Abstract
Some few years ago, classroom bullying was the centre of attraction to most persons who were against bullying. However, things have evolved drastically and unlike a few years ago, most persons have now realized that cyber bullying is a serious issue. This does not leave out harassment in line of gender. First, teens have the means and power to send text messages or instant messages through this means. Additionally, they can use chart to redicule others, that is, winkler or even fiddle with web sites. Thus, this messages that teens send have a tendancy of being insulting, which sometimes they post on facebook or twitter hence cyber bullying. Those who are bullying others go a step forward to send their victims direct messages. The bully as the potential of spreading rumours or lies concerning the victim. Furthermore, they go a notch higher to post photoshoped or provoking pictures minua a persons concent, post embarrassing or personal videos of the bullied or post unwanted iniquitous and email information on the internet with the intention of bringing another person down and ruining there reputation completely(Ledley et al., 2008). Thus, this paper will show in detrails how cyber bullying is a reality especially in Canadiam middle school.
Keyword: Cyber bullying
Introduction
The definition of cyber bullying differs from one researcher to another. Agastonet al. (2007) defines cyber bullying as “Using the internet or digital technologies such as cellular phones and personal digital assistants to be intentionally mean or harass other” pg. 60 while Patching and Hinduja (2007) defines cyber bullying as “Willful and repeated harm inflicted through the medium of electronic text” (pg. 90). Cyber bullying is general bullying extended in school. It is also linked with social cognative theory. Actually, these new art is really replacing the traditional school bullying that many have faught against for many years.
Many students date or try out dating in school. Most of the times one or both parties might be less serious hence decide to bully the other party in the cyber by posting information on the internet to demine the other party. Additionally, many persons have contributed to photod that are post on the internet with mean intention specifically bringing down certain features that relate to gender. It is quite unfortunate that a proporting of the young population that is rapidly growing and mostly in school are exposed to interpersonal aggression, violence and harassment in line with their gender attributes through cyberbullying. Thus, it is very important that social workers, counselors, administarators in schools, parents and teachers be aware of what happens in cases of cyber bullying, how to respond to it, prevent it and identify the victims.
According to the study done between 1990 to 2000 shows that among 19%of youth who regularly use internet were engaged in cyber bullying: 3% as bully-victims, 4% as victims and 13% as perpetrators. Cyber bullying prevalence seems to increase among adolescents each year as technology devices become more ubiquitous and smaller (Willard, 2007). In data collected in 2004, the percentage of victimization reported by youth was 30% and 11% had bullied others (Patchin & Hinduja, 2009). The latest study conducted shows that the teens who were victimized online were 72% and 13% reported having the experience more than 4 times (Juvonen & Gross. 2008).
Bullying behavior has been linked by researchers with human communication and behavior how ever to explain cyber bullying, few theories are available. One theoretical model is internet disinhibited behavioral effect (Hinduja & Patchin, 2009; Kowalski et al., 2008). Disinhibit ion means that normal behavioral restraint can become lost or disregarded’ (Mason, 2008, pg. 328). People behave bluntly when communicating via email or other electronic venues. Moreover, great hostility, misunderstanding and aggressive response are likely in computer communication than face to face. In face-to-face people are able to read emotional reaction and behavior (Kowalski et al., 2008).
A number of cases lately have reported a teacher being harassed in the cyber because they did not do something that the students like and they reduce it to making him or her in relation to their physical attributes. Moreso, women are the main victims especially when they are very fat or too thin. There male counter part enjoy as they redicule them giving them names. When it comes to celebrities, female young artists have had their dreams shuttered at a very tender age because of cyber bullying where one took their time to destroy the reputation of these artists completely. In most cases, adolescent girls are victims of threatening, degrading and sexually explicit messages through personal online profiles, chat rooms, email and cell phones. The root of cyber bullying in tradition takes place in school setting , however, cyber-space gives it chance to flourish since in different way thus creating numerous challenges (Kowalski et al., 2008). In school context, cyber bullying is dangerous because it takes place on home computers outside school hours. This makes it difficult and impossible to supervise. Cyber bullying puts student on an island where there is no supervision and in few rules allowing bullying to become dangerous and even life threatening.
