Cyberbullying Is the Use of Technology to Harass
Cyberbullying or cyberbullying is a modern form of aggression that has become widespread with the advent of mobile phones, the Internet. All its forms are intended to provoke, cause harm or humiliate a person remotely, without physical violence (as opposed to intimidation). Social networks, forums, chats, mobile phones and more are the boiler’s “weapons”.
One of the first well-known illustrations of cyberbullying began as fun when, in 2002, American teenager Gislan Raza, playing, created a video of himself based on a scene from the movie Star Wars, where he used a baseball bat instead of a sword.
Unfortunately, this form of persecution is gaining ground. Often, children do not understand how they can protect themselves from cyberbullying. In addition, parents often do not understand how to behave and how to protect their child. And given the speed of spreading negativity on the Internet, it may seem that the problem is unrealistic to solve.
Example 1: Prosecuting Cyber Bullying
Technology is frequently being used to display personal Information on social networking sites for everyone In the world to see. With this Instantaneous technology, the school bully has access to an easier, more harmful, and anonymous way to intimidate their victim. Cyber bullying has become a form of harassment that is creating a myriad of problems for teenagers and, therefore, needs to be dealt with properly.
The sense of anonymity and the ability to disguise ones identity online increases Weber bullying activity by “making fun of, telling lies, spreading rumors, threats and sharing private Information or pictures [online]” (Lulls lines 31-32). In spite of the recent technological advancements, problems with bullying has existed for generations. At the click of a button, the threatening information that can be posted online can be seen throughout the world for anyone to see.
Because more people have access to someone’s private or embarrassing information, “an increased audience can often lead to more harmful bullying Incidents” (Macaque 27). Cyber lulling can be committed any where and at any time, therefore “the cyber bullies may not fully understand the Impact of their behavior on their victims” (Lulls line 9). Cyber bullying can negatively affect an individual and even lead to depression and thoughts of suicide. There are many well known stories of teenagers compelled to desperate, even suicidal acts after having been exposed to recurrent harassment by others online.
For Instance, the devastating and well-known case off 13-year-old girl named Megan Meier, committed seclude allegedly due to cyber bullying (Macaque 141 After coming friends with a boy she met online, Megan, who had a lifelong struggle with weight and self-esteem, finally met a boy she thought she could trust. After weeks of friendly conversations online Megan was eager to strengthen their relationship by finally meeting each other in person.
Flirtatious messages from her online boyfriend “Josh” suddenly turned into disturbing and confusing remarks such as “the world would be a better place without you” (Macaque 16). Josh” even began to post spiteful comments on his site about Megan. Megan committed seclude to escape the main and humiliation she was put through (“Social Networking Web Sites” 3). Investigators soon discovered that the profile of “Josh Evans” was created by a 48- year-old woman named Lori Drew. Loris’s intentions were to tease and embarrass Megan, her next door neighbor and a former friend of Loris’s 13-year-old daughter (Macaque 28). This case brought national attention to the dire consequences of cyber bullying. The community was outraged and demanded charges to be brought against this mother.
Lori went to court but was never convicted because there was no law against cyber bullying. Another instance of the horrific effects of cyber bullying is portrayed in the tragic story of 18-year-old Tyler Clementine. Tyler started his freshman year with a big future ahead of him and a great outlook on life. Invading Teller’s privacy, his college roommate streamed private footage online from a WebMD that he held In their dorm (“Key Events in the History of Prosecuting Cybernetics” 8). Comments about his sexuality flooded through his inbox that night.
Days after the video went viral, Tyler could not handle the embarrassment and committed suicide by “Jumping off of the George Washington Bridge” (“Prosecuting Cybernetics” par. 1). These are two highly publicized and tragic cases resulting from abuse online. There are thousands of other people that are being threatened and bullied through technology every day and no one knows about it. There is nothing positive that results from bullying, but some people still believe that cyber bullies should not be prosecuted because it is not a crime.
Critics say that cyber bullying is not an issue that should have legal attention, “but a dilemma best solved by schools and parents” (“Prosecuting Cybernetics” par. 2). Many school districts throughout the country are attempting to educate their students about online safety and protection. In order to solve the problem of cyber bullying, the critics believe that schools should concentrate on “spreading messages of tolerance and civility to all young people” (“Prosecuting Cybernetics” par. 2). Another point that critics stress is that prosecuting cyber bullies violates “the First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech” (Hayward 21).
Opponents to the prosecution of cyber bullies need to take into account the innocent people that are being terrorized online ND their rights to protect themselves. Supporters of the prosecution of these online abusers agree that cyber bullying leads to many emotional problems for the victims. Cyber bullies purposely “target their victims, revealing personal information on the Internet or harassing them through frequent or threatening messages” (“Prosecuting Cybernetics” par. 16). More often than not, school administrators and parents fail to identify and stop cyber bullying before it is too late.
