Cyberbullying: Roles of school psychologists and school counselors in addressing a pervasive social justice issue

Abstract

School psychologists and school counselors can act as agents of social justice in schools to prevent cyberbullying, particularly among the most vulnerable populations. Cyberbullying is an emerging form of bullying that has shown an alarming increase in society within the last decade and in schools as microcosms of society. Cyberbullying among K-12 students has adverse social, physical, and emotional impacts for victims, perpetrators, and bystanders. Advocacy for prevention, intervention, and more effective policies from school psychologists and counselors is of paramount importance for student and school community well-being and safety. This article provides an overview of cyberbullying in schools as a social justice issue; explores advocacy, ethical, and practitioner roles of both school psychologists and school counselors to address this issue among students in schools; discusses empirically based psychotherapy techniques for intervention and risk assessment; and offers policy and practice options to address cyberbullying.