Free Essay

Cyberbullying

In:

Submitted By over9000
Words 1346
Pages 6
Cyberbullying

Russel Bustamante
Devry University

Cyberbullying Rebecca Ann Sedwick, a 12-year-old girl from Florida, had a dispute with some girls over a boy in Crystal Lake Middle School. Multiple girls started threatening and bullying her in school which forced her mother, Tricia Norman, to take her out of school and be home-schooled instead. Little did she knew, the bullying carried over online. Rebecca was being cyberbullied with hate messages such as “Go kill yourself” and “Why are you still alive?” It affected Rebecca psychologically and emotionally to the point where she started searching questions online related to suicide such as “How many over-the-counter drugs do you take to die?” and “How many Advil do you have to take to die?” Eventually, Rebecca could not take it anymore and jumped to her death at an abandoned Cemex plant site on North Eastside Drive in Lakeland, Florida (Allen, 2013).
Figure 1: A memorial for Rebecca Ann Sedwick
Figure 1: This is the abandoned Cemex plant where Rebecca committed suicide by jumping off from one of the towers.
Source: The New York Times: Girl’s Suicide Points to Rise in Apps Used by Cyberbullies (2013). Tragic stories like this needs to stop. This is an example of an unintended tragedy that can come out of technology in the hands of children. Everyone needs to be aware that cyberbullying is a serious matter and should not be ignored. Kids need to be educated about cyberbullying and know its consequences so that they will not suffer like Rebecca. The purpose of this proposal on cyberbullying is to convince readers that cyberbullying has a big impact on the adolescent mind. Issues on cyberbullying have become a serious matter, especially in this age of technology, because anyone can access the internet. Though I am just a regular guy, I am an uncle of 4 nieces (5-year-olds) and I care about their future to be free from cyberbullying. I will refer to the ideas of Dean (2010), Franek (2006), Hinduja & Patchin (2009), Paulson (2003) and Warner (2010), who all conducted studies about this topic, which will help me establish my credibility. The recent death of a 12-year-old girl from Florida has raised awareness now on cyberbullying more than ever before. Being online is a part of everyone’s life nowadays and we can put a stop to cyberbullying by knowing the causes, the consequences and preventions. Cyberbullying started as internet became more accessible to teens. The most famous incident of cyberbullying is the “Star Wars kid” Ghyslain Raza, who filmed himself fooling around with a golf-ball retriever as a light saber back in year 2002. His peers were able to get a hold of the video and modified the scene into an internet meme. The video went viral and soon after, Ghyslain was forced to drop out of school and seek psychiatric help as he felt ridiculed, according to Paulson (2003). Although Ghyslain’s case was not fatal, it kind of started a trend of cyberbullying. In the year 2006, Megan Taylor Meier committed suicide by hanging herself after following an internet hoax on the social networking site MySpace. The fake account was created by her neighbor to fool and ridicule her, according to Maag (2007). There are many causes of cyberbullying. According to Dean (2010), “online disinhibition effect” is the idea that when online, people feel unrestricted to what they feel like saying or doing and, as a result, often leads to things people should not be saying or doing to other individuals. Online people feel they can’t be identified similar to wearing a mask, giving them more confidence to things they can’t do in public. Cyberbullies tend to be anonymous so that they can continue to abuse and torment individuals, also makes the offender feel like a “winner” as the victim has no means to retaliate or avenge physically. Another cause is the lack of authority. There are no internet police to stop cyberbullies in their tracks at the very second the offender strikes and being anonymous makes it even harder to track them. Reporting the offender seems like a good counter measure, however, many social network companies have few administrators to regulate order in their network and sometimes its a slow process. Cyberbullying has emotional and psychological consequences. According to Hinduja & Patchin (2009), victims of cyberbullying suffer feelings of anger, frustration or depression, which then can result to negative behavioral choices and set the victim to engage in deviant or delinquent behaviors such as retaliating in violence or committing suicide.
Figure 2: How Victims Felt (%)