Prosecutors need to take action in order to protect students online. Students are apprehensive to tell an adult about abuse online because they fear the bullying will only get worse. Victims feel that they are on their own in the endless abuse and “allegedly saw no choice for escape except to kill themselves” (Lulls 22). Historically, a person repeatedly bullied is not only a danger to themselves, but may even have the urge to harm others. For example, in the article “Prosecuting Cybernetics”, research has determined that “perpetrators of school violence?such as the two students who went on a shooting rampage at Columbine
High School in Colorado in 1999?often have a history of both bullying and being bullied themselves” (par. 31). Even though the cyber bully is not physically shoving the victim around, they are still able to instill a sense of fear and hopelessness in their victims. In order to punish cyber bullies for their conduct, new, up-to-date laws need to be passed for the protection of the innocent victim. With technology being the most popular form of communication, it is important to establish a law to “deter future bullying with a legal means to punish those who cause harm”.
Example 2:
Cyber bullying has become a huge problem in today’s society. There was once a day where cell phones or social networking did not exist and any problem you had with anyone was handled face to face and not behind a computer screen. If you told this to kids today they would probably be surprised. We’ve all been a victim of minor cyber bullying or bullying in general and although I haven’t experienced cyber bullying to its full potential, I’ve sat on the sidelines and watched how cruel my peers can be. About two weeks ago a fight broke out on Instagram between and friend of mine and her ex-boyfriends best friend.
The breakup was bitter and his friends were trying to protect him and fight his battles. The ex-boyfriends friend commented on my friends Instagram picture and called the boys in it “doofy” not too harsh, but they came back at him ten times worse. I’ve witnessed a lot of people get bullied throughout high school and I myself have had some pretty cruel things said to me and I’ve said some things to people that I shouldn’t have said, but what these kids were saying to this boy was worse than any type of bullying I’ve ever witnessed.
They told him that the world would be a better place without him and that he should just go hang himself. They told him to go hang out with Amanda Todd, a young teen who recently within the past few months made the news for committing suicide. They told him to that he should go kill himself to rid one more retard of the world and make the world better. Lastly, they told him to go drink bleach. I don’t even know the boys name that they bullied, yet I felt so sorry for him and felt that I had to stick up for him.
Fortunately the boy did not take the advice of the cruel teenagers and he fought back until the Instagram feud was over. The problem doesn’t only exist in situations that I explained about but in many more ways where maybe the person that was being bullied did nothing wrong to deserve the treatment that they got. Not everyone is cyberbullied because of something they did wrong or because of a fight that they instigated. Some cases of cyber bullying had the cause of just plain jealousy. Approximately seventy-five percent of teenagers today have and are using cell phones.
And the ones with cell phones send around three thousand text messages a month. With these cell phones do their parents really know what they are doing? Are they suffering from immense amounts of bullying? Or are they on the other side? The problem is that no one really knows and by the time a teenager takes their own life or starts to self harm, it’s too late because the parents had no clue. Thirty percent of children who are online whether it be Facebook or Twitter has admitted to being harassed.
In the past few years, cyber bullying has gotten much more serious because not only are kids calling each other names, they’re starting to blackmail. If a young girl sends a nude picture through text message to a boy, and that picture gets in the hands of one of his friends or even another girl, the girl that sent the picture has the risk of having her picture sent around the school or even uploaded to social networking sites. Some might wonder how does a parent stop their children from sending or receiving these harsh texts.
It is recommended that the parent sets a time period where the child can and cannot send or receive text messages. There is also an app that can stop sexts, and cyber bullying texts from send to a cell phone. Add your child on Facebook, follow them on Twitter. They may not like it at first but if you can prevent them from being bullied or from facing charges from cyber bullying, they will thank you in the long run. “Keep kids safe from cyberbullies – CNN. ” Featured Articles from CNN. N. p. , n. d. Web. 6 Feb. 2013. “Keep kids safe from cyberbullies – Page 2 – CNN. ” Featured Articles from CNN. N. p. , n. d. Web. 6 Feb. 2013.
Example 3:
Cyberbullying is defined as deliberately attempting to upset someone; cyberbullying can happen via a number numerous ways. With all different forms of social media, whether it be Twitter, Facebook, or even, Instagram, cyberbullying can occur. Bullying effects our communities. Kids that are bullied appear likely to experience anxiety, depression, loneliness, unhappiness, and sleep deprivation. Yet, while the victim might appear passive, it stands imperative that the parent may not. When a parent takes part in his or her child’s social media, it makes it harder for his or her child to be made fun of because their parents watch over them.