In 2007 Canada Kids Help Phone revealed that according to the survey done in 2011 and 2007, cyber bullying behavior is the most rampant social networking platforms. Emails have been abandoned in favor of text messaging which is the most cyber bullying platform. In research project conducted in 2010, “Cyber Bullying among Middle and High School Students” shows that 33 Toronto high schools reported 49.5% students had been cyber bullied online. In these studies, mojirity did not share with anyone about cyberbullying (Hinduja & Patchin, 2009).
In 2008, Canadian Teachers Federation poll studied 34% of Canadian survey had knowledge that students in their community were targets of cyber bullying in past years. One student among five knew teachers who had been cyber bullied. The poll showed that one people among 10 new a close person who had been cyber bullied. Canada teacher ranked this issue with high concern with 89% suggested bullying as a serious problem in public school.
Social Science and Humanities Research Council for Canada funded preliminary research which disclosed that digital natives are not sensitive and cannot distinguish between teasing or harmless jokes, threat and persistent harassment. Lack wide range of statistical data across Canadian youth population has been a challenge being faced by many policymakers and researchers on various strategies and programs developed to reduce cyber bullying and bullying incidences (Fleishman, 2002).
Many cyber bullying studies focus on either bullies or victims. However, bully or victim students are usually overlooked. Traditionally, boys were more likely involved in bullying than girls overall. Morever, girls experience psychological and indirect type of bullying such as, social exculsion and rumor spreading (Kowaslski et al, 2008). Therefore, cyber bullying has been pointed out by researchers as more prevalent among girls because it is text based and girls are more verbal than boys (Hinduja & Patchin, 2009).
According to Juvonen & Gross (2008) age difference of youth in cyber bullying vary. Other studies done in Canada and Britain show that there is no effet of age. Some researchers argue that cyber bullying peaks in high school and middle school (Hinduja & Patchin, 2009; Kowalski et al, 2007).
According to Fleishman (2002), in Canada, the number of teen who use internet regularly are 99%, 74% are girls aged between 12-18 who spend their time on chat room and instant messaging. In every seventeen children, one is threatened in internet (Leishman, 2002; Mitchell, 2004). In similar study in Canada, 177 middle school students disclosed that, the respondents who were bullied were 23%, 35% were in chat rooms, 45% text messaging.
Cyber bullying begins in virtual environment anonymously and affects learning in school environment. Bullying victims suffer from social phobia, anxiety, and depression (Kowalski et al., 2008).Cyber bullying among students in Canada has become a serious concern in society and in education internationally. Parents, media and educators are paying much attention to this phenomena for the past years. This is because, researchers have revealed that there is high prevalence of cyber bullying among students. However, persmissive parents do not acknowledge activities done by their children and therefore display uninvolved parenting style and neglect their children even in case of cyber bullying.
Parent monitoring has a big role in cyber bullying because, it often occur at home. From researchers, 30% od adolescent who use internet daily, more tha50% have been reported for poor parenting monitoring. Many parents are not sure wha their children are doing online and do not discuss the subject with their teens. On the other hand, some of the parents, have set certain limits on the use of internet for their children.
Conclusion
Responding to angry messages with anger should be avoided and also opening messages with a stranger. Incase of forwarding an email to more than one person, one should use blind copy to recepients email. In this way the receiver cannot see the list of addressed email. Anything very private should not be posted online if you are not willing others to see. Incase the bully is identified, they should be blocked and change account settings taking the shortest time possible. Participating in cyber bullying should also be avoided.
Parents sould examine and identify the different subgroups youths according to sex and age, who are involved in cyber bullying and look for ways of helping them.
References
Kowalski, R., Limber, P. S., & Agatson, W. P. (2008). Cyber bullying: Bullying in the digital age. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.
Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2009). Bullying beyond the schoolyard: Preventing and responding to cyber bullying. Thousand Oaks, CA: Crown Press.
Juvonen, J., & Gross, E. F. (2