Cyberbullying has become more and more [prevalent over the past few years

Cyberbullying

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Cyberbullying has become more and more [prevalent over the past few years, especially with the widespread use of technology. Most of the bullying happens to teenagers while they are online, and this is because most teens spend a lot of time on their phones and computers. The National Crime Prevention Council defines cyberbullying as “the process of using the Internet, cell phones or other devices to send or post text or images intended to hurt or embarrass another person.” (Phillips 2014) Some of the behaviours categorized under bullying include spreading rumours, sharing a person’s personal information, sexual content and threats. These kinds of behaviour are usually repeated over time with the intent to harm or hurt the victim. Millions of people across the world have fallen victim to cyberbullying in online spaces, and this has led to increased awareness about the issue. In examining the topic of cyberbullying, areas of focus include statistics, harmful effects, platforms, legislation and awareness of cyberbullying.

Governments and other bodies across the world have come up with standards of what can be defined as cyberbullying across different platforms. Cyberbullying can happen over any kind of internet-capable device. One of these guidelines is that bullying behaviour is repeated over time with an intention to harm an identified target. For example, a person may send sexually explicit images to another over several days, and this meets the definition of cyberbullying. Another basic definition of cyberbullying is the method of perpetration. These include cruel and malicious exclusion from a social group, cyberstalking, impersonation, harassment, and spreading rumours to tarnish a target’s reputation and relationships. Teenagers have been the biggest group of victims when it comes to cyberbullying. Most of them spend significant amounts of time on the internet, and this exposes them to online bullies.

Cyberbullying mostly occurs on social media platforms, and also on gaming sites. These two platforms are the most popular sources of entertainment and interaction for the majority of teens, accessible through mobile phones and computers. Social media platforms such as Snapchat, Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook and others have become more popular with today’s teens. Cyberbullies take advantage of the popularity of these sites to seek out victims. One of the most common types of cyberbullying is spreading false rumours and information. Teenagers seeking revenge or simply trying to hurt their colleagues often resort to this kind of bullying. Social media sites allow people to share photos, location, birth dates, gender, phone numbers and other kinds of personal information that can be used for cyberbullying. Body shaming is another form of cyberbullying where bullies make fun of a person’s looks and body, for example labelling them ugly, fat, thin, among others. A 2013 Pew Research study found that eight out of teenagers share more information about themselves on social media today more than they have in the past (Hamm et al. 2015). The danger with social media is that parents and teachers are rarely aware of the cyberbullying that goes on. Another challenge is that social media users ignore this kind of behaviour online, which fuels their spread. There is also some cyberbullying on gaming sites, with most of it directed towards women. Cyberbullies on such sites use aggressive language, stereotypes against women and using slurs.

To further shed light on the cyberbullying epidemic, it is crucial to examine statistics on the issue from different countries around the world. In the United States, Statista provides comprehensive figures on bullying. In the year 2018, 59 percent of teens in a study reported having experienced cyberbullying. The most common type of bullying reported was name-calling. Female teens fell victim most to spreading of rumours. Cyberbullying also affects adults, and 53 percent of adults experienced some kind of online bullying in 2018, with 56% of incidents from Facebook. A 2013 study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed the number of children who experienced cyberbullying based on their grades. Those in the ninth grade were the most affected with 16.1% reporting incidents of cyberbullying during the year. 13.5% of twelfth graders experienced some kind of bullying (Messias et al. 2014). There is a significant difference between figures from 2013 and 2018, showing that cyberbullying has escalated through the years with the increased use of technology. A 2011 study published findings on cyberbullying across 25 members of the European Union. The researchers found that on average, 18% of young people had experienced some form of cyberbullying. Studies found this number to range from 10% to 52% (Hamm et al. 2015). The primary reason why it is difficult to find accurate figures is that many cases of online bullying go unreported.