A parent can stand as the ultimate counselor a child needs when getting bullied. Real life bullying stops when that final bell rings, but cyberbullying continues outside of the classroom. People will bully someone because they want to lower another person’s self-esteem. But bullying can do more than that! Bully victims appear two to nine times more likely to consider suicide. Victims go through this depression where they cannot feel anything except worthlessness. Actions of cyberbullying does not only happen on the social media, it happens through texting as well.
More than likely, another student harasses and bashes another student just for their own self amusement. The person never stops to consider the thoughts of his or her victims. Cyberbullying causes depression, school phobia, social anxiety, not wanting to leave the house, and, even thoughts of suicide. Most often cyberbullying may appear as a touchy subject that students must learn how to properly handle and get the help they need. Kids going though this harassment can feel at their lowest then have the harassment to pile on to it.
When it comes to cyberbullying, they often are motivated by anger, revenge, or frustration. Sometimes they do it for entertainment or because they appear bored and have too much time on their hands. Many do it for laughs, or to get a reaction, but some do it by accident, that person sends a message to the wrong recipient, or he or she do not think before he or she acts. Power-hungry people do it to torment others and social popularity. Revenge of the nerd may start out as defending themself from traditional bullying only to find that he or she enjoys being the tough guy.
Mean girls do it to help bolster, or remind people, of their own social standing. Some think they are justifying the wrong and standing up for others. In general, cyberbullies have their own motives on why they are involved in cyberbullying. Some of their intentions have been identified as anonymity, power, attention, retaliation, boredom, jealousy, and the pleasure of inflicting pain. Numerous people who participate in cyber bullying do it to make themselves feel better. Bullies tend to have much insecurity, but they hide them through insulting others. There are many ways to overcome cyberbullying.
He, or she, may just want to click “delete” on every hateful email, text, or IM. However, this may not appear as the right motive because there may come a time when this bully needs to get reported, and he or she will need all the evidence right there in front of him or her. To prevent bullying one must save and print each and every mean thing they send. The day will come, when he or she will need this evidence. If the person receives a “bully” message, never get more involved than needed. Replying to that hurtful comment will only worsen the problem. When all else fails, get others involved.
Let Parents or teachers know about the situation. Most likely, they can track the IP address, and get the exact location of the attacker. A cyberbully stands as nothing when they do not behind their internet mask. Talking to them about it upfront, might even scare them away. If this person seems not to be intimidated, or issues more violent or humiliating threats, contact an adult to intervene. Bullying of any kind appears illegal in most states. After letting a parent into the situation, allow them to contact the bully’s parents. Cyberbullying can happen to anyone and anyone can overcome it as well.
Example 4:
Bullying has been around forever but cyberbullying is different because it lets a bully remain anonymous. It is easier to bully in cyberspace than it is to bully face to face. With cyberbullying a bully can pick on people with much less risk of being caught. Bullies are natural instigators and in cyberspace, bullies can enlist the participation of other students who may be unwilling to bully in the real world. Cyber bullying is any harassment that occurs in the Internet.
Vicious forum posts, name calling in chat rooms, posting fake profiles on web sites, and mean or cruel email messages are all ways of cyber bullying. “Around 10 percent of all adolescents in grades 7-9 are victims of internet bullying. ‘This type of bullying can be more serious than conventional bullying.
At least with conventional bullying the victim is left alone on evenings and weekends. ” Many people may think that cyber-bullying isn’t a problem in life, well think again it can change a victim’s life forever by just one offensive comment about them.I will make the victim want to commit suicide, drop out of school, and suffer from self-esteem issues like depression and anxiety. We must fight for what is right, sooner the better.
What cyber-bullies would do in order for them to trace their victims or look for victims is most likely where they would have easy access and that would be through the internet and through cell phones. For cell phones they are able to contact with others by texting or calling but for the internet it would have websites where most kids would join nowadays such as, Facebook, myspace, twitter, blogspots, and e-mail.
I would say that the internet is one of the best places for cyber-bullying than through cell phones because when communicating through the internet they are able to not only associate with only their victims but with other people in the world so not only that one person that they’re bullying are seeing it many people around the world are able to see it also, which in that case would make the victims situations even worse.
Above all, no matter what techniques that bullies use it is a way for them to harm others. 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. ” The internet is appealing to many bullies because it makes it easier for them to be cruel and vicious to their victims when there isn’t any personal contact with them and its difficult to trace the activities that they’re doing. “
Victims of internet bullying — or cyberbullying — have no refuge.Victims may be harassed continuously via SMS and websites, and the information spreads very quickly and may be difficult to remove. In addition, it is often difficult to identify the perpetrator. ” Hurting others is a way to call it their comfort zone because makes them feel better about themselves and when they do encounter with problems of their own the only way to makes them feel more respected or get them back on their feet is by causing trouble through the technologies because not many of their victims are able to stand up for themselves so bullies feel more superior.
