Кибербуллинг сочинение на английском

The internet, a place where people from across the world can socialize easily. A place where people can post whatever they want. A place where people can express their feeling to the world. Some say it’s a beautiful place, but some say it’s a very scary place. Even though it can be a good experience, but something terrible is waiting behind it.

In this part of the generation, the internet is considered as a big part of the world, because most of the world’s population uses the internet to do everything.

Don’t use plagiarized sources. Get your custom essay on

“ Cyberbullying: Overview and Description ”

Get custom paper

NEW! smart matching with writer

People can talk to each other, send messages, find information, study, play games together and many more. All of this only requires either a laptop or a phone with an internet connection, with that you can connect to other people in the world.

While the internet can be a good impact to the world, it gives a bad impact to some of people in a part of the world.

The internet encourages people to hurt another person through text message or social media. This can be considered as a cyber case.

Many cyber cases happen every day, there might be one happening now. One of the cyber cases is called “Cyberbullying”, this case happens very often in the internet. This is one of the most common way of bullying a person.

According to the dictionary, cyberbullying is “the use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature”. This means that cyberbullying involves the use of electronic communication to hurt someone’s feeling.

According to Stop Bullying website, “Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through SMS, Text, and apps, or online in social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content”. This means that cyberbullying takes place over a digital device through SMS, text or social media where people can see, participate and share the content. They also stated that “Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior”. This means that there are methods of cyberbullying such as sending, posting or sharing personal, negative, false or harmful content. This case can cross the line and it can be considered as a criminal behavior.

According to Common Sense Media, “Cyberbullying is the use of digital-communication tools (such as the Internet and cell phones) to make another person feel angry, sad, or scared, usually again and again”. This means that people cyberbully to make another person feel angry, sad or scared repeatedly.

In conclusion, Cyberbullying is bullying that involves the use of electronic devices in order to hurt another person’s feeling through social media. A person can be cyberbullying by sending, posting or sharing personal, negative, false or harmful content online. Cyberbullying happens through SMS, text, or social media where it can be seen, participated, and shared by people. Cyberbullying should be a felony, because it has pushed tons of people to self-harm and committing suicide. Just like bullying, cyber bullying have the same concept.

For example, Ruby Astari was a High School student from Indonesia who got abused by her classmates, teacher and a gym instructor. They were abusing about her ‘chubby’ figure, leaving her was very depressed. She had experienced bullying throughout her teens and adult-life. She even wished that she would get ran over by a car passing down the street. Being a teenager, Astari experienced severe depression and began having suicidal thoughts. This is a case of bullying, cyberbullying have the same concept of abusing.

Cyberbullying have always been there since the start of social media. Cyberbullying have pushed people to hurt themselves, having suicide thoughts and even committing it. Cyberbullying can be considered as a felony for causing multiple cases of suicide. Not only the victim of cyberbullying is affected, his/her friends and relatives will be worried about the victim. The internet has always caused chaos since it started, cyberbullying is one of it. It needs to be stopped as soon as possible. We can’t risk another life to lose through cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying happens a lot nowadays. Justin W. Patchin stated that “72% of students have been cyberbullied while another published study puts the number at 5.5%”. This means that there are a lot of students from all across the world who have been cyberbullied.

At the 2nd December of 2016, an 18-year-old teenager committed suicide due to cyberbullying she was involved. CBS News stated that “Brandy Vela’s family says cyberbullying pushed the 18-year-old over the edge, leading her to shoot herself in the chest Tuesday afternoon at the family’s Texas City home as family members watched”. Her father tried to cover up this case saying “she had been receiving abusive text messages for months from bullies using an untraceable smartphone application. Her father said someone made a fake Facebook page of her, creating another cyberbullying medium”. Her sister Jacquelina Vela stated that “They would make dating websites of her, and they would put her number and they would put her picture (on the sites), and lie about her age and say she is giving herself up for sex for free, to call her”. Brandy Vela tried to change her number, but eventually the bullies found her. The bullies were focusing on making fun of Brandy’s weight online. The father said that he hopes for a stricter law against cyberbullying and greater awareness to give some meanings to his daughter.

Mallory, a sixth grader at Copeland who took her own life on June 14th, 2017. She was being relentlessly harassed online by her own classmate. The father of the victim stated that “Mallory’s life tragically ended when her own classmates used this cellphone to drive her into this tragedy, for months there were texts, Snapchat and Instagram she was told she was a loser, she had no friends. She was even told, ‘why don’t you kill yourself’.” The father of the victim ended up suing Mallory’s school which is Rockaway Township School.

Nowadays, humans are living in a world where people bully and get bullied. “Cyber bullying happens for many of the same reasons as any other type of bullying, but it may be even more appealing because it can be done anonymously” by Anonymous. Grace Gabriel stated that “there are two kinds of people who are likely to bully; the socially active people and the socially inactive people. It is said that bullying results in an upgrade of confidence, thinking the control is on the hands of the bully as it is also the main reason of why socially active people may bully other people; it makes them feel powerful as it is also a way to maintain their popularity.” This means that there are two types of people who are most likely to bully, which is the socially active people and socially inactive people. “Some individuals would bully only to boost their egos. These individuals simply harass others to entertain themselves. Attention is what some people want. There is a chance they did not gain it from their family, some are suffering from a family conflict”.

In conclusion, there are two types of person that would bully other people. The first type is socially active person. This type of person is usually active and like to socialize with other people. They bully because they want to get popularity. The second type is socially inactive person. This type of person usually don’t like to talk to others and they cant get along with other people easily. They find it hard get along with others and make friends. They bully others only to boost their own ego. They abuse and hurt other people’s feeling online in order to entertain themselves. There are individuals that wants all the attention to their selves. They get it by bullying people online. When this type of cyberbully happens, they usually become the topic of everyone’s conversation. Some people want all the attention because they didn’t get any attention from their family. Some people are suffering from their own family conflicts.

Cyberbullying have always gotten out of hand. It had always crossed the line for the victims. Those victims pushed their selves to do something to their own body. Those things can be very bad for the victims. They usually hurt themselves because they felt very guilty even though they are not.

Cyberbullying can cause more depression for the victim. When a victim gets abused or bullied by a person online, other people can see it. Just imagine that there are more than a million other people accessing the internet in the same moment that you are. It is visible to other people. Social medias such as Instagram, twitter, facebook can be seen by a numerous amount of people online. Not only they can see the content, they can participate and share it to other people. When people share the content of the bullying online, they can be the topic of everyone’s conversation. When it is a rumor of something negative of the victim, the victim may get depressed and possibly a suicidal thought that can lead to committing it.

There are other big cases of cyberbullying online. This takes place at 26th May 2013. “Effort Creative music promoter, Bobby Yoga Cahyadi, died tragically after being hit by the Sri Tanjung train in the east of the Gowok hamlet, Caturtunggal Village, Depok, Sleman, Yogyakarta, Sunday around 08.00/2013 . It is strongly suspected that Bobby committed suicide due to severe depression”. Yoga failed to organize a concert. “Initially the music festival and concert will be attended by 120 bands but eventually only around 60 bands appear. In addition, of the 10 national bands scheduled to perform, only one band finally agreed to perform. Not only that, the entry ticket which was initially targeted to sell 5,000 sheets a day turned out to only sell around 1,000 tickets”. Yoga ended up being cyberbullied at twitter leaving him heavily depressed. With all his depression, he decided to take his own life by walking into the train tracks and getting ran over by the train.

Cyberbullying have made a huge change to the world. People look at it very harmful. It can break someone’s heart easily. In order to stop it, we need a solution that can affect the internet.

First solution, if you are being cyberbullied by someone online, you can just tell someone you trust about it. This can be very effective because people can talk down to their friends and relatives about what their dealing with.

Second solution, when you are being cyberbullied by someone online, you need to keep everything you dealt with. You can record it or screenshot it. When this becomes investigated, we can send everything we have dealt with.

Third solution, normally, cyberbullies who abuses the victim, the cyberbully always start the conversation. So, we don’t need to engage anything with the person. We should ignore the person.