Currently, legislation surrounding cyberbullying is limited, though many countries are working towards developing some to protect people online. In the United States, California was one of the first states to pass a law on cyberbullying. Under the Assembly Bill 28 of 2008, school administrators were authorized to discipline any cases of bullying in school, whether they occur online or offline. Since then, most states in the country have adopted some laws or statutes that contain clauses against online harassment. The Cyberbullying Research Center provides a map of states with laws or provisions against cyberbullying. Although most of these laws may not be exclusively about cyberbullying, they contain statutes against stalking or harassment. Federal laws also allow schools to address instances of bullying that occur outside school if they cause some disruption to the learning process and environment. One challenge against cyberbullying laws is their constitutionality, especially with the First Amendment. An example of this is the case of People v Marquan M. where the New York Court of Appeals ruled that a new cyberbullying law in Albany County was unconstitutional (Phillips 2014). Under the law cyberbullying would be a misdemeanour punishable by a one-year jail term as well as a one thousand dollar fine. However, the court decided that the scope of the law was too broad, and would infringe on the free speech guaranteed under the First Amendment.

Cyberbullying has many adverse effects on both victims and perpetrators. Children and teenagers make up the majority of victims of cyberbullying, and it affects their wellbeing both at school and at home. Adults also experience negative effects of cyberbullying. Suicide is one of the worst effects of cyberbullying. Children and teens may not have developed coping strategies for difficult situations, and they may feel like suicide is the only way to stop their suffering. Studies carried out by Yale University found that victims of cyberbullying are more 2-9 times more likely to attempt suicide as compared to those who have not experienced it. The CDC has found that cases of teen suicides have doubled since the year 2008, elevating suicide to the second leading cause of death among persons aged 10-34 (Messias et al. 2014). Cyberbullying also affects a person’s mental wellbeing, causing problems such as depression, anxiety, delinquency, family problems and violence. Students who experience bullying online are more likely to feel depressed, and they may drop out of school because of this. Bullying also affects their academic performance in school. They may begin to withdraw from their family and friends. The CDC reports that roughly 20% of American children and teens have mental health issues associated with bullying and social isolation, but only 20% of them get the help they need (CDC 2018). These problems do not just affect victims, but also the bullies themselves.

There has been increasing awareness of cyberbullying around the world. In the United States, multiple organizations and government bodies have carried out campaigns on cyberbullying. For example, 76% of all public schools in the country provide training for teachers and other classroom aides on how to identify cases of different forms of bullying (Musu-Gillette et al. 2017). Canada has an Anti-Bullying Day as well as a movement called Stop A Bully whose members wear a pink wristband. The Cyber smile Foundation is an international body that tackles all forms of online bullying. Research has shown that the best way to address bullying is through peer awareness and education. Positive school climates also lead to reduced chances of bullying, both online and offline. As the rates of cyberbullying go up, different parties have also come up with strategies on how to address the issue. The first step in tackling cyberbullying is acknowledging the widespread issue and what individuals can do to help fight it.

In conclusion, cyberbullying is a serious problem with many negative consequences. Cyberbullying takes place across various platforms such as text, social media and online gaming sites. Statistics show that there is an increase in cases of cyberbullying as years go by. The trend has negative consequences on victims as well as the bullies. There are many organizations that have taken part in creating awareness on the issue, as well as laws to tackle cyberbullying. Every person has the responsibility to watch out for these kinds of behaviour online and condemn them. Victims of cyberbullies should also speak out so that they can get justice and the help they need.

References

Centers for Disease Prevention and Control. “Preventing Bullying” 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/bullying-factsheet508.pdfHamm, M. P., Newton, A. S., Chisholm, A., Shulhan, J., Milne, A., Sundar, P., … & Hartling, L. (2015). Prevalence and effect of cyberbullying on children and young people: A scoping review of social media studies. JAMA pediatrics, 169(8), 770-777.

Messias, E., Kindrick, K., & Castro, J. (2014). School bullying, cyberbullying, or both: correlates of teen suicidality in the 2011 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Comprehensive psychiatry, 55(5), 1063-1068.

Musu-Gillette, L., Zhang, A., Wang, K., Zhang, J., Kemp, J., Diliberti, M., & Oudekerk, B. A. (2018). Indicators of school crime and safety: 2017.

Phillips, H. E. (2014). Online Bullying and the First Amendment: State Cyberbullying Statutes after People v. Marquan M. NCL Rev. Addendum, 93, 179.