We are pleased to annouce that The Character Education Partnership has partnered with CyberSmart! to announce the release of the CyberSmart! Cyberbullying Awareness Curriculum, a positive and empowering suite of K-12 lessons provided free to schools. The new curriculum is designed to guide students to think and act creatively and critically, defining the problems and issues themselves and thus “owning” them. Without this ownership, no behavioral change can occur.

In developing these lessons, CyberSmart! adopted an integrated approach, examining all current research findings and using best practices from the fields of cyber security, school violence prevention, and character education to impact behavioral change.

This carefully developed cyberbullying package

• Uses a social constructivist learning approach to allow students/educators to construct their own knowledge, defining the problems and issues themselves and thus “owning” them. Without this ownership, no behavioral change can occur.
• Focuses on developing critical thinking and decision-making skills rather than teaching about technologies that change monthly.
• Recognizes that the research shows that getting tough on the bullies themselves is not an effective intervention.
• Addresses research that reveals most youths do not disclose online harassment to adults for fear of adults overreacting and cutting off online access. Students need to have a student-initiated mechanism for confidential reporting to adults.
• Focuses on the critical role of the bystander, recognizing research that students do not want to identify themselves as either bullies or targets.
• Enables discussions with students about online safety and cyberbullying to be easily sustained throughout the school years, similar to the ongoing programs advocated by cyber security experts.
• Emphasizes the core character values of caring, honesty, fairness, responsibility, and respect for self and others as the underlying message of cyberbullying education.
• Recognizes that issues regarding cyberbullying are intertwined with those associated with Internet safety, security, free speech, tolerance, and cyber citizenship.

The complete cyberbullying package consists of

• Nonsequential lessons and student activity sheets which easily integrate into your regular curriculum
• Alignment to International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) national educational technology standards for students
• Home Connections to inform parents/guardians and enlist their support by providing a framework for family dialogue
• Prevention activities for your school, families, and community extend classroom lessons
• Optional Web 2.0 activities are included in many of the lesson and prevention activities

Cyberbullying is a manageable problem, and schools can lead the way in order to prepare students for work and citizenship in the 21st century. Together, these materials help schools get started in the prevention of cyberbullying at the classroom level, and include outreach to families and the community. The new CyberSmart! Cyberbullying Awareness Curriculum is available free of charge and can be accessed now at http://cybersmartcurriculum.org/cyberbullying/cep/

"Cybersmart!'s free cyberbully lessons allow face-to-face character education to be extended into cyberspace."

--Dr. Merle Schwartz

“Experts define cyberbullying as intentional and repeated use of computer and cell phone networks by kids and teens to cause harm or distress to other kids and teens. It’s not about contact with strangers or predators and should not be addressed through fear tactics. Cyberbullying must be addressed by schools in order to prepare students for work and citizenship in the 21st century.”

--Mala Bawer, Executive Director of CyberSmart! Education

The entire curriculum is available free of charge. See curriculum here.