Figure 2: This chart shows the percentage of how victims felt after being cyberbullied. Comparatively equal percentage of elementary, junior and senior high felt frustrated and angry. It is interestingly notable that elementary students felt sad as compared to other groups. This proves that adolescent children are more prone to be affected emotionally and psychologically. It is hard for kids to cope with cyberbullying as they are too young and inexperienced to overcome such negative attitude towards them. A new study shows that hearing words that describe pain such as “excruciating” or “grueling” activates parts of the brain (Warner, 2010). This study was conducted using functional magnetic resonance tomography (fMRI) and the scanner showed evidence that the brain’s pain-processing centers responds to words associated with pain. This proves that words can actually hurt. Cyberbullying is a major problem nowadays since more people have access and there are ways to prevent this from happening. According to Franek (2006), it is important to encourage teachers to be digitally literate so they can educate and mentor students about cyberspace harassment. He also suggests that parents need to be involved in their childrens’ online activities. Lastly, ignoring the offender is arguably the best counter-action to cyberbullying. It is important not to respond if someone is harassing you online, because online offenders are looking for a reaction. If the victim just completely ignores a hurtful comment, then the effect of this negative behavior will be prevented. More importantly, don’t be afraid to take a stand or stand up for someone else being bullied online. Taking action against this kind of behavior usually stops when someone else speaks up. In conclusion, cyberbullying affects real lives. It is a major issue and everyone should be aware of this negative behavior so that no one will suffer from its effects which might end in a tragedy. This awareness is a good step towards a healthy cyberspace experience for kids and also adults. Let’s make our online activities free from cyberbullying by communicating to other people online politely. Say No to cyberbullying!

References
Allen, S. (2013, September 12). At Least 15 Girls Were Part of 12-Year-Old’s Social Media Circle. The Ledger. Retrieved from http://www.theledger.com/article/20130912/NEWS/130919724?p=2&tc=pg&tc=ar
Dean, J. (2010, August 19). Six Causes of Online Disinhibition. Psyblog Understand your mind. Retrieved from http://www.spring.org.uk/2010/08/six-causes-of-online- disinhibition.php
Franek, M. (2006). Foiling Cyberbullies in the New Wild West. Educational Leadership; Dec2005/Jan2006, Vol. 63 Issue 4, p39-43, 5p
Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J. (2009). Cyberbullying Research Summary: Emotional and psychological consequences. Cyberbullying Research Center. Retrieved from http://www.cyberbullying.us/cyberbullying_emotional_consequences.pdf
Maag, C. (2007, December 16). When the Bullies Turned Faceless. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/16/fashion/16meangirls.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0&ref=me ganmeier
Paulson, A. (2003, December 30). Internet bullying. Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved from http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/1230/p11s01-legn.html
The New York Times: Girl’s Suicide Points to Rise in Apps Used by Cyberbullies (2013). Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/14/us/suicide-of-girl-after-bullying- raises- worries-on-web-sites.html?emc=eta1
Warner, J. (2010, April 2). Words Really Do Hurt. WebMD Health News. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/news/20100402/words-really-do-hurt

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Cyberbullying

...Ervin ENG/280 02/06/2016 Cyberbullying Introduction Here I will open with some statistics on cyberbullying and the number of cases that are reported per year. Also, why we need newer and stricter laws implemented against bullying crimes. I. Cyberbullying Definition, History, and Demographics a) Definition of cyberbullying and What other cybercrimes qualify under the category of cyberbullying such as cyber harassment b) History, when did cyberbullying begin c) What are some demographics such as gender, race, sexuality, etc… II. Statistics a) Statistics on how common cyberbullying is b) And the number of new cases each day to show the prevalence of the situation. c) Number of suicide cases related to cyberbullying each year. d) Show the reason we need harsher punishments to stop cyberbullying. III. Effects of cyberbullying a) Show how cyberbullying affects the nation as a whole. b) Show the effects that cyberbullying has on the victims. c) Will touch on a couple of cases from cyberbullying and the affect it had on the victim. IV. Laws on Cyberbullying a) I will show current law on cyberbullying and whether they are federal and/or state b) What new laws need to be implemented and why. c) How the age of the bully affect the punishment’ V. Internet security a) Why internet safety is need in this day and age b) New programs that are designed to stop cyberbullying (ReThink) c) How to protect...