In order to prevent cyberbullying, we should start a campaign that explains what cyberbullying is, signs you’re being cyberbullied and all about cyberbullying, but the most important part is the ethics of using the internet. With that in mind, people will be more aware of the usage of the internet. People can help other people who are dealing with it. In that way, people can prevent experiencing depression and suicidal thought.

In conclusion, cyberbullying is a bully that takes place in the internet where everybody who is accessing the internet can see it. Cyberbullying can happen through SMS, text, social media and more. Other people in the internet can see, participate and share the content. Cyberbullying can be very harmful because it already give a lot of bad impacts to the internet. Many people have been heart broken or depressed and even taking their own life because of cyberbullying. This means that cyberbullying needs to be stopped as soon as possible. A way to do it is by telling someone about the problem, keep track of everything you’ve dealt with and not engaging or ignoring the person. Another way to do it is by spreading awareness to the internet about the importance of ethics in the usage of internet.

Bibliography

  1. Angeles, Guy Adams in Los. “First ‘Cyber-Bully’ Trial Opens.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 23 Oct. 2011, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/first-cyber-bully-trial-opens-1028257.html.
  2. Aziz, Nasru Alam. “Konser Kacau Penyebab Promotor Musik Bunuh Diri?” KOMPAS.com, Kompas.com, 26 May 2013, https://regional.kompas.com/read/2013/05/26/20450123/Konser.Kacau.Penyebab.Promotor.Musik.Bunuh.Diri.
  3. Cbs/ap. “Cyberbullying Pushed Texas Teen to Commit Suicide, Family Says.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 7 Feb. 2017, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cyberbullying-pushed-texas-teen-commit-suicide-family/.
  4. New Zealand Ministry of Education. “Who Is Involved?” Bullying Free NZ, https://www.bullyingfree.nz/about-bullying/who-is-involved/.
  5. Nurvitasari, Ayunda. “Cyberbullied in Indonesia.” Cyberbullying Indonesia Increasingly Grow, Magdalene, 17 Aug. 2019, https://magdalene.co/story/cyberbullied-in-indonesia.
  6. Schultze-Krumbholz, Anja, et al. “Who Is Involved in Cyberbullying? Latent Class Analysis of Cyberbullying Roles and Their Associations with Aggression, Self-Esteem, and Empathy.” Cyberpsychology, 29 Dec. 2018, https://cyberpsychology.eu/article/view/11433/0.
  7. “The History of Cyberbullying.” Bark, 15 Apr. 2019, https://www.bark.us/blog/the-history-of-cyberbullying/.
  8. “The Indonesians Driven to Depression and Worse by Bullying.” South China Morning Post, 20 July 2018, https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/2116561/bullying-indonesias-schools-rife-and-becoming-more-violent-we.
  9. Usa.kaspersky.com, https://usa.kaspersky.com/resource-center/preemptive-safety/top-10-ways-to-stop-cyberbullying.
  10. “What Are the Causes of Cyber Bullying?” English BINUS University, 22 June 2015, https://english.binus.ac.id/2015/06/22/what-are-the-causes-of-cyber-bullying/.

The model answer for Cyberbullying Essay.

Structure of Essay:

  1. Introduction – Definition of Cyberbullying, instances, how cyberbullying begins, age group cyberbullying is most active.
  2. Effects of Cyberbullying – Mental & Physical, Isolation, effect on friends and family
  3. How To Prevent Cyberbullying – Steps to be taken by parents, school authorities, government
  4. Conclusion

Must Visit – List of Repeated Essay Topics With Answer 

Cyber bullying essay

Cyberbullying essay

1. Introduction (What is Cyberbullying)

Cyberbullying is the act of bullying in the form of digital media or devices. It is a modern term for bullying, which emerged with the rise of the internet and mobile devices. (Definition)

Cyberbullying takes place on digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. It can take the form of texts through SMSes, online chat forums, social networking sites and gaming forums. Acts such as posting, sending or sharing negative content that is harmful, mean or obscene, defines cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying can also take the form of some illegal physical activities and unlawful behavior. The internet is the place where cyberbullying is most common. Social media sites like Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram, to name a few are the most common sites for cyberbullying.

With the introduction of free messaging apps, the instances of cyberbullying have increased. The rampant use of mobile phones has brought cyberbullying at the tip of fingers and cyberbullies make use of these technologies to prey on potential victims.

Recommended: Should Students Be Required To Stay In School Until They Are 18.

1.2 Examples and instances of cyberbullying:

Born in 1996, Amanda Todd was like any other teenager with dreams and a fascination for the internet. She met a stranger online who flattered her and convinced her to go topless. The stranger took pictures of her and kept stalking here for several other shows. When she tried to fight back the photos were sent to her family and friends. After which, she was abused and disrespected in school by her friends.

Going into major depression and anxiety, she tried taking her own life several times and finally succeeded. A month before she killed herself she released a video telling her story which became viral after her death and people realized how dreadful it was.

This is a prime example of how cyberbullying can destroy innocent.

1.3 How cyberbullying begins:

We live in a world dominated by technology and not only teenagers, but adults too are addicted to the use of electronic devices and the internet. The internet has played a major role in connecting the entire world and individuals from across the continents.

Cyberbullying starts in the virtual world. The cyberbullies enjoy the anonymity and the infinite reach of the internet to prey on unsuspecting and potential victims. Once they get hold of something personal of the victim, they start to either blackmail or harass them.

1.4 Age group in which Cyberbullying is most active:

Victims of cyberbullying are most commonly from the age group of 12 to 18. Teenagers get attracted to the online glamour and the attention that they get from strangers. The virtual fandom is what they seek, and they tend to do things for gaining followers on social sites such as Facebook and Instagram. But older victims can get caught in it too. School students are easy to target, and if they have a bully within they school then, it becomes more difficult to escape the bullying.

Read on: Importance Of Education Essay

2. Effects of cyberbullying

2.1 Mental And Physical Effects:

Cyberbullying can result in increased distress for the victims along with increased anger and frustration. They will vent this out on various occasions, and it might force them to get addicted to the virtual world where they can have several identities to hide their real one.

The victims will automatically have lower self-esteem since that is the sole purpose of bullying. Prolonged bullying will lead to severe withdrawal from their family and friends. They will begin favoring isolation most of the time and indulging in harmful activities like drugs and alcohol.

2.2 Feel alone and isolated:

Most of the victims are forced to stay away from any and all social sites in a bid to escape the cyberbullies. They separate themselves to feel a sense of protection form the outer world. Most of the victims do not reveal anything to their parents or family members to disappoint them. To escape the bullies, they may try to change their schools or home, but they are hardly able to escape the clutches of the tormentors.

Most of the time the victims would give up fighting the bullies and kill themselves to escape the pain and horrors of the continuous cyberbullying.

2.3 Disinterested in attending school:

If a schoolmate bullies a  kid, then the first way for him to avoid the bullying is to stop going to school. He/she would choose to skip classes to escape the tormentors temporarily. The feeling of embarrassment and humiliation from the fellow students will prevent the kid to return to school and have a healthy school life. Their grades will start dropping, and most of the time they will drop out.

2.4 Victims might get ill:

Apart from the usual mental and physical effects of cyberbullying, it can take a toll on the health of the victim. Symptoms like headaches and stomach problems are very often seen in the victims. It can also result in issues that are caused due to stress like various skin conditions and stomach ulcers. Due to binge eating or skipping meals several weight issues can arise, and they might have to deal with insomnia and other sleeping disorders.

Recommended: Effects Of Social Media On Society

3. How To Prevent Cyberbullying?

3.1 Identify Victims:

Identifying victims may be a challenge if they are introverts initially, but every victim leaves off some prominent clues to their condition and their troubles. Isolating oneself and staying alone is one such clue. If they seem to be depressed all the time or are usually anxious and angry, then it may signal that they are going through some form of bullying.