For them to harm others is mostly to gain friends that they always wanted to hangout with, since peer pressure has been an issue for many students bullying others is way for them to gain more respect from others especially from their victims. What cyber-bullies didn’t realize is that it can cause a whole lot of problems for their victim that it created a great nightmare not to only to the victim but even to the victims loved ones because it makes a great destruction to ones life.
Example 5:
Bulling and cyber bulling is a huge issue in our society and the problem is increasing. According to the American Justice Department this month 1out of four children will be abused by another youth. And since the introduction of technology such as texting, emails and social media sites it has become allot easier for bullies to both bully and bully secretly and almost constantly. This essay will address the issue of both bullying, harassment and in particular cyber bullies.
It will also suggest ways to cope with bulling According to schools. nsw. edu. au bullying is repeated verbal, physical, social or psychological behaviour that is harmful and involves the misuse of power by an individual or group towards one or more persons. The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development’s Building Respectful and Safe Schools (2010) identifies four types of bullying.
These are: * Physical bullying -Physical bullying is bullying physically including hitting, kicking, tripping, pinching and pushing or damaging property. * Verbal bullying- Verbal bullying is bullying someone using words. For example-name calling, insults, teasing, intimidation, homophobic or racist remarks, or verbal abuse. * Covert bullying- Covert bullying is often harder to recognise and can be carried out behind the bullied person’s back. It is designed to harm someone’s social reputation and/or cause humiliation.
Covert bullying includes: lying and spreading rumours, negative facial or physical gestures, menacing or contemptuous looks, playing nasty jokes to embarrass and humiliate, mimicking unkindly, encouraging others to socially exclude someone and damaging someone’s social reputation or social acceptance * Cyber bullying- Cyber bullying is overt or covert bullying behaviours using digital technologies. Examples include harassment via a mobile phone, setting up a defamatory personal website or deliberately excluding someone from social networking spaces. Cyber bullying can happen at any time.
It can be in public or in private and sometimes only known to the target and the person bullying. Bulling is not mutual arguments and disagreements, single episodes of social rejection or dislike, single episode acts of nastiness or spite, random acts of aggression or intimidation. The standard definition for harassment is unwanted conduct on the grounds of race, gender, sexual orientation etc. which has the purpose or effect of either violating the claimant’s dignity, or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them.
All bulling is harassment but not all harassment is bulling. Bulling has both short term and long term effects for the victims. Although severe long term effects can be avoided by stopping bulling as early as possible. The short term effects can include issues at school (i. e. lower academic achievement), depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy. These issues may persist into adulthood.
In extreme cases bullied children may also have suicidal tendencies. Long term effects can include: a greater risk of depression and lower self-esteem later in later life, more likely to have problems with alcohol and drug use and it is more likely they will have suicidal thoughts Demonstrating assertive behaviour when bullied or harassed can often help reduce bulling. Assertive behaviour is not aggressive. It’s saying things in a direct and honest way. Saying things such as stop it, I don’t like it and what you’re saying isn’t very nice please stop.
If you are being bullied or harassed the most important thing to do is tell someone. People like a trusted adult such as a teacher, councillor or parent are all good to tell. If all else fails call a kids or bulling helpline such the kids helpline on 1800 55 1800. Cyber bullying 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. Once adults become involved, it is plain and simple cyber-harassment or cyber stalking. Adult cyber-harassment or cyber stalking is NEVER called cyber bullying. The actions of a cyber-bully are biasedly verbal bulling over technology. This is includes messaging on a social site, email and texting. There is no way to completely avoid cyber bullies unless you pretty much stop using the computer.
But there are things you can do to lessen the chance of being cyber bullied. Firstly if you think you might be being cyber bullied then talk to a trusted adult. Secondly if the bulling is happening over social networking sites then most sites give you the option to block people. If it’s over the phone then talk to your parents about getting a new number.
Bibliography
- http://ncab. org. au/fourkindsofbullying/ 24/8/12
- http://www. stopbullying. gov/at-risk/effects/index. html#suicide 24/8/12
- http://library. hinkquest. org/07aug/00117/bullyingconsequences. html 24/8/12
- http://www. cyberbullying. info/
- http://au. reachout. com/Factsheets/C/Cyberbullying
- http://www. cybersmart. gov. au/Kids/Tips%20to%20stay%20safe%20and%20cybersmart/Cyberbullying. aspx
- http://www. bullyingnoway. gov. au/ http://www. bullying. com. au/
- http://www. youthbeyondblue. com/factsheets-and-info/fact-sheet-20-bullying/
- http://www. stopbullying. gov/at-risk/effects/index. html
- http://www. racgp. org. au/afp/201103/201103carrgregg. pdf
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