rd and 4th grade children to begin cyberbullying.
Cyberbullying occurs when a child harasses others on the internet, particularly on social media sites.
Barlett
Barlett said 3rd and 4th grade students at each of the three elementary schools will be given questionnaires asking them about their cyberbullying behavior at two times, spaced one year apart. Barlett said “the goal is to study is to test what factors lead to the decision to send harmful messages online or not.”
“We have to understand that kids in the digital age today are doing these things and they are doing them as young as 3rd or 4th grade, if not younger,” said Barlett.
Barlett said he has published over 20 articles, books, and book chapters, and some have looked at cyberbullying in high school and middle school students, but that there was little research in students this young.
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The board was positive toward the proposal. They asked questions about data collection, data retention, and potential uses of the work in creating interventions.
“Data will be retained by me and only by me,” said Barlett. He said the names of the children, which are used only to link students at the two waves, will be destroyed after the wave 2 data, and reassured the board the all responses are confidential and anonymous.
The board asked about potential unintended consequences of giving 3rd and 4th graders ideas about cyberbullying. In response, Barlett said this was a “real concern” but that children even younger are already aware of the problem. “They’re already getting it,” he said.
Barlett said he will get electronic parental consent from all students who participate. The request will come through the district superintendent or school principal. Barlett said children will also receive “a very extensive debriefing” about the study after it is over.
Dr. Barlett said that at the conclusion of the study he would “offer his services” to the district with potential “next steps” for understanding and preventing cyberbullying. For instance, he said, an approach might be to create a class that will teach children online etiquette or “netiquette.”
District Superintendent Dr. Jason Perrin said the school principals were on board with the study.
Charles (Chuck) Stangor is Gettysburg Connection's Owner, Publisher, and Editor in Chief. I would like to hear from you. Please contact me at cstangor@gettysburgconnection.org.