3.2 Steps to be taken by parents and family members:

The primary step is to prevent the kids from coming in contact with these harmful and dangerous predators that are always prowling about for a victim. Try to keep the computer in a common area and stay updated with all the latest websites and trends on the internet. Teach them about the internet and how to use it responsibly and safely.

Communication is an essential step in getting to know about their situation. Talking to the child will help in building trust, and they will be more comfortable in sharing their troubles with the parents. Once they share what is happening, try not to overreact and blame them for the incident.

Ask them to be strong and let them know that they will always have their parents by their side. Cyberbullying is an actual threat and not a childish thing. Realizing the gravity of the situation is important in solving it.

3.3 Steps to be taken schools and colleges:

The faculties should be aware of any student showing the signs of being a bully or being bullied. If they have any concern, then they should delicately handle the situation and inform the authorities to take over the case. Schools should have counselors to assist the students and help them overcome any tough situation.

3.4 Steps to be taken as a country and laws necessary:

Laws against cyberbullying have been in place for quite some time though they were introduced after many such cases were highlighted. The rules are designed to protect the victim and keep the case information confidential. The law enforcement authorities should be proactive in the investigation of such a situation unlike in the Amanda Todd case where the police were slow in taking action and did not consider the matter important which ultimately cost the life of an innocent kid.

 4. Conclusion

Cyberbullying is a serious issue, and it can be truly horrific to go through such a difficult period. Staying strong and fighting back is the only option against these bullies. It’s possible to get over it and live your life again. Seeing a counselor can help the victims handle the incident in a better and a safe way. Life does not get over if you are a victim of cyberbullying and it is possible to fight back.

__________________________

>>>>>END<<<<<

Statistics regarding cases of cyberbullying:

According to the US Department of Justice, in the year 2010 to 2011, 9% of the total students aged between 12 and 18 were cyberbullied.

A survey conducted the year 2012; it was found that almost 55.2% of students belonging to the LGBTQ community were cyberbullied. Over the past years the rate of cyberbullying has increased, and in the year 2016, a survey found that the number of people who have faced cyberbullying at least once in their lifetime doubled from about 18% to nearly 34%.

This is evidence of how rampant cyberbullying is becoming. By the year the percentage of high school students who were bullied had become 5%, and the percentage of middle school students who had become victims of cyberbullying was 24%. Through the help of several surveys, it was found that girls were targeted more than boys in cases of cyberbullying.

Read more: 

  • Pros & Cons Of Social Media
  • Women Empowerment Essay
  • Leadership Essay: Characteristics Of A Good Leader

Liked Our Essay? Share Cyberbullying essay on social media.

Like us on Facebook

Cyberbullying Essay Example

Cyberbullying entails the use of chat rooms, websites, instant messaging, and e-mail for deliberately intimidating and antagonizing others. It is variously referred to as online bullying or electronic bullying. To get more insight on cyber bullying, lecturers may give tests and essays on cyber bullying and this is where the services of competent online research writer at Gudwriter will come in. You will get help at an affordable price. Here is a cyber bullying essay sample.

Are your assignments troubling you?

Get your troublesome papers finished by our competent writers now!

Hire A Writer Now

Special offer! Get 20% discount on your first order. Promo code: SAVE20

Is Cyberbullying Worse Than Physical Bullying? Essay Outline

Introduction

Thesis: Given its very nature, cyberbullying is worse than physical bullying which is otherwise known as traditional bullying.

Body

Paragraph 1:

While both physical bullying and cyberbullying may result in long lasting effects on the people involved, the two terms have some notable differences.

  • While the former occurs physically, the latter is only possible through electronic gadgets and through the use of the Internet.
  • In traditional bullying, the victim would easily know and access the one bullying them whereas in cyberbullying, it would be difficult to know or trace the bully.

Paragraph 2:

Cyberbullying is particularly worse and more hurtful than physical bullying because of the anonymity attached to it.

  • Since he or she is unknown to the victim, the person doing cyberbullying gets emboldened while the victim continues to suffer from an increased fear factor.
  • “Because it does not occur face-to-face, bullies are able to mete out pain without witnessing the consequences and victims often cannot stand up for themselves, even if they are so inclined.”

Paragraph 3:

Another factor that makes online bullying more hurtful, and is closely related to anonymity, is the ability of the bully to say things that they would not possibly say to their victim physically to their face.

  • When a bully thinks they can continue remaining unknown to the victim and other people, “they are less inhibited in saying things they never would say to a person face-to-face.”
  • A person would not have to be accountable for their actions if they can hide behind a screen through the help of technology.
  • Effectively, this causes the fear of being caught and punished to diminish because the person cannot be identified with an action they committed.

Paragraph 4:

Cyberbullying is also conducted on and through environments that are new and are not inhibited by many traditional limitations.

  • It is not limited by time or place and thus has no set medium, locations, or hours.
  • When one can send their victim hurtful messages throughout at their own pleasure, it feels like there is no rout for escaping or evading the constant attack by an unknown tormentor.

Paragraph 5:

Some people would argue that physical bullying is worse than cyberbullying as it may involve the victim suffering bodily harm from the bully.

  • While it is true that bodily harm are serious to the physical health of the victim, this argument fails to recognize the fact that cyberbullying can cause very serious mental harm to the victim.
  • Mental harm could cause the victim to suffer from self-inflicted bodily harm or even commit suicide.

Conclusion

While bullying in any form is hurtful and harmful, cyberbullying is worse than physical bullying in this respect. Cyberbullying has made work easier for bullies because they no longer have to conduct bullying at given times and in given places. Coupled with the fact that it allows for anonymity on the part of the bully, cyberbullying causes more harm.

Is Cyberbullying Worse Than Physical Bullying?

Introduction

It is common knowledge that bullying of any kind through whatever platform is harmful to the victim(s). The matter has however been worsened by technological advancements which have since escalated bullying to a whole new and more dangerous level. This new kind of bullying entails the use of bash or chat rooms, voting booths, websites, instant messaging, and e-mail for deliberately intimidating and antagonizing others. It is variously referred to as cyberbullying, online bullying, or electronic bullying. A measure of mean spiritedness seems to be encouraged by the Internet even though the same Internet allows for communication that is unbridled and undisturbed. Given its very nature, cyberbullying is worse than physical bullying which is otherwise known as traditional bullying.

While both physical bullying and cyberbullying may result in long lasting effects on the people involved, the two terms have some notable differences. One of the major differences between “bullying” and “cyberbullying” is that while the former occurs physically, the latter is only possible through electronic gadgets and through the use of the Internet. This is the reason why it is sometimes called online bullying. Another difference is that in traditional bullying, the victim would easily know and access the one bullying them whereas in cyberbullying, it would be difficult to know or trace the bully. In cyberbullying, a bully can disguise their true identity by hiding behind a user name that is pseudonymous (Henkin, 2012). This makes them to be more aggressive in their bullying behavior and thus makes cyberbullying more dangerous as compared to physical bullying.

This anonymity attached to cyberbullying makes it worse and more hurtful than physical bullying. Since the bully is unknown to the victim, he or she gets emboldened while the victim continues to suffer from an increased fear factor. “Because it does not occur face-to-face, bullies are able to mete out pain without witnessing the consequences and victims often cannot stand up for themselves, even if they are so inclined” (Beale & Hall, 2007). This implies that no matter the amount of pain the victim suffers from cyberbullying, there is actually nothing they would do to avert or avoid it as long as the bully persists. Electronic bullying thus becomes so insidious and hurtful largely because of its secretive nature. A tormentor can access the victim at their own pleasure and hurl whatever insults or other hurtful acts or messages to them while remaining rest assured that they are unknown.

Another factor that makes online bullying more hurtful, and is closely related to anonymity, is the ability of the bully to say things that they would not possibly say to their victim physically to their face. According to Beale and Hall (2007), when a bully thinks they can continue remaining unknown to the victim and other people, “they are less inhibited in saying things they never would say to a person face-to-face.” As a matter of fact, even if the victim strives to identify the bully online, they (the bully) can claim that their screen name is being used by someone to cause the bullying. A person would not have to be accountable for their actions if they can hide behind a screen through the help of technology. Effectively, this causes the fear of being caught and punished to diminish because the person cannot be identified with an action they committed. “This phenomenon is referred to as disinhibition and requires that administrators create a comprehensive sunlight plan for bringing cyberbullying out of the shadows…” (Beale & Hall, 2007).

