It is important that educational opportunities are provided for children, and even parents, educators, and community members, about the impacts of cyberbullying and the importance of promoting positive online behaviour. One thing you can do is raise awareness about the impact of cyberbullying and the importance of preventing it within schools and communities. Consider ways that you could educate your peers about this topic.

If you, or someone you know, is experiencing cyberbullying, it is important to talk to someone that you trust and seek help. Take care of your own well-being by talking to someone you trust, practising self-care, and seeking support from professionals, such as counselors or mental health professionals if necessary.

Who could you talk to if you or someone you know needs help with cyberbullying?

There are actions that you can take to protect yourself online. These include:

• Creating unique passwords that are not easy for someone else to guess and prevent people from accessing your account.
• Not sharing personal information or photos/videos that you wouldn’t want others to view.
• Remembering that once you’ve posted something or sent a message, it cannot be deleted permanently.
• Being cautious when positing online or responding to messages.

You can encourage positive online behaviour, such as kindness, empathy, and respect, through initiatives and discussions around your school or community. When communicating online you should foster a supportive and inclusive environment where everyone feels safe and respected. This can be done by encouraging uplifting and positive communication, supporting each other, and leading by example. It also can be done by standing up against all forms of cyberbullying when you feel safe to do. Before you post, consider if it is something you would say to someone’s face / in person, and how it might impact someone else.

If you experience or witness cyberbullying online, be an upstander. An upstander is someone who speaks or acts in support of an individual or cause, particularly someone who intervenes on behalf of a person being attacked of bullied. You can be an upstander by:

• offering words of support and encouragement to victims if you witness cyberbullying happening and let them know that you are there to listen and help
• ignoring bullies to take their power away, even though it isn’t always easy to do
• taking breaks from social media as needed to give you time and space to figure out what your next steps can be, including getting help from an adult

If you witness or are subject to cyberbullying there are few support services you can seek.

• Reporting the bullying to the online platform. Social media sites take it seriously when people post unkind things or set up fake accounts. If users report abuse, the site administrator can block the user.
• It is important to report the bullying to someone that you trust. If you’re not sure, you can even seek support through anonymous services like Kids Help Phone.
• Some instances of cyberbullying should be reported to the police. If you're not sure, ask a trusted adult to help you make this decision.

Having a clear purpose and a realistic understanding of your audience are essential parts of effective communication.

The purpose is what you want to achieve through your speech. For example, to inform, persuade, entertain, inspire, provoke thought, etc. Having a clear purpose helps you structure your oral presentation and choose appropriate language and delivery techniques to achieve that goal.

Understanding your audience involves knowing who they are, what they may already know, and their interests and experiences. This knowledge will help you fit your messages to resonate with them, capture their attention, and engage the effectively. You may need to change your language to meet your audience and make sure your message is being understood.

Answer the following question in your graphic organizer, or in another method of your choice.

What is your purpose for speaking? Who do you want to be your intended audience?

Hint: Your audience could be peers in a younger grade or your grade; it could also be community members, teachers, or parents.

There are several speaking strategies that can be used for an oral presentation.

• Know your material – be knowledgeable
• Organize your thoughts – structure your presentation logically with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion
• Practice your oral presentation several times, focusing on fluency
• Use visual aids like slides, images, videos, charts, etc., to reinforce your message
• Engage your audience by making eye contact, asking questions, varying your tone and pace, and using gestures to keep your audience interested and involved

Answer the following question in your graphic organizer, or in another method of your choice.

What speaking strategies will you use for your oral presentation?

Oral communication refers to the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings through spoken or written language.

Examples include:

• speak loud and clear for everyone to hear
• practice difficult words so you pronounce them properly
• speak at a moderate pace, not too fast or too slow
• use appropriate language and vocabulary for your audience

Non-verbal communication refers to other methods, such as body language. This may include facial expressions, gestures, and other body movements.

Examples include:

• using hand or facial expressions to emphasize key points
• maintaining eye contact with your audience
• standing or sitting straight with good body posture

Answer the following question in your graphic organizer, or in another method of your choice.

What verbal and non-verbal communication strategies will you use?

Word choice is the careful selection of words used to communicate a message or establish a particular voice or writing style. Word choice plays a key role in establishing correctness, clearness, or effectiveness. You want to ensure that the words you are using clearly communicate your overall message.

Here are some tips for word choice:

• Use precise words – active verbs, concrete nouns, specific adjectives – to help your readers and listeners understand your sentences
• Use words that convey your main ideas clearly
• Use words that are not too vague or too complicated
• Don’t use words that are too repetitive
• Vary your sentence types

Answer the following question in your graphic organizer, or in another method of your choice.

What specific words or language do you want to include in your presentation?

There are two types of “voices” that can be used in both writing and speaking:

1. Active: the subject performs that action (verb) on the object
   Subject + verb + object
   Example: Jennifer decorated the cake.

1. Passive: the subject is being acted upon
   Object + verb + subject
   Example: The cake was decorated by Jennifer.

Explore this further in the video clip below.

Check out the following video to learn more about the active and passive voice.