8 May 2024 • Cyber security
Bullying is nothing new. It existed long before the internet, but has now found a new arena. In a study by Pew Research Center, nearly half of all teens mentioned that they had been bullied on the internet before.
To help their students, many schools are looking into ways to prevent cyberbullying and teach both students and teachers about the subject. In-person workshops can be impressive on a short term basis, especially if a victim is there to tell the story. But the effect often doesn’t last.
In the quest to find a learning solution that fits the modern attention span of students and can be used on a long-term basis, schools are now using online cyberbullying quizzes and games to inform their students.
In this article, we’ll tell you all about the different cyberbullying quiz solutions on the market so that you can decide which one fits you best.
1. Guardey
Guardey has created the Duolingo for security awareness training. With gamification elements such as 3-minute micro-challenges, a leaderboard for friendly competition, and badges, Guardey engages users of all ages to become and stay engaged during training.
Guardey has special training programs for specific groups, including teachers and students. In the education program, users learn about cyberbullying, device security, data privacy, and other relevant topics.
If you have a lot of students who need access to trianing, Guardey offers great flexibility. You can add new users with the click of a button, which makes the admin’s life easy. Tracking training performance can be done in the admin panel. This enables you to see which topics may require extra attention.
Pros
- Long-term awareness
- Gamified learning for improved engagement
- Customizable to add your school’s own policies
Cons
- Not free, but comes with a 14-day free trial
→ Start a 14-day free Guardey trial
2. Are you a cyberbully?
An eye-opening part of cyberbullying awareness is understanding if you have ever been a cyberbully yourself. But it can be hard to look at yourself in the mirror and be honest sometimes, especially if the final judgement isn’t what you want it to be.
With this cyberbullying quiz, you can easily find out if you show behavior that could be interpreted as cyberbullying.
The set-up is quite basic, which makes it easy to do in school. Simply answer all the questions and calculate your own score. Within a couple of minutes, you’ll learn if you are a cyberbully.
What we like about this game, is that it goes beyond theory and makes you self-conscious, which in turn makes the quiz engaging.
Pros
- The ‘are you a bully’ angle is engaging
- It’s free
Cons
- Not created for long-term cyberbullying awareness
3. ISEA
This cyberbullying quiz by ISEA is an accessible and quick tool to get young school students’ attention about cyberbullying. It goes over the basics of what cyberbullying is and what the possible consequences could be.
Most young students think they are extremely internet-savvy. And to a degree, they are. But how many actually understand how students that are cyberbullied suffer? And do they understand what the consequences could be for the bully?
This short quiz is a decent way to introduce this concept to young students in a timely manner.
4. Cyber Legends
When it comes to gamification, Cyber Legends has understood the assignment. During fun video games that were made for young kids who are first using the internet and possibly experiencing cyberbullying, users can learn about oneline safety.
Today’s grow up with the internet. To them, it may feel like there is little distinction between the real world and the internet. This makes it extremely important to make them aware of the dangers that are out there. We teach our kids to look left and right before they cross the street, we should be just as hands-on while teaching them about cyberbullying.
Pros
- Makes great use of gamification
- Made especially for young kids
- Can be used at home and at school
Cons
- Not suitable for older students
5. Be Internet Awesome (by Google)
Leave it up to Google to make a cyberbullying game that is not only effective, but also beautifully designed. During the game, you move through a world that teaches kids to separate fake from real and helps them understand the online world as a whole. This makes Be Internet Awesome a great tool to lay a fundament for cyberbullying prevention.
Instead of using dry quizzes, this game visualizes each topic. For instance, during the first game, you need to cross a river while staying safe from ‘phishers’, while answering questions about phishing.
Pros
- Beautifully designed
- Engaging for young kids
Cons
- Not entirely focused on cyberbullying
6. Nova Cybersecurity Lab Game
NOVA Cybersecurity Lab Game teaches older kids about digital security. During the game, users create their own fictional company and avatar. At that organization, they will become the CISO (chief information security officer). This means they will be in charge of keeping the organization safe from lurking cyber threats. In the process, they will learn about privacy and security.
What’s interesting, is that the game features stories of cyber attacks that actually happened in the real world. This makes for an engaging learning experience.
Pros
- Storytelling
- Interesting for older kids
Cons
- Can be a bit frustrating to play
- Cyberbullying only plays a small role
7. Evolve
Common Sense Media has created a few different games to teach kids how to navigate the online world safely. One of their games focuses explicitly on cyberbullying. It teaches kids about the different form of cyberbullying and how you can prevent them from happening.
After teaching theory, kids can test their knowledge by dissecting different scenarios and recognizing cyberbullying. Most importantly, they walk away with an understanding of how to be an upstander for those that are targeted by cyberbullying.
Pros
- Fun gameplay
- Free to play
Cons
- Not made for long-term awareness
8. Brainpop: The Meaning of Beep
This game was created for kids of 8 and up to learn more about cyberbullying. The makers seem to have invested a lot of time in the storytelling aspect, with some nice cartoons to match.
Overall the gameplay is a little slow and confusing. It feels somewhat outdated and doesn’t quite match the attention span of a modern-day 8-year old. However, the quality of the content is fine and provides helpful information for kids.
Pros
- High focus on storytelling
- Free
Cons
- Outdated gameplay, look, and feel
- Not suitable for long-term awareness purposes
9. ACBC
ACBC is a 2D game concept that presents players with dilemmas. In each dilemma, they have to decide how they would act by swiping right of left. Each dilemma is put together in collaboration with multiple European youth care institutions. The project was lead by serious gaming creator 8D games.
The game was especially created to teach young people from 13 to 18 years old about cyberbullying. At those ages, kids are bombarded with online contacts content that fights for their attention on social platforms. The game also has been designed to look like a social platform to appeal to the end user.
Oh, and if you were wondering what ACBC stands for, it’s Address Cyberbullying by Creating Conscious Online Community. Catchy, right?
Pros
- Free to play
- Great for 13-18 year olds
Cons
- Can’t be played in-browser
- Not made for long-term awareness training
What makes a cyberbullying game effective?
Cyberbullying games are becoming popular by the day. But how do you find the one that fits your needs? Keep the following aspects in mind while trying out the options listed above.
Gamification
Make sure that the solution you pick goes beyond being a simple quiz. The more gamification elements are included, such as a leaderboard, badges, and compelling storylines, the more engaging and effective the game will be.
Recurring training
Many cyberbullying quizzes can only be done once. No matter how engaging they are for that one time, the effects of it will quickly wear off. To establish behavior change long-term, you need to repeatedly train. This means you need to look for a cyberbullying quiz that offers regular new content (i.e. every week or month).
Mind the attention span
Our attention spans are shorter than ever. Especially students a different approach than what most traditional training solutions offer. Make sure that any quiz or game you pick to create cyberbullying awareness takes this into account. Ensure that each quiz takes no more than 5 minutes to complete each time.
Direct feedback
Even though it’s a cyberbullying game, doesn’t mean it’s only about having fun. The goal is for users to learn. Make sure that when users answer questions, they always get direct feedback about their answer — no matter if it’s right or wrong.
Conclusion
There is a wide range of cyberbullying quizzes on the market. By browsing the list above, you’ll learn which solution fits your organization, employees, or students best.
For a cyberbullying quiz that aims for lasting behavior change, consider trying out Guardey. It offers a complete program that teaches users about modern online threats, including cyberbullying, and comes with a set of gamification elements that keeps users engaged over time.