Cyberbullying is also conducted on and through environments that are new and are not inhibited by many traditional limitations. Cyberbullying can be conducted from anywhere and at any time unlike traditional or physical bullying that is only possible through face-to-face interaction and outside the home. It is not limited by time or place and thus has no set medium, locations, or hours. When one can send their victim hurtful messages throughout at their own pleasure, it feels like there is no rout for escaping or evading the constant attack by an unknown tormentor. While traditional bullying never goes beyond the public space into the home, cyberbullying follows one right into their home and into whatever room they might “hide” (Parker, 2014). With the home no longer serving as a safe zone free from bullying, cyberbullying victims continue to get harassed and thus grow increasingly helpless.

Some people would argue that physical bullying is worse than cyberbullying as it may involve the victim suffering bodily harm from the bully. Such arguments hold that bodily harm is more serious than just insults that cause no bodily injuries to the victim (Hunter, 2012). While it is true that bodily harm are serious to the physical health of the victim, this argument fails to recognize the fact that cyberbullying can cause very serious mental harm to the victim. While bodily harm may be treated and see the victim recover fully, mental harm could be as dangerous and as long lasting as to cause the victim to suffer from self-inflicted bodily harm or even commit suicide. Moreover, in physical bullying, the victim has the chance of running away or avoiding bodily harm. In cyberbullying on the other hand, the victim has no leeway of evading the constant attacks.

Conclusion

While bullying in any form is hurtful and harmful, cyberbullying is worse than physical bullying in this respect. In physical bullying, both the victim and the tormentor have to be physically present at the same place and at the same time. Cyberbullying has since made work easier for bullies because they no longer have to conduct bullying at given times and in given places. They can now do it at the comfort of their homes and at whatever time and still reach their target victims with their messages of harassment. The victim can no longer use their home as a safe haven where they can avoid being bullied. Coupled with the fact that it allows for anonymity on the part of the bully, cyberbullying causes more harm and is definitely worse than physical bulling. 

References

Beale, A., & Hall, K. (2007). Cyberbullying: what school administrators (and parents) can do. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 81(1), 8-12.

Henkin, R. (2012). Speaking my mind: confronting bullying: it really can get better. The English Journal, 101(6), 110-113.

Hunter, N. (2012). Cyber bullying. Chicago, IL: Raintree.

Parker, R. J. (2014). Beyond sticks and stones: cyberbullying. North Charleston: Createspace Independent Pub.

Here are the basic steps to follow in writing your research paper.

Cyberbullying Essay Outline

Introduction

Thesis: Acts of cyberbullying have put people through immense suffering that can and should be prevented.

Body

Paragraph 1:

“Victims of cyberbullying can have lasting emotional, concentration and behavioral issues.”

  • These problems may negatively affect their social lives.
  • They may find it challenging to get along with others.
  • They find it difficult to trust other people
  • They are likely to start engaging in alcohol and drug abuse at an early age.

Paragraph 2:

Cyberbullying victims feel powerless and vulnerable as they often find it difficult to feel safe.

  • It is possible for a bully to invade their home at any time of the day.
  • They no longer have a place to ‘hide’.
  • The bullies can choose to remain anonymous as long as they taunt their victims.

Paragraph 3:

Online bullying makes victims feel dissatisfied with who they are as it often attacks them where they are most vulnerable.

  • They begin to develop a feeling of doubt about their self worth and value.
  • They may respond by causing harm to themselves in some way. 

Paragraph 4:

Cyberbullying may be prevented through the monitoring of children’s or teenager’s online activity by their parents or guardians.

  • Parents should know what sites their children visit when online and the people they interact with.
  • They should develop trustworthiness with a child so that they would be ready to willingly reveal their online activity.
  • They may also make use of an iPhone monitoring app such as Pumpic.

Paragraph 5:

Cyberbullying may also be prevented through engagement of parents and youth by schools.

  • A school may create a community where a unified message against cyberbullying would be sent by adults and learners.
  • It may establish a school safety committee and entrust it with discussing and controlling the problems of online bullying.
  • Schools may create cyberbullying rules and policies.

Paragraph 6: 

Cyberbullying is so dangerous that it should be criminalized.

  • It pushes its victims to attempt or actually commit suicide.
  • In 2013, a teenage girl took her own life in the U.S. as a result of being bullied online.

Conclusion

Cyberbullying has far reaching effects on its victims and it should thus be prevented or seriously controlled. It subjects people to emotional torture so much that they begin to doubt their worth and value as human beings. Prevention of this detrimental phenomenon majorly lies with parents and schools.

Cyberbullying Essay Sample 2

Introduction

Cyberbullying refers to electronic aggression whereby such technology as social media, the Internet, gaming environments, and smartphones are deliberately used to threaten, badmouth, humiliate, or harass people. Just like any other form of bullying, cyber-bullying can negatively affect someone’s well-being, reputation, and joy in life. Compared to the “traditional” face-to-face bullying, this form of bullying is more ferocious as it allows bullies to hide behind digital gadgets and taunt their victims as much as they want. It thus magnifies the problem of bullying. Acts of cyber bullying have put people through immense suffering that can and should be prevented.

Victims of cyberbullying can have lasting emotional, concentration, and behavioral issues. These problems may negatively affect their social lives as they may find it challenging to get along with others. They find it difficult to trust other people and are more likely to start engaging in alcohol and drug abuse at an early age. In addition, cyberbullying can make its victims to develop dangerous stigmas and at the same time suffer harmful shame from other people, especially their peers. They can suffer physiological symptoms despite not being threatened physically. They frequently complain of stomach pain and headaches that are usually a result of nervousness (Duverge, 2015). They may also harm themselves by for instance damaging or cutting their skin with razor blades.

Cyberbullying victims also feel powerless and vulnerable as they often find it difficult to feel safe. This typically emanates from the possibility of a bully invading their home at any time of the day, nighttime included, through a cell phone or computer. Unlike initially when they could count themselves safe once they were at home, they no longer have a place to ‘hide’. Additionally, the feelings of fear can escalate due to the fact that the bullies can choose to remain anonymous as long as they taunt their victims. While some cyberbullies choose people they know, these people have no idea who is subjecting them to this immense pain and depression (Schwartz, 2013). The victims thus cannot help but remain wishful that their tormentors could soon stop.

Further, online bullying makes victims feel dissatisfied with who they are as it often attacks them where they are most vulnerable. Consequently, targets of this vice often begin to develop a feeling of doubt about their self-worth and value and may respond by causing harm to themselves in some way (Völlink, Dehue, & Guckin, 2015). For example, if a bully calls a girl fat, the girl may begin to take a crash diet while believing that the bullying will stop if she changes how she looks. There are also other times when victims may try to avoid additional bullying by changing something about their attitude or appearance. Often, the net effect of such self-induced changes is that they are more harmful than beneficial.

Cyberbullying may be prevented through monitoring of children’s or teenager’s online activity by their parents or guardians. Parents should know what sites their children visit when online and the people they interact with over the Internet (Lindeen, 2017). One way to do this would be to develop trustworthiness with a child so that they would be ready to willingly reveal their online activity. Alternatively, a parent can install an iPhone monitoring app such as Pumpic. This way, they would be able to monitor the general online behavior of the child including their social media activity such as Facebook and Instagram as well as their call logs and text messages, including deleted ones. One can also remotely control or block their child’s phone using a personal cell phone or a PC.

Another way of preventing cyberbullying would be through engagement of parents and youth by schools. A school may do this by creating a community where a unified message against cyberbullying would be sent by adults and learners. A school may also establish a school safety committee and entrust it with discussing and controlling the problems of online bullying. Additionally, schools may create rules and policies that govern the vice, including reporting systems for cyberbullying. While taking all these steps, it is important that the school informs parents, children, and the entire school community about their main objectives (Lindeen, 2017). This would improve the effectiveness of the initiatives in alleviating the online bullying problem as perpetuated by the children.

