What is Cyberbaiting?

Definition and Context (The Classroom as a Scenario)

Cyberbaiting (which could be translated as "digital baiting") is a form of bullying that is serious and specific to the school environment.

It consists of the deliberate action by one or more students of provoking, harassing or challenging a teacher in the classroom, with the aim of recording their reaction (usually an explosion of anger, frustration or crying) with a mobile device.

The ultimate goal of cyberbaiting is not only the provocation, but the subsequent distribution of that video on social networks (TikTok, Instagram) or WhatsApp groups.

The intention is to publicly humiliate the teacher, undermine his authority and turn his suffering into a viral spectacle for the entertainment of the group.

It is a direct aggression to the authority figure that uses technology as a weapon of mass humiliation.

The Dynamics of Harassment: Baiting, Recording and Dissemination

Cyberbaiting is a premeditated act that follows three clear phases.

The first is baiting: students initiate disruptive and calculated behavior.

It may be through constant challenges, impertinent questions, coordinated disobedience, noises or mumbling, all designed to push the teacher to the limit of his or her patience. They know which buttons to push to get a reaction.

The second phase is recording. While one group is provoking, another or other students (the accomplices) are secretly recording the scene with their cell phones.

They are waiting for the moment when the teacher loses control to capture the "juiciest" reaction.

The third phase is dissemination. The video is edited (often the context of the provocation is cut, showing only the teacher's explosion) and shared to ridicule the teacher, seeking virality and "likes".

Consequences for the Teacher and the School Environment

The consequences of cyberbaiting for teachers are devastating. It is a direct attack on their professional authority and personal dignity.

Teachers feel humiliated, exposed and betrayed in their own work space.

This generates extreme levels of stress, anxiety, burnout syndrome and fear of re-entering that classroom.

In many cases, affected teachers end up asking for leave or even leaving the profession.

For the school environment, cyberbaiting destroys the climate of coexistence.

If the act goes unpunished, it sends a message to the rest of the student body that authority does not exist and that