Trolling, an anti-social online behaviour, occurs when someone makes unsolicited comments online that are often controversial and for the purpose of getting a reaction. Unlike cyberbullying, the ‘troll’ often doesn't care who is offended, annoyed or upset. It is important that students can recognise trolling and other forms of anti-social behaviour, including cyberbullying, so that they feel safe online.

Year level

7-10

Duration

60 minutes

Type

In class activity

Online learning

SEL Competencies

Self-awareness

Self-management

Social awareness

Relationship skills

Responsible decision-making

Learning intention

Students examine the impact of trolling on their personal wellbeing and identify strategies to avoid participating in anti-social online behaviour.

Key outcomes

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

  • identify trolling behaviour and describe how it makes them feel

  • create personal strategies to respond to and cope with anti-social online behaviour

  • examine reasons behind inflammatory posts and identify ways to make good decisions online

  • know how to report cyberbullying.

Materials needed

Mapped to

Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education

  • Analyse the impact of changes and transitions, and devise strategies to support themselves and others through these changes (AC9HP8P02)

  • Refine protective behaviours and evaluate community resources to seek help for themselves and others (AC9HP8P08)

  • Plan, rehearse and evaluate strategies for managing situations where their own or others’ health, safety or wellbeing may be at risk (AC9HP10P08)

  • Evaluate emotional responses in different situations to refine strategies for managing emotions (AC9HP10P06)

Australian Curriculum: General Capabilities

  • Personal and Social Capacity:

    • Self-awareness

    • Self-management

    • Social awareness

    • Social management

  • Ethical Understanding:

  • Understanding ethical concepts and perspectives

  • Responding to ethical issues

  • Digital Literacy:

  • Practising digital safety and wellbeing

  • Creating and exhanging

  • Managing and operating

  • Critical and Creative Thinking:

  • Generating

  • Reflecting

  • Analysing

NSW PDHPE Syllabus

  • Demonstrates self-management skills to effectively manage complex situations (PD4-9)

  • Assesses and applies self-management skills to effectively manage complex situations (PD5-9)

  • Applies and refines interpersonal skills to assist themselves and others to interact respectfully and promote inclusion in a variety of groups or contexts (PD4-10)

  • Critiques their ability to enact interpersonal skills to build and maintain respectful and inclusive relationships in a variety of groups or contexts (PD5-10)

Victorian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education

  • Investigate the benefits of relationships and examine their impact on their own and others’ health and wellbeing (VCHPEP127)

  • Analyse factors that influence emotions, and develop strategies to demonstrate empathy and sensitivity (VCHPEP128)

  • Evaluate factors that shape identities, and analyse how individuals impact the identities of others (VCHPEP142)

  • Evaluate situations and propose appropriate emotional responses, and then reflect on possible outcomes of different responses to health and wellbeing (VCHPEP147)

Show details

Activity 1

Class discussion: Cyberbullying versus trolling

10 minutes

  1. Provide access to the ReachOut.com articles ‘What is cyberbullying?’ and ‘How to spot a troll’.

  2. Using these articles, students draw a Venn diagram comparing trolling and cyberbullying.

  3. Ask students to draw a Venn diagram.

  4. In one circle, students write words they associate with trolling.

  5. In the second circle, students write words they associate with cyberbullying.

  6. Invite students to write words that they associate with both cyberbullying and trolling in the middle overlapping circle.

  7. Discuss the differences and similarities between trolling and cyberbullying.

Activity 2

Exploration: Dealing with cyberbullying and trolling

20 minutes

  1. Provide access to the ReachOut.com article ‘What is cyberbullying?’.

  2. Discuss with students strategies for dealing with trolling and cyberbullying. (While there are similarities, there are also some key differences.)

  3. Discuss options for reporting cyberbullying behaviours.

Supporting examples can be found in the ReachOut.com article ‘5 tips for dealing with trolls' and ‘5 strategies for dealing with cyberbullying’. This is a good opportunity to revisit with students your school’s policies on and procedures for dealing with these behaviours.

Activity 3

Stop. Think. Act: Commenting online

20 minutes

Explain to students that when they see content online, they might reply emotionally and impulsively without stopping to think about what they are posting. It’s important that they learn to stop and think before posting.

  1. Brainstorm the possible repercussions of posting comments without stopping to think first. For example, repercussions can include being blocked, being misunderstood in terms of their values, losing a job or a friend, etc.

  2. Discuss with students that anything posted online remains online. Even if a comment is deleted, it has still been seen and could be shared through screenshots.

  3. Discuss the ‘Stop.Think. Act’ model:

    • Stop: take a few deep breaths before responding.

    • Think: what are the possible repercussions?

    • Act: delete or post when, and if, appropriate.

  4. As a class, create a slogan for thinking before posting.

Activity 4

Protecting yourself when dealing with trolling and cyberbullying

10 minutes

Explain to students that when they are being trolled or cyberbullied, it can be hurtful. Even witnessing online trolling or bullying can be difficult. It is important to use self-care when experiencing bullying or online trolling.

  1. Ask students to draw a line down the middle of a page. On the left side write ‘If I’m trolled or cyberbullied’, and on the right side write ‘If I witness trolling or cyberbullying’.

  2. In the left column, ask students to brainstorm things they could do to protect themselves if they were trolled or cyberbullied (e.g. report the trolling, perform self-care activities).

  3. In the right column, ask students to brainstorm what they could do if they have seen trolling or cyberbullying online (e.g. report the posts, delete the offender).

  4. Remind students that if anything online is upsetting or harmful, they should report it appropriately and seek to look after themselves and others.

  5. Encourage students to investigate how the eSafety Commissioner can assist with serious cyberbullying.

Additional resources

No time displayed

For further information regarding this topic, access the following articles from the eSafety Commissioner:

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              We acknowledge the traditional owners of Country throughout Australia. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and to Elders past and present. We recognise connection to Country as integral to health and wellbeing.

              We acknowledge people with lived experience of mental ill-health and recovery and the experience of people who have been carers, families, or supporters.

              ReachOut values diversity. We are committed to providing a safe, culturally appropriate, and inclusive service for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, faith, disability, sexuality, or gender identity.

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