Words: 556 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Cyberbullying

..."Why is it important to work to delete cyberbullying?" The internet is a place for people of all ages to learn more information and communicate with people from all areas of the world. Cyberbullying takes away from that because it causes people to feel insecure and question who they are based off of insecure bullies who hide themselves behind computer screens. Cyber bullying can lead to self-harm to an extent of death. Fewer children are expressing feelings of low self-esteem and bigger percentages of them are expressing the desire to remain survivors and winners in the battle against bullying and cyberbullying. Internet bullying causes children to do many things besides self-harm, children who have been bullied on the internet have a tendency to stay away from social activities such as sports and social clubs and hanging out with friends. Parents have a hard time recognizes if their child is being bullied on the internet because of how difficult it is for children to open up to their parents about bullies and their personal lives. 7 in 10 young people are victims of cyberbullying. 37% of them are experiencing cyberbullying on a highly frequent basis. 20% of young people are experiencing extreme cyberbullying on a daily basis. New research suggests that young males and females are equally at risk of cyberbullying. Social networks are the main source for internet bullying, young people found to be twice as likely to be cyber bullied on Facebook as on any other social network...

Words: 344 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Cyberbullying

...Cyberbullying A new important issue is arising, especially with the younger generation. Since the dawn of time, humans have harassed each other in many different ways. As technology brought in new ways to interact with each other, a new form of bullying has developed. This new type of bullying has the same effect as its previous version, but now it has evolved into the cyber world. Cyberbullying is a problem in today’s society for all internet users and proves to be a problem for Congress. As history has shown us, bullying can develop serious mental problems. Everyone who attended any type of school has witnessed or personally experienced some type of bullying. Bullying is, by definition is a, “repeated act of aggressive behavior in order to intentionally hurt another person, physically or mentally” (Wikipedia). There are two major types of bullying. The physical aspect is known as direct bullying as this would consist of any form of physical contact. The other method is know as being indirect, such as yelling, slander, and making other verbal jokes or remarks towards the target. Cyberbullying would be known as an indirect form of bullying. Many beliefs present to why bullying occurs. A hypothesis is believed that bullies act outward from what directly happens to them. A bully may have been bullied themselves, so the event represents a food chain. A bully may have someone they look up to, who is a bully. So in order to try and please their role model the new bully mimics...

Words: 2001 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Cyberbullying

...years ago. The main difference is how much cyberbullying has increased and is now the huge problem. It is much more far reached, more visually harsh, and harder to get the images of what people say on the internet out of ones head. Bilton, Nick. "Name-Calling in the Virtual Playground." Bits NameCalling in the Virtual Playground Comments. New York Times, 23 Mar. 2014. Web. 11 Dec. 2014. Apps that connect users anonymously and can hide the real people behind the computers are targets for cyberbullies. Last year nine suicides were linked to Ask.fm (anonymous social media site). These companies say that there is no real way that they can stop this from happening. Bullying is going to happen even if they do put in precautions and rules. Heath, Phillip. "Who's Responsible for Tackling Cyber Bullying?." The Age. 30 Jul. 2014: 20. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 11 Dec. 2014. Research showed students were more likely to seek help from parents or friends when they experienced online bullying. Younger students tended to rank their parents and teachers more highly as someone they would turn to. Older students favoured their friends. This doesn't mean that these kids actually would tell anyone if they were getting bullied. Most kids would keep it to themselves and ends up making the situation worse. Munn, Devan. "Cyberbullying Requires a Balanced Approach." Guelph Mercury. 21 May 2013: A.2. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 11 Dec. 2014. Cyberbullying is obviously a threat in teens today....

