Cyberbullying: Bullying for the Dot Com EraEssay Preview: Cyberbullying: Bullying for the Dot Com EraReport this essayIntroductionPhoebe Prince was once a vibrant 15 year old, before she moved to the west Massachusetts town of South Hadley in 2009. After continuously receiving crude messages and emails online she was found dead in her home on January 14, 2010. (De nies, Donaldson, Netter 2010) Phoebe Prince is just one of many victims of cyber bullying; in a survey conducted in 2009 forty three percent of the demographic surveyed, ages fourteen to twenty-four, reported they had been victims of cyber bullying. (Chait)
Cyber bullying has become a growing problem for society and most agree that it needs to be addressed in a much grander spectrum that it is currently. With the introduction of personal computers and cell phones, the ability for bullies to readily have access to the internet, email and social networking sites has greatly increased, which in turn increases the bullies ability to consistently prey on their victims. What was once confined to the playground, school bus or neighborhood, has increased as fast as the programs that run todays computers and cellphones. While this form of abuse is relatively new, it is appearing in headlines more and more frequently. It is important for society to recognize cyber bullying as a serious offense because of the significant amounts of children and adolescents that are suffering its negative effects.
[…]
While we are talking about the new cyber bullying and its spread across the globe, recent events have changed the face of online child violence. At this point, there are more than 50 victims of all races, genders and nationalities who have been sexually assaulted, have suffered horrific abuse, have been attacked by online harassers and at least one person has been sexually assaulted or beaten. We believe sexual assault is one of the most serious crimes in our society and the current cyber bullying epidemic of cyber bullying is already being addressed in an unprecedented manner. To combat cyber bullying we are introducing a number of innovative tools, most of which have little effect on the current crisis that is raging within our nation. As well as reducing the incidence of cyber bullying, we are also introducing a number of measures to prevent it from being spread to schools, workplaces and all areas of life, including in schools.
[…]
A more common form of sexual assault within adults, especially in families, is of intimate partner, sexual activity, harassment or sexual harassment by a young, male partner. At this point, many Americans are having access to information and materials related to sexual violence, the intimate partner, sexual violence, rape, domestic violence or sexual battery, and are learning skills related to these topics. As much as 50% of adults on college campuses can be victims of sexual assault within the year-long period of the study itself. According to the recent research by the National College Victims of Family Violence Centers, approximately 2% of adults report that they or someone close to them have been “spammed” to sexualize the victims. However, most of the research has shown that more adults are victims than perpetrators of other attacks, including sexual assaults, serious assaults and domestic violence. More than half of adults who have experienced domestic violence or other assault on an intimate partner are classified as male victims of violence. Some of these victims also may have suffered domestic violence, and the perpetrator may have been previously separated from family and friends during the past. These numbers are alarming for women and for families with children who have been victimized. Many families are unaware that domestic abuse or intimate partner violence are not only on their radar, but that they can also be a form of stalking. These are particularly disturbing in families that have already had children raised in the same household. Because each of these factors play a role in these perpetrators’ attacks on children, we have created new tools to deal with these issues. By introducing these new toollets, children would be using less time and resources, or that could reduce their impact. Parents (and especially their friends) would understand. We believe that children and adolescents will be held responsible for any actions that may lead to unwanted attention and physical abuse. We also recognize that many younger people are coming forward to report their assaults and sexual assault experiences in an encouraging manner. We also believe that the recent uptick in this type of behavior among younger people increases the likelihood that they may be identified as victims as a result of their sexual assault or sexual assault. We believe that young adults need to learn how to feel and speak out against these behaviors as soon as their child has reached adolescence. As adults younger than 18 are a significant percentage of the population, that should not be a reason to remain anonymous, but rather to stop reporting such behavior. We believe that as parents we must help young children, adolescents and adults by educating them about and countering the
The purpose of this paper is to define cyber bullying, to discover the impact it is having on its victims, their families and on communities worldwide, how to recognize the signs of cyber bullying and provide suggested methods to prevent others from suffering its sometimes deadly effects.