Cyberbullying is so dangerous that it should be criminalized. One of the reasons why this detrimental practice should be a criminal offense is that it pushes its victims to attempt or actually commit suicide. A case that caught the attention of the entire nation in the United States occurred in 2013 when a teenage girl took her own life as a result of being bullied online. The girl in question was known as Hannah Smith and was by the time of her death 14 years old. Some users of ask.fm, a social media site that she frequented, reportedly tormented her to an extent that she could no longer take it (BBC News, 2013). As one may imagine, the young girl must have felt both worthless and helpless and saw death as the ultimate solution. To prevent such unfortunate occurrences in the future, there needs to be a clear law detailing how cyberbullying should be legally dealt with. The absence of such legislation might only imply more suicide cases related to the practice in the country.

Conclusion

Cyberbullying has far reaching effects on its victims and it should thus be prevented or seriously controlled. It subjects people to emotional torture so much that they begin to doubt their worth and value as human beings. One may find it difficult to socialize with others and may resort to being alone or even harm themselves physically with an object. They may further adopt a harmful lifestyle just to change who they are in terms of their appearance. Prevention of this detrimental phenomenon majorly lies with parents and schools. Parents should strive to ensure that their children do not use the Internet to offend others. Similarly, schools should device effective methods and initiatives for preventing children from engaging in online bullying. The government should also come in and criminalize the practice.

References

BBC News, 2013. “Cyberbullying law needed, says children’s commissioner for Wales”. BBC. Retrieved July 3, 2020 from https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-24525491.

Duverge, G. (2015). Digital threats: The impact of cyberbullying. Touro University Worldwide. Retrieved May 22, 2018 from http://www.tuw.edu/content/health/impact-of-cyberbullying/

Lindeen, M. (2017). Digital safety smarts: Preventing cyberbullying. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publications.

Schwartz, H. E. (2013). Cyberbullying. Mankato, MN: Capstone Press.

Völlink, T., Dehue, F., & Guckin, C. (2015). Cyberbullying: From theory to intervention. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis.

Gudwriter Custom Papers

Special offer! Get 20% discount on your first order. Promo code: SAVE20

Sample of Cyber Bullying Essay


Posted on

September 11, 2017

Today we are all wired to the Internet and technologies. The world that once could not imagine the possibility to talk to a person in a different country sitting at home, now can see a person and communicate with them as if they are talking face-to-face. The Internet opened the world of unique opportunities and possibilities, as well as of new dangers. Nowadays, we face a new way of bullying that is cyber bullying. Tons of people, especially teenagers, become the victims of aggression, embarrassment and harassment online. The worst thing is that many do not even realize that they are being bullied.

As an adolescent, I am truly concerned with what is happening on the Internet. My classmates, my friends and I can also become the victims of cyber bullying. That is why I have decided to study the concept of bullying, find out the reasons why people do that and see who is to blame. Finally, my aim is to analyze and come up with the ways to stop cyber bullying.

While the Internet has long become a dangerous place with all the viruses and programming faults, today it has become a dangerous place for people. The cases of cyber bullying have increased over the last years and this has to stop. Children, teenagers and adults become the victims of digital bullying. It leads not only to low self-esteem and deep depressions, but it also ends up with suicide.

Cyber bullying is a problem affecting different countries worldwide. I have chosen to examine the issue in the USA, as there are many documented incidents and the percentage of cyber bullies and the victims is truly high. In my cyber bullying essay I will pay attention to truly shocking incidents that shows the significance of the problem of digital bullying.

As the situation with cyber bullying is becoming dire, the US government has already imposed laws regarding the issues. Many states have already started controlling and regulating cyber bullying as well as the traditional one. Despite the fact that the Internet allows anonymity for anybody, the society still tries to find the ways to stop it from happening. In my paper, I will try to analyze these ways, as I am truly concerned with the issue. I will develop the research question: ‘How can cyber bullying be stopped?’

In this paper, I will define the main concepts, report and analyze the incidents, show statistics and try to investigate the ways to stop cyber bullying.

Cyber bullying is a situation when a person is being threatened, humiliated, embarrassed, tormented and hurt by another person using text messaging, e-mails, or any other type of digital technologies. Cyber bullies can post some humiliating information about a person online. The victim of cyber bullying can often be ridiculed on forums and social media by a group of people. A cyber bullying situation can be of different character, still one thing that is similar is humiliation.

Who are Cyber Bullies

A cyber bully is a person who torments other people’s lives using digital technologies. On the one hand, a cyber bully is no different than a traditional bully. They humiliate, laugh at, and threaten others to feel more confident themselves. Cyber bullies get satisfaction when others suffer. This is how they feel stronger. On the other hand, cyber bullies can often be the victims of bullying themselves. As the research shows, those who bully are often more depressed than their victims. Bullies want to have power and they find it by humiliating and threatening others.

Repercussions of Cyber Bullying

The harmful effects of cyber bullying lead to depression, nervous break downs and even suicide. Tons of people are hurt on the Internet and the consequences can be truly tragic.

When a person becomes the victim of cyber bullying, the first emotions are often those of confusion. Cyber bullies like to work in groups, as this is how they feel stronger together. Usually, there is no particular reason why they do that. That is why it is difficult for a victim to understand why they are being targeted. Bullies are just mean and this is the way to feel powerful. However, they do not take into account how they hurt their victims.

Those who are bullied at school often start getting low grades. Children do not want to go to school or to go outside. They start feeling lonely. The longer a person is bullied, the more difficult it is for them to find new friends and communicate. The victims of bullying become depressed and feel helpless, as they often do not know where and who to turn to help for. Examining all the harmful effects of cyber bullying, it is clear that it should be stopped, but the question is how can it be stopped?

What Actions to Take if You are Bullied

It is truly important to know how to protect ourselves. When a person feels that they are being targeted by a cyber bully, they need to take actions immediately. First of all, do not take the bully seriously. Ignore them both online and in real life if you see this person. Remember, that a bully is looking for a victim and if you are not susceptible to their threats, the bullies will leave you alone. Secondly, it would be a good idea to turn to a counselor or parents for help and advice. Finally, do not let a bully get into your mind and influence your self-esteem.

Is Cyber Bullying a Problem?

A problem that leads to depression and anxiety cannot be left unnoticed. While teenagers do not often regard cyber bullying as a real problem, most adults are truly concerned with this issue. Even though many people claim that there is nothing real on the Internet, the incidents of depression and suicides caused by cyber bullying are rising. When a person knows how to protect themselves from bullies, they will not face the dire consequences of digital bullying. However, what should others do who do not know about all the dangers of the Internet? Cyber bullying is a problem, quite a big one. That is why we should educate people how not to become the victims of tormentors. People should be taught how not to be mocked on the Internet or how to be immune to Internet dangers.

Shocking Incidents of Cyber Bullying

In 2008 people in the USA were shocked by the dangers of cyber bullying. Megan Meier, a 13-year-old girl killed herself after being the victim of cruel cyber bullying. The incident took place in Missouri and showed the real problem of digital abuse. Investigators found out that Megan was bullied by a group of people including Lori Drews and an 18-year-old officer. Lori Drews is the father of Megan’s friend and the young officer worked for Mr. Drews. They have created a profile of a young guy who started communicating with Megan and getting closer with her through communication. Megan talked to them at Myspace (a social networking site). When their ‘joke’ was revealed, Megan just could not take all the humiliation. She did not have enough mental strength to deal with the situation and committed suicide. At the then days, there were no laws regulating cyber bullying. For this reason, the group of bullies was not prosecuted. Nowadays, Missouri has imposed the list of laws against cyber bullying.

Another incident happened in Massachusetts. Phoebe Prince committed suicide after she was harassed at school and humiliated via messaging and websites. Phoebe was 15 years old when she decided to kill herself, all because the bullies convinced her in being a total loser.