Words: 789 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Cyberbullying

...involved two or more persons but with the increased availability of internet, bullying is being redefined. Cyber bullying is form bullying that involves hurting someone else by using information and communication technologies. Unlike physical or verbal bullying, cyber bullying is targeted to an unlimited supply of audience. Every age group is affected regardless of physical strength. Cyber bullying has been on the rise as part of the misuse and abuse of a resource such as the internet. Since more and more of our lives now take place online, this type of bullying can take up several different form. As written in Dr. Kate D. Simmons and Dr. Yvette P. Bynum of Auburn University Montgomery article, “cyberbullying: six things administrators can do” there are common forms of cyberbullying which are “impersonation” which involves a person pretending to be someone else on a social media platform that sends or posts material to get the other person in trouble or damage his or her reputation; “Outing” which involves sharing someone else’s secrets or embarrassing information on the web; “Trickery” just like the name, imply someone talking another...

Words: 1757 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Cyberbullying

...about the problem modern technology have on young people because it is opening up the possibility of cyberbullying at all levels. He tells of a couple of experiences of some young people that were victims of cyberbullying, both mild and severe attacks. The author explains that cell phones with text messaging, laptops with instant messaging and social media sights can be harmful for teenagers. At the end of the article he talks about the responsibility of parents and how they should be involved in their children’s lives. I find it interesting that Mr. Chu wrote this article in 2005 and it pertains even more in our society today. He writes that text messaging, instant messaging, and web journals can be harmful to teenagers because it opens them up for the possibility of cyberbullying and attacks from dangerous individuals. Social media in all forms is bad for our children because it allows for dangerous individuals to prey on unsuspecting, innocent children. Things have changed in the world over the years and most teenagers now have cell phones, as well as, easy access to laptops and media sights. Kids, mostly teenagers, spend too much time on their phones and computers, many of them unsupervised. Kids think no one will know what they are doing and they feel they can say and do what they want. These devices are a medium for online predators, harassment, cyberbullying, and many other problems. Teenagers want to be adults faster than they should be. Unfortunately, if...

Words: 323 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Cyberbullying

...First of all, what is Cyberbullying? According to stopcyberbullying.org, “Cyberbullying" is when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones. It has to have a minor on both sides, or at least have been instigated by a minor against another minor.” Cyberbullying is such a rapid growing occurrence in our generation, that according statistics, 47% of teens using social-media sites in the Philippines have experienced being bullied. But really, what is the cause of this huge phenomenon? And what effects does it have to the ones being bullied and the ones witnessing it? “When it comes to cyberbullying, they [the kids] are often motivated by anger, revenge or frustration.”, is stopcyberbullying.org’s explanation of it.“Many do it for laughs or to get a reaction. Some do it by accident, and either send a message to the wrong recipient or didn't think before they did something. The Power-hungry do it to torment others and for their ego.” The causes of cyberbullying cases are shallow and superficial but the effects of it prove to be life-changing and emotionally tormenting. “Kids that are bullied are likely to experience anxiety, depression, loneliness, unhappiness, and poor sleep,” explains Jennifer N. Caudle, DO, an AOA board-certified family physician and assistant professor in the Department of Family at Rowan University...

Words: 584 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Cyberbullying

...lives on the Internet. And bullying has followed teens online. Online bullying, called cyberbullying, happens when teens use the Internet, cell phones, or other devices to send or post text or images intended to hurt or embarrass another person. Cyberbullying is a problem that affects almost half of all American teens. Whether you’ve been a victim of cyberbullying, know someone who has been cyberbullied, or have even cyberbullied yourself, there are steps you and your friends can take to stop cyberbullying and stay cyber-safe. How Are Teens Cyberbullied? Being a victim of cyberbullying can be a common and painful experience. Some youth who cyberbully • • • • • Pretend they are other people online to trick others Spread lies and rumors about victims Trick people into revealing personal information Send or forward mean text messages Post pictures of victims without their consent When teens were asked why they think others cyberbully, 81 percent said that cyberbullies think it’s funny. Other teens believe that youth who cyberbully • • • • • Don’t think it’s a big deal Don’t think about the consequences Are encouraged by friends Think everybody cyberbullies Think they won’t get caught How Do Victims React? Contrary to what cyberbullies may believe, cyberbullying is a big deal, and can cause a variety of reactions in teens. Some teens have reacted in positive ways to try to prevent cyberbullying by • • • • Blocking communication with the cyberbully Deleting messages...