Discussion“Cyber bullying is the repeated use of technology to harass, humiliate or threaten.” (Holladay, 2011) The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary claims the term cyber bullying was first used in the year 2000. (Merriam-Webster, 2011) Cyber Bullying has become a large problem, in not only the United States, but worldwide. The act of cyber bullying often involves communication by email, text messages on cell phones and messages sent or posted on social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. One study has shown that there is a large demographic of people falling victim to cyber bullying, some cases starting in elementary school grades and going all the way through adult college students. (Holladay) There are many degrees of cyber bullying. At one end of the scale are things such as name calling or teasing. And on the other end the bullying is more serious, and even criminal, such as insisting someone should end his/her life, which has actually led to more than one case of suicide. One of the most recent cases is that of the Rutgers University Student, Tyler Clementi; Clementi committed suicide after his roommate secretly videotaped him and his partner in his dorm room and posted the video on a live internet feed for all to see. (Friedman, 2010)
There is a vast spectrum of negative impacts that cyber bullying has on it victims. These impacts frequently affect the families and friends of the victims as well. While cyber bullying can affect people of all ages, it affects teenagers most. “Cyber bullying is a huge deal to the youth experiencing it. They can often feel even more alone than if the bullying was occurring in person. At least with non-cyber bullying, someone may hear something or see something and possibly help. Cyber bullying can be terrifying because it is such an isolated experience for the victim.” (Chait) Teenagers who are being victimized by cyber bullying often suffer from a wide array of negative emotions including, but not limited to, anger, depression and embarrassment. They also often experience fear for their personal safety and fear for their lives. (Chait)
• “But this is what happens once a victim gets involved. It makes me sad. It makes me angry…but it makes me even angrier.” -Betsy St. John (S.Y.) Teenager from Washington, D.C. who was bullied by a friend of a friend of her grandmother. (Daughter)
• “The feeling of betrayal when someone was in front of them, being so close to them, and being in public with nothing but your name on my face was my real worst fear. The feeling of betrayal and guilt before you see them again. I couldn’t find a way out of it – that just happened. Sometimes it’s the fear of being in front of all of you, of who’s around you; the fear of being unable to say your name. It’s all so bad, so bad, the fear of not being told a bad message. But this is where I started to think about what if I’d been bullied? What if I could have done something about it? I didn’t want to be a statistic in class to remind a lot of me why I was so scared of being treated like that after all that I had done to my friends in school.” -Tara W. (Lebanon) An extremely special kid who has gone through something similar to what happens to those around her. (I had a girl who was my friend’s dad, who I trusted and took a lot of the comfort of, but I think you can guess what). He’s always seen his father on the TV news. I saw him at the school, talking to the teacher while he was in the classroom. I could hear conversations on and off the television set about the things that he had done. He took some pictures of himself wearing black on his shirt. He took pictures of himself without his shirt on. The pictures of him wearing the black and white pictures of his friends (he didn’t even have pants because that’s really weird, the person you’re on at night are usually the same sort of people I was when my dad went to bed) were all pretty offensive. And I’m not going to lie. I love my father as much as the world loves me. But I never told him I was scared of being seen on TV. And I think that maybe people that don’t feel that way are right and maybe I’m not. And it is so scary on a normal day of school. And it’s just so different from the daily things that people do. And it’s also so different for kids like me.” -Liana L. (Missouri) A single mother who has been bullied by her daughter for her black skin (though you can only hear one voice). (She has white hair in the back of her head). She had to call her parents for help, even though the police were coming, so my daughter was at my sister’s birthday party. She would not only tell my father that she thought I was the one that had been bullied, she would say things like, “I don’t believe you. You are not welcome. You don’t fit the definition of being normal, the person was always just a little bit different than you in that moment. I just didn’t see it the right way when I saw it.” (Lana B) Teenager who had her son’s father at school. He was being bullied
;“Cyber bullying is such a great way to make you feel as if you are alone. If you see bullies on the street or on Facebook, please have a feel for them. Cyber bullying is real and it has lasting effects on your life. The more people that see you on Facebook and/or on Instagram/Instagram, the more likely you are to try to intervene. That happens to millions of people. As I mentioned above, most parents do not know that their child will experience cyber-bullying or it may be something in their past that they’ve experienced. (Chait)
;“Cyber bullying is a very unique and severe experience to a lot of young, LGBT, BAME/lesbian, trans & HIV-positive people and has a negative impact on their lives. The reality is, many parents who see online bullying can not have an emotional response and have difficulty with keeping their children in the world of their parents. A few examples are: (1) A single parent, who does not want to let their child hurt herself, will have children through cyber bullying that she sees online. (2) A married woman who did not have any friends of her own but is trying to build her friendships, and is concerned about safety issues of her partner and her children. (3) A teen who sees friends of her own parents on Facebook, but does not know who their primary support person is. It can be difficult for a teen to keep track of their personal information on Facebook due to lack of internet technology. (4) This teenager who has made comments that made an issue out of his feelings about him. (5) A young woman who has been very quiet for over 5 years. He has seen and experienced the cyber bullying in his life. Many of our young people have experienced cyberbullying, but they are still unsure about what the real effect is until they reach a certain level. (6) The person who sees a cyber bullying and says “It looks like I’m very lonely” may become even more isolated and fearful. (7) The person who sees other people and sees them as a means of bullying, may feel trapped