According to a cyber bullying research survey in 2008, 43% out of 2,000 students questioned have been the victims of digital bullying:

  • 18,1% were hurt after receiving upsetting emails

  • 15,8% faced humiliation through instant messaging

  • 14,1% got upset after someone posting something about them on Myspace

Another survey in September 2009 showed even more dire results. Among 1,247 young people aged 14-24, 50% were the victims of digital abusive behavior and 45% stated that they witness mean behavior on social networking sites.

Cyber Bullying Compared to Traditional Bullying

Words hurt as well as physical pain. The faceless Internet made it possible for anybody to become a bully. You can never know who is there on the other side sending you threatening messages; whether it is a well-built man in his mid-years, or it is a tiny girl mad at the whole world. You will never know. This is what makes cyber bullying more harmful than traditional bullying. The Internet allows anybody to become the evil and do disgusting things without being identified. Cyber bullies feel the power of impunity and this is a destructive force to a person. As the research shows, cyber bullying causes more damage than traditional one. While being bullied at school, you can just ignore the bully and go home, when being bullied digitally you feel like you have nowhere to hide.

Laws Against Cyber Bullying

With the anonymity and hidden identities online it is still a challenge to trace the guilty party. Nevertheless, the states are doing their best to pass new legislations that will regulate cyber bullying and persecute the tormentors.

Some laws penalizing cyber bullying were introduced in New York, Missouri, Rhode Island, and Maryland. In 2007, a number of states passed legislations dealing with cyber bullying and regarding it as misdemeanor. In 2008, a bill making cyber bullying illegal was approved in Jefferson City of Missouri. In the same year in California, the lawmakers passed the law dealing directly with cyber bullying.

In Arkansas in 2007, the law was imposed that allowed school officials to take actions and deal with cyber bullies, no matter whether the bullying took place on the school property or not. School officials are allowed to punish cyber bullies who act against their fellow students in Iowa, New Jersey the Garden State and Idaho. Moreover, in Idaho a student can be suspended if being responsible for harassing and tormenting students using electronic devices (computers, phones etc.)

In Vermont but for the strict legislation dealing with cyber bullying, there is a fine of 500 dollars for people who are mean and offensive on the Internet.

Schools’ Policies Towards Cyber Bullying

As there is an aggravation of cyber bullying, most schools applied policies against digital abusive behavior. Many schools reduced the range of the Internet sites available at school in order to protect students from using the sites where they can face cyber bullying. However, it cannot be the only solution. That is why schools imposed anti-bullying rules. They monitor any problematic behavior at school. They try to track students’ mean behavior online if any. Last but not least, educators and school officials teach students about the dangers of cyber bullying. Teachers try to explain the importance of telling parents and counselor about any digital abuse and asking for help if needed. Finally, students are taught how to avoid cyber bullying: what to do and how to act.

Who should be blamed?

If only it was that simple to find the guilty party, make them responsible for cyber bullying and solve the problem. In reality, it is truly difficult to indentify the personality of cyber bullies, as they have got tons of fake profiles on Facebook and Myspace. Still, there is no regulation that can help to make fake profiles disappear.

When looking for a person to blame for cyber bullying, we sometimes need to look at ourselves. In other words, sometimes we should blame the society. Today, violence is promoted through video games, computer games, television and movies. From the early age of life, children believe that violence is a norm. In future such kids can become cyber bullies, wanting power and control over others.

To make things even worse, teenagers do not often talk to their parents about the problems. That is why when they face cyber bullying, they keep it to themselves. Parents for their part sometimes are not interested in finding out what bothers their children. In addition to that, not all the schools pay enough attention to the problem of cyber bullying. I believe we should work together as a society, because if the society does nothing to solve the problem, then this society should be blamed for the dire consequences of cyber bullying.

Conclusion

The Internet and technologies make our lives easier, that is for sure. However, we have faced the flip side of our era, that is cyber bullying and difficulties to stop it. Society should be truly concerned with the harmful effects of digital abusive behavior. Schools should play a key role in educating children about netiquette and protecting young learners from cyber bullying. People should know all the truth about cyber bullying and the ways to protect themselves from it.

The situation with cyber bullying is getting only worse, as the incidents of depression and suicide are only increasing. That is our aim to deal with the monster created online that is impunity. The society cannot keep silent when people are being affected by cyber bullies. We need to find the way to stop this growing problem.

After the research, I realize that the problem cannot be stopped, as we cannot deal with anonymity on the Internet. However, something has to be done to at least make this problem smaller. While we cannot stop anonymous bullies, we can help the victims to be less susceptible to harassment and humiliation they face. Our society can help those who suffer from bullying and educate them how to protect themselves.

It is clear from the research that the situation is dire, but the actions against digital abuse behavior have already been taken. The society made the first step to protect people from bullying and together we can remedy the situation.

If you enjoyed this cyber bullying essay, you can contact our writing service for professional help and we will assist you with any paper.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia Britannica

  • Entertainment & Pop Culture
  • Geography & Travel
  • Health & Medicine
  • Lifestyles & Social Issues
  • Literature
  • Philosophy & Religion
  • Politics, Law & Government
  • Science
  • Sports & Recreation
  • Technology
  • Visual Arts
  • World History
  • On This Day in History
  • Quizzes
  • Podcasts
  • Dictionary
  • Biographies
  • Summaries
  • Top Questions
  • Week In Review
  • Infographics
  • Demystified
  • Lists
  • #WTFact
  • Companions
  • Image Galleries
  • Spotlight
  • The Forum
  • One Good Fact
  • Entertainment & Pop Culture
  • Geography & Travel
  • Health & Medicine
  • Lifestyles & Social Issues
  • Literature
  • Philosophy & Religion
  • Politics, Law & Government
  • Science
  • Sports & Recreation
  • Technology
  • Visual Arts
  • World History
  • Britannica Classics
    Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.
  • Demystified Videos
    In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.
  • #WTFact Videos
    In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.
  • This Time in History
    In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.
  • Britannica Explains
    In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.
  • Student Portal
    Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.
  • COVID-19 Portal
    While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.
  • 100 Women
    Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.
  • Britannica Beyond
    We’ve created a new place where questions are at the center of learning. Go ahead. Ask. We won’t mind.
  • Saving Earth
    Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century. Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them!
  • SpaceNext50
    Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!

The Internet was originally invented as a resource for communication and exchange of information between scientists from different parts of the world. However, today, it has become available to everyone today and it is now developing very actively. At the moment, almost 60% of people from all over the world can go online, while most of them have accounts on social networks, which has turned into a place of heated debates and discussions on any given topic. Since the online world is inhabited by the same people as the offline one, conflicts become inevitable. “Bullies” begin to appear on the Web, taking pleasure in humiliating other participants of discussions. This phenomenon is called cyberbullying.

How to avoid bullying, how to protect yourself from offenders? Do any punishments exist? How to protect your children? Today we will outline and discuss these and other issues.

Contents:

  • What is cyberbullying?
    • The actors of cyberbullying 
  • Types of cyberbullying
  • Why do people do that?
  • The dangers and effects of cyberbullying
  • How to stop cyberbullying: tips for victims
  • What if my child has become a victim of cyberbullying? 
  • What if my child is an aggressor?
  • Will you be protected by law?
  • Prevention of bullying on the web

cyberbullying

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

The term “cyberbullying” was introduced by psychologists in the mid-1990s to describe bullying in the online space, right at the time when the Internet hit the masses. Cyberbullying can take many forms, ranging from insults and stalking, to blackmail, harassment, defamation, and theft of personal data. All of the forms mentioned above may cause psychological trauma to the victim.

Cyberbullying can take the two following forms:

  1. Public: in the presence of “viewers”, for example, during a discussion under a post.
  2. Personal: insults come through private messages.

Unlike regular bullying in the real world cyberbullying occurs on the Internet and often does not go beyond online. However, when it comes to bullying collectively (for example, in a classroom), the types of bullying complement each other, exacerbating the victim’s position. Nevertheless, whereas everyone sees and knows the bully in real life, the person may stay anonymous on the Internet.