Words: 798 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Cyberbullying

...technology enables anyone to have the potential to access to platforms for sharing their opinions. When one has access to a platform opinions and comments are created that can be both powerful and scathing for the good or bad. In extreme instances, becoming more commonplace, options and comments expressed can turn into threating harassment. In turn, many are experiencing a continuous pattern of “digital harassment” called cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is determined to be a new cause of fear in our society, especially in younger generations and adolescents. The narrative of this paper will discuss cyberbullying, its negative influence through the use of modern technology, and the ethical/social implications of that negative influence. How the technology of the Internet and social media use by adolescents causes mental health issues through cyberbullying, a negative and evasive ethical and social implication of technological use. Cyberbullying The term cyberbullying has been used more frequently in the past ten years, but what is actually considered cyberbullying? According to...

Words: 1517 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Cyberbullying

...October 2015 Article Summary 1: Cyberbullying In the article “An Overview of Cyberbullying in Higher Education,” written by Edwina Thomas Washington in 2014, she explains and deals with the issue of cyberbullying not just in K-12 years, but in college years as well. Throughout the article she explains cyberbullying as it “involves using communications technology to send or post harmful, cruel, or false text messages or images using the internet to harm a victim,” versus traditional bullying which she describes as "face-to-face, physical, and verbal.” The article begins by discussing and explaining exactly what cyberbullying is and what affect it has on the victims involved. She states that one in four American adults fall victim to cyberbullying and it can led to many tragic outcomes, such as depression, anxiety, suicide, and quitting their jobs. Washington then goes into great detail about three tragic incidences that have occurred in connection to cyberbullying involving college students. The first incident led to the male victims being embarrassed by one girl’s fake thesis involving them, the second incident led to a male student committing suicide from being spied on with another male, and the third incident forced a popular male victim to make a statement about his experience dating a “girl” online for three years to find out it had been a male all along. She then begins to form a relationship between traditional bullying and cyberbullying, in which she says “traditional...

Words: 531 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Cyberbullying

...Cyberbullying could be limited to posting rumors or gossips about a person in the internet bringing about hatred in other’s minds; or it may go to the extent of personally identifying victims and publishing materials severely defaming and humiliating them. Cyberbullying is specifically focusing on the legal and psychological ramifications of the action. Cyberbullying involves the transmission of harmful or cruel text or images using the Internet or other digital communication devices, such as cell phones. It often involves stalking, threats, harassment, impersonation, and humiliation. The author reveals that cyber bullies and their victims are just as likely to be female as male, though they are often older adolescents. Cyberbullying is a reality of the digital age. The specific elements of repetition, power imbalance, intention, and aggression, regarded as essential criteria of traditional face-to-face bullying, are considered in the cyber context. It is posited that the core bullying elements retain their importance and applicability in relation to cyberbullying. The element of repetition is in need of redefining, given the public nature of material in the online environment. Cyberbullying can cause significant emotional harm. Victims of face-to-face bullying often experience depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, physiological complaints, and have problems concentrating. Targets of cyberbullying suffer equal if not greater psychological harm because the hurtful information...

Words: 437 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Cyberbullying

...Cyberbullying Is NOT a Joke Cyberbullying Is NOT a Joke Have you ever been made fun of or made fun of someone else? For most of us we have. But with today’s technology it’s so much easier. With technology something that might have started as a joke can quickly turn into something mean. Cyberbullying is defined as bullying that takes place using technology. This includes phones, computers as well as social media and messages. Technology, especially the internet has made a big difference to how we live our daily lives for example, shopping. However, it has made it so much easier to exploit others. The charity ChildLine saw 4,507 cases of cyberbullying in 2012-2013, up from 2,410 in 2011-2012. I think cyberbullying is worse than bullying because it can happen for longer. It can happen 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and it could happen at absolutely anytime. Whereas, bullying can only happen face-to-face. At least with bullying you can have some sort of escape when you’re at home but with cyberbullying you can’t because pictures and messages can be spread quickly and easily. According to the Journal more than ¼ of victims didn’t know who their bullies were. Just imagine, someone bullying you for maybe weeks but not being able to do very much to stop them because you don’t know who it is. Cyberbullying can happen for many reasons, some do it because it can be done anonymously. Stopbullying.gov says there are usually two kinds of people who are...

Words: 876 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Cyberbullying

...: Cyberbullying Arizona Needs a Revised and Powerful Cyberbullying Law "Nearly two-thirds of students who are bullied are bullied because of their looks or speech" (Arizona Association of School Psychologists, 2013). Finally, I will elaborate on ways you can carry out this solution and fix cyberbullying in all educational levels. Problem: House Bill 2415 identifies and enacts the anti-bullying law in schools but it does not have strong provisions for cyberbullying. Call to Audience: First and foremost, contact your state legislators, then school governing boards, school personnel (school psychologist), and community resources to let them know that any type of bullying will not be tolerated. Solution: Senate Bill 1549 needs to be reintroduced back in the Legislature for further discussion and implementation of a cyberbullying law. Next, I will provide you with a well-rounded solution that solves for the grey areas in cyberbullying. First, I will explain the lack of interpretation of cyberbullying in House Bill 2415 and why it needs to be changed. "Cyberbullying is, but not limited to, any act of bullying committed by use of electronic technology or electronic communication devices, including telephone devices, social networking and other internet communications, on school computers, networks, forums, mailing lists, or other District-owned property, and by means of an individual's personal electronic media and equipment." (Arizona School Boards Association, 2011) "About 58% of...

Words: 252 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Cyberbullying

...gadgets or other devices. “Hyper-networking” teens (those who spend more than three hours online during school days) are 110% more likely to be a victim of cyber bullying. Repeated cyber bullying can leave both victims and bullies at greater risk for anxiety, depression, and other stress-related disorders. Victims are more likely to have low self-esteem. In some rare but highly publicized cases, victims are 2 to 9 times more likely to consider committing suicide. Experts say that kids who are bullied — and the bullies themselves — are at a higher risk for suicidal thoughts, attempts, and completed suicides. Though we can say that there are already laws about this and there are organizations fighting against it, we still cannot avoid cyberbullying and it gets...

Words: 392 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Cyberbullying

...ENDING CYBERBULLYING Melanie Folch ENG/147 February 23, 2015 Professor. Anne Grau Ending Cyber-bullying Today, young people are using media technology including cell phones, and internet to communicate with others. With that being said, this does not mean using these communication tools does not come without possible risks. Adolescents can use electronic media to embarrass, harass, or threaten peers. Many different terms have been used to describe this type of violence, such as internet harassment, and internet bullying. The term to best describe this media violence is cyberbullying. It is important to educate ourselves on the causes, effects, and preventions of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is affecting a shocking amount of children and teenagers each year, but what causes this type of violence? According to Hoff and Mitchell, (2009) “…91 percent of the causes of cyber bullying are due to relationship issues and 9 percent are causes not related to relationship issues” (p.655). This explains why cyber bullying is always the solution for those who cannot handle social tensions due to relationship issues. It is said that those who bully are either being bullied themselves or have issues at home that affect their self-esteem. Being that they get bullied themselves they bully others in order to make themselves feel better and make you feel just as bad as they do. Parents who mentally and physically abuse their children do not realize how much it can affect their child’s life...

Words: 610 - Pages: 3