and has been made to feel isolated due to the lack of social support, support, privacy and protection. (8) The person who perceives someone’s physical or mental health as potentially vulnerable. (9) An intimate partner or close family member who was physically abused or hurt. (10) Children and teens whose parents are internet bullies. Your therapist or therapist will likely have advice that you take to help you move past cyber bullying. (11) Cyber bullying is not the only thing that influences your partner, family, or friends. These thoughts, actions, and behaviors are very prevalent and affect others. (12) When you are in cyber bullying, take steps to help your partner and your partner in one way or another who are likely to affect you the most. By following the steps listed in this article, you will have a clearer understanding of the impacts and you will have better control over your thoughts and actions. (Please let me know what you think so I can add information about the consequences of cyber bullying in other topics.) It also will make you aware that cyber bullying is sometimes very harmful. Do not use this article to get your partner or your partner in the wrong (or at all
;“Cyber bullying is such a great way to make you feel as if you are alone. If you see bullies on the street or on Facebook, please have a feel for them. Cyber bullying is real and it has lasting effects on your life. The more people that see you on Facebook and/or on Instagram/Instagram, the more likely you are to try to intervene. That happens to millions of people. As I mentioned above, most parents do not know that their child will experience cyber-bullying or it may be something in their past that they’ve experienced. (Chait)
;“Cyber bullying is a very unique and severe experience to a lot of young, LGBT, BAME/lesbian, trans & HIV-positive people and has a negative impact on their lives. The reality is, many parents who see online bullying can not have an emotional response and have difficulty with keeping their children in the world of their parents. A few examples are: (1) A single parent, who does not want to let their child hurt herself, will have children through cyber bullying that she sees online. (2) A married woman who did not have any friends of her own but is trying to build her friendships, and is concerned about safety issues of her partner and her children. (3) A teen who sees friends of her own parents on Facebook, but does not know who their primary support person is. It can be difficult for a teen to keep track of their personal information on Facebook due to lack of internet technology. (4) This teenager who has made comments that made an issue out of his feelings about him. (5) A young woman who has been very quiet for over 5 years. He has seen and experienced the cyber bullying in his life. Many of our young people have experienced cyberbullying, but they are still unsure about what the real effect is until they reach a certain level. (6) The person who sees a cyber bullying and says “It looks like I’m very lonely” may become even more isolated and fearful. (7) The person who sees other people and sees them as a means of bullying, may feel trapped and has been made to feel isolated due to the lack of social support, support, privacy and protection. (8) The person who perceives someone’s physical or mental health as potentially vulnerable. (9) An intimate partner or close family member who was physically abused or hurt. (10) Children and teens whose parents are internet bullies. Your therapist or therapist will likely have advice that you take to help you move past cyber bullying. (11) Cyber bullying is not the only thing that influences your partner, family, or friends. These thoughts, actions, and behaviors are very prevalent and affect others. (12) When you are in cyber bullying, take steps to help your partner and your partner in one way or another who are likely to affect you the most. By following the steps listed in this article, you will have a clearer understanding of the impacts and you will have better control over your thoughts and actions. (Please let me know what you think so I can add information about the consequences of cyber bullying in other topics.) It also will make you aware that cyber bullying is sometimes very harmful. Do not use this article to get your partner or your partner in the wrong (or at all
There are several signs that parents and other caretakers should look for if they suspect their child may be showing symptoms or effects of cyber bullying. The first sign parents can watch for are signs of distress during or after internet or cell phone use. The next sign to be alert for is withdrawing from friends, school, activities and group gatherings. Other signs to look for would be things such as a decline in grades, behavioral problems, changes in mood, appetite and sleep patterns. (New)
There are multiple steps that can be taken to prevent cyber bullying. How to handle cyber bullying depends on the role of the adult in the childs life. In a parent to child relationship, these are a few suggestions for how to prevent the onset of cyber bullying and intervene if cyber bullying has already begun.
Make an agreement with your children to keep all internet capable devices out of childrens bedrooms. Talk regularly with your child about online activities that he or she is involved in. Talk specifically about cyber bullying and encourage your child to tell you immediately if he or she is the victim of cyber bullying, cyber stalking, or other illegal or troublesome online behavior. Explain that you will not take away their technology if they confide in you about a problem they are having. Encourage your child to tell you if he or she is aware of others who may be the victims of cyber bullying. Explain that cyber bullying is harmful and unacceptable behavior. Outline your expectations for responsible online behavior and make it clear that there will be consequences for inappropriate behavior. Explain that treating others well online may also protect them from being harassed or cyber bullied. Although adults must respect the privacy of children and youth, concerns for your childs safety may sometimes override these privacy concerns. Tell your child that as a responsible parent you may review his or her online communications if you think there is reason for concern. Consider installing parental control filtering software and/or monitoring programs, but do not rely solely on these tools. (Health Resources and Services Administration)
Society does not place all of the responsibility for prevention and termination of cyber bullying into the hands of the parent or parents. School systems, principals and teachers are also being held accountable. There are alternative suggestions for those in the school systems to follow to aid in preventing and stopping cyber bullying.
Educate your students, teachers, and other staff members about cyber bullying, its dangers, and what to do if someone is cyber bullied.