It is important to note that cyberbullying is a long and systematic process. A single unflattering or angry comment cannot be considered bullying.

Who becomes the aggressor and the victim? As a rule, middle and high school students are more likely to encounter cyberbullying, since it is during adolescence that children try different forms of dominance in a group. Teens do not know how to express their feelings and emotions in the right way at this point, which leads them to release aggression in a socially acceptable way. Nevertheless, this does not mean that any other age group of network users cannot be bullied.

The actors of cyberbullying

what is cyberbullying

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

The bullying process (both online and offline) always involves several actors. Let’s take a closer look at their characteristics.

The aggressor

The person who attacks the victim, as a rule, is not confident and is afraid to become noticeable. They want to feel better than others, not for their own particularities, but rather at the expense of bringing the other person down (the victim). If in the past, more physically developed males became bullies, nowadays, with the development of technology, anyone can think that they can assert themselves at the expense of others.

By using what the Internet has got to offer, the aggressor can hide under different accounts, as well as get accomplices; this increases the amount of harm done to the victim. The concept of staying anonymous encourages the attackers to allow themselves to do more than they could do in real life.

The victim

cyberbullying definition

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

Any person can become the victim of a cyber attack. In fact, a very large number of people have experienced this phenomenon online. According to the data, today, a staggering 1 in 3 teenagers have experienced cyberbullying, and 25% of children have faced repetitive bullying.

Media personalities are also widely familiar with cyberbullying. For example, the actively developing “cancel culture” (boycott of a certain person by the public) in Western countries is increasingly turning into real persecution for well-known people, from which they cannot hide. Most often, no amount of apology or excuse can save them from the anger of the crowd.

As a rule, the victims are anxious and fearful teenagers. They have few acquaintances and friends who could come to their rescue. Low self-esteem only supports their belief that everything said by the aggressor is true, and that there is simply no way to fight back. Their high level of anxiety does not allow them to work on themselves. Therefore, the aggressor quickly spots the “painful traits” of the victim and begins to destroy their life in a systematic manner.

The witnesses

cyberbullying statistics

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

It is important to mention another actor in this conflict the witnesses. Even without being an aggressor or victim, cyberbullying can often be simply spotted on the Internet, and this could be a serious test for a fragile child’s psyche. Witnesses can take one of the sides by becoming an “aggressor’s assistant” or a “protector”, or they can stand aside.

  • “The aggressor’s helpers” are very conformable, as they would agree with the opinion of the majority of the people. They are ready to carry out the instructions of the aggressor and are afraid to be in the victim’s place;
  • “The protectors” — cyberbullying participants are doing their best to stop the bullying and to find ways of reconciliation. They are non-conflicting and want a comfortable existence within the group of people. These are people with good self-esteem who are not looking for trouble.

Numerous studies exist, some of them contradict each other. They argue whether boys or girls are more likely to become the victims and the aggressors, therefore, gender is not likely to be a fundamental factor when it comes to cyberbullying.

Types of cyberbullying

effects of cyberbullying

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

Cyberbullying on the Internet exists in various forms and under different names. Let’s discuss each of them in detail.

Тrolling

It is not exactly bullying, but rather a kind of a “tough challenge” and a “competition” in humor. As a rule, the troll does not care with whom and for how long to “compete”. If a more witty remark comes in response, or if the comment is completely ignored, the “humorist” will go elsewhere in pursuit of appreciation and recognition.

Flaming

This is also not harassment yet. It is a single outburst of anger towards a person that is expressed with an offensive comment or harsh criticism. As a rule, the authors of such rude messages do not need an answer. They pour out their reaction to a certain product (such as a post, an article, a video, a photo, etc.) and move on, forgetting about your existence immediately.

Hating

It comes from the word “hatred”, and it stands for full-fledged persecution against a person in the online space. The victim is literally showered with offensive messages and comments through social networks, instant messengers, video hosting, etc.

Harassment

how is cyberbullying real

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

This is bullying with clear sexual connotations. The person begins to receive messages with photographs and videos of a sexual nature, as well as inappropriate calls and messages. It can take place as a form of revenge, in which an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend begins to threaten to upload photographic or video files of an intimate nature of the victim, for everyone to see.

Defamation (dissing)

It is the dissemination of inaccurate information and rumors about the victim in order to cause maximum damage to their reputation. Fake chats and photoshopped images and posts with distorted information can all be created for this purpose.

Identity theft

This occurs through hacking the user’s page or creating a copy of it and spreading negative false information. Offensive messages may also be sent to friends, teachers (in the case of schoolchildren), etc, on behalf of the victim.

Boycotting

delete cyberbullying scholarship

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

It often happens within a real group of people. The victim is excluded from public groups and chats, depriving them of the opportunity to participate in discussions and express their opinion. Any little thing that distinguishes the child from the rest of the group can become a reason for a boycott.

Publication of personal information

This refers to any information published on the Internet about a person that is not in the public domain that can have serious consequences for the victim. For example, it is enough to “leak” the home address of a famous person to cause them great trouble, up to force them to change their place of residence. Moreover, uploading photos of an intimate nature or of a source of income on the Web without the permission of a person is a form of bullying too.

Cyberstalking

It consists of prolonged online harassment, accompanied by death threats and sexual harassment. The aggressor follows their victim literally everywhere on the web by commenting on photographs, joining the same groups, and finding out information about the victim from friends.

Open attacks and threats of harm

These are comments and messages that contain descriptions of physical violence in a direct or indirect form, often going as far as having attempts to track down the victim in the real world.

Cyberbullying is often not limited to one type of bullying, it is multifaceted as it all depends on the imagination of the bully.

Why do people do that?

examples of cyberbullying

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

The reasons for starting to bully the victim can be completely different, for instance, resentment, envy, or anger. However, the catalyst for putting work into action is the anonymity and the permissiveness of the Internet environment.

Some of the aggressors may have been initially afraid to be among the victims and therefore they’ve made the decision to attack first. This often happens to witnesses of bullying. By humiliating other people, they intend to join a stronger group or even lead it. If the goal consists in asserting themselves in the role of a leader, then the abuser is more likely to use their personal account, rather than an anonymous identity.

Representatives of other cultures and nationalities are often the objects of ridicule. Lack of competent initiatives to bring a class together at school can lead to open conflicts on ethnic or cultural grounds.

Anonymity and quasi-limitless possibilities allow insecure, weak, and embittered users to posit themselves as powerful and smart people on the Internet. Such people, as a rule, choose their victims among those who are superior to them in some way.

Revenge is also a frequent trigger for cyberattacks. An offended friend, partner, ex-boyfriend, or girlfriend may initiate bullying to avenge their own grievances, real or imaginary. Previously close relationships with people allowed bullies to learn a lot of personal information about the victim, which worsens the situation.

The dangers and effects of cyberbullying

types of cyberbullying

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

First of all, huge damage is inflicted on the psyche of the victim of cyberbullying. Social ties are torn (at least, it seems so to a teenager), anxiety increases, headaches, nightmares, and mood swings start occurring. The teenager may also develop depression and suicidal thoughts.

The aggressor who fulfills their unhealthy desires over and over again, enhances their own negative traits, thus aggravating their psychological problems. Remember that a mentally healthy person will never bully people, either in real or in virtual life. Subsequently, a bully will find it difficult to build healthy relationships with other people in the future.

Witnesses are also traumatized when placed in a conflict environment. Most children are forced to take the position of the aggressor in order not to become a victim. If a “defender” appears in the group, then they have to withstand colossal pressure from the aggressive majority.

Unfortunately, cyberbullying most often begins in a school environment. Therefore, parents and teachers should pay close attention to the atmosphere in the classroom.

How to stop cyberbullying: tips for victims

cyberbullying facts

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

If you’ve encountered bullying, take steps to preserve your own identity immediately. The sooner you start building up your defense, the less damage you will be dealing with later.

  1. The first message can be ignored or a complaint can be sent to the social or messenger support team. If it was just trolling or flaming, then ignoring would be the best way to defend yourself. Remember that you cannot be perfect for everyone, and if so, why try for the sake of someone who you don’t know?
  2. If it seems to you that you are being bullied and humiliated systematically by one person, protect yourself from this person. Almost all messengers and social networks have the functions to submit a complaint or to block a person.
  3. Even if you communicate with a person close to you, try not to transmit personal information through social networks and instant messengers to them, as they can be used against you. Remember that absolutely anyone can be on the other side of the screen.
  4. At the workplace, do not be afraid to report what is happening to your superiors and try to resolve the conflict at an early stage. Do not be afraid to discuss this issue with colleagues, friends, and loved ones. The more people learn about the bully at an early stage, the less harm the future potential victims will receive.
  5. If you switch jobs, and aggressors appear over and over again, it may be time to revise your personality. What traits attract bullies that much? Perhaps a little work on yourself will allow you not only to get rid of bullying but also to reach a new professional level.

What if my child has become a victim of cyberbullying?

definition of cyberbullying

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

All parents want their children to be healthy and happy, as well as for them to have friends, a good class, the best teachers, and for their school years to become memorable and fun. However, unfortunately, this is not always the case.

Unfortunately, lots of children face bullying at school, in their peer group, or on the Internet. According to statistics, in the US, 64% of children do not tell their parents that they are facing such problems.

Signs that a child is being bullied online:

  1. The child began to spend less time on the phone, or, conversely, started using it too often.
  2. The teenager feels visibly depressed, irritated and upset after being on the Internet.
  3. The child becomes anti-social, does not want to make contact, and does not want to talk to their parents.
  4. The child’s academic performance is degrading.
  5. Their appetite is disturbed, headaches and other psychosomatic disorders appear.

After having noticed changes in the teenager’s behavior, parents need to try to bring their child into a conversation about what is happening. No need to put pressure or spy on your child: just tell them that you are always there and ready to help them. Sometimes it is difficult for a child to admit that they have become a victim of bullying, especially if they are being blackmailed with photographs or personal information at the same time. Invite them to write you a text or record an audio message and promise not to punish or scold them for what they will confess to you.

As soon as bullying is confirmed, tell your child that this is not a normal situation and that you must stop it together.

Modern technology can assist you in this situation. You will either be able to check if your child is being bullied offline or online or to get evidence of bullying and use it against the bully in the future. Make sure to know which apps the child uses and how much time they spend on them, know where they are, and listen to what is happening around them with the Find My Kids app.

The plan of defense

cyberbullying on social media

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

Together with your child, find the functions to “complain” or “add to blacklist”, they are available on almost all Internet resources. It will work almost instantly for “occasional bullies”. If rumors, videos, or photos are spread through a community or a chat, and there is no way to remove the insults, contact the admin of the community or the website with a request to remove unwanted content.

  1. Teach your child to block unwanted visitors on their social media. Find together the functions to “complain” or “add to blacklist”, they are available on almost all Internet resources. It will work almost instantly for “occasional bullies”. If rumors, videos, or photos are spread through a community or a chat, in which there is no way to remove the insults, contact the admin of the community or website with a request to remove unwanted content.
  2. Customize the page on the social network and increase its security level. Remove all personal information that may become available to the aggressor. Prevent other users from tagging your child in photos and videos.
  3. Do not respond to cyberbullying and do not enter into a conversation with the abuser. The goal of the aggressor is to receive as many emotions as possible in response, thus highlighting their superiority in their mind. Ignoring their actions will push them to either make a mistake, for which they can be prosecuted or to lose interest in the victim.
  4. Try to find out who exactly is bullying your child. This will allow you to punish the abuser.
  5. Make screenshots of conversations, comments, and other materials that will allow you to give your words some extra weight.
    In the United States, 44 out of 48 states have got a criminal sanction for cyberbullying or electronic harassment in place. Therefore, such actions can be considered as a basis for initiating a criminal case in the presence of threats or harassment. It should also be remembered that notarized screenshots are required to make a case. However, if bullying takes place within the school, it will be enough to show simple proof to the school’s management.
  6. Since cyberbullying often happens inside the classroom or the school, do not be afraid to involve the class teacher, social educator, psychologist, or the school headmaster to solve the problem. This issue needs to be addressed to help children build relationships in the classroom and to stop the bullying.

Remember that a trusting and warm family relationship will allow the child to turn to you for help at an early stage and hence to receive minimal harm from cyberbullying.

What if my child is an aggressor?

cyberbullying effects

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

As we already know, aggressors are people seeking to assert themselves at the expense of weaker people. If you notice that a child is showing aggression for no apparent reason, such as offending other children on the street, or perhaps trying to hurt you, you should not let the situation go. The simple punishment of “a week without a phone” is not enough here, and in some cases, it will only do harm. Aggressive behavior in a child under three years old is normal, due to their unconscious reactions, however, the older a person gets, the better they learn to manage their emotions, including anger.

Thus, if the child is too aggressive, it is necessary to seek the help of a psychiatrist in order to exclude the pathology of the nervous system. If the child is healthy, you have to work directly with family relationships and relationships within the class (if there is evidence of problems at school). Of course, it is necessary to ask for the support of teachers and school administration and to understand what exactly the child is trying to achieve with their behavior. It can be the willingness to attract attention, whilst being in a vulnerable position, or to take a leadership position.

If a teenager is vulnerable, it is necessary to help them to get support and help without the use of force. Praise them for correct behavior more often and ignore aggressiveness. Learn to deal with outbursts of anger and aggression in socially acceptable ways (beat the pillow up, count to ten, etc.). Another way is to enroll them in sports, where they can pour out their energy.

If your child seems to be a leader striving for power, help them to understand that fear is not a sign of respect and love. Show that an attentive, calm, and balanced leader will always be more valuable than any tyrant. Moreover, try to find opportunities to apply your leadership skills, for example, by inviting your child to join the student council.

Will you be protected by law?

cyberbullying laws

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

Today, 44 of the states in the US recognize cyberbullying, and federal law is being proposed at the moment. Each of the 44 states provides a definition of the term “cyberbullying” from a legal perspective. Initiatives with regards to reporting bullying and anti-bullying preventative schemes, along with psychological assistance, are being provided within the communities. Moreover, some more serious offenses and cases of harassment are reported to the police or the FBI.

In order to have a foundation for your case, it is necessary to put together as many facts of malconduct as possible, such as correspondence, screenshots, etc. All this must be notarized in order to be taken into account in a hearing. It is also necessary to indicate and record the exact dates and times of the events that occurred and to provide the necessary Internet links.

Prevention of bullying on the web

stop cyberbullying

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

Remember that a trusting and warm relationship in the family is what will allow the child to turn to their parents for help and advice immediately. Teach children to communicate online in a safe way. Speak to them about the following things:

  • why it is so important to keep personal information confidential;
  • what to look for when selecting photos and videos to post on the Internet;
  • the settings of social media and instant messengers so that strangers cannot get into contact with the child without their consent;
  • the differences of bullying in life and on the Internet so that the teenager knows what it is, which will allow them to react before the situation gets out of control;
  • teach your child to say “no”.

Unfortunately, children that are experiencing communication problems are most often chosen as targets for bullying. Therefore, try to teach your child to interact freely with other people. Communication skills are what will protect your child and enable them to achieve a lot in the future.

What could be said in the end? The Internet has given all people the opportunity to communicate and speak up. Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to behave in a civilized way when using it. The task for adults is to teach children to communicate both in real and virtual life, defend their rights, express their thoughts correctly, criticize without insults, find compromises and remain good people even under the guise of anonymity. In order to achieve this, all parents need to maintain a trusting and friendly atmosphere in the family!

Получите чек-лист подготовки к школе на свою почту

Письмо отправлено!
Проверьте электронный ящик

  • Кем был отец якоба в сказке карлик нос
  • Кибер риски как пишется
  • Кем был отец лизы в рассказе бедная лиза
  • Кибер по английски как пишется
  • Кибер как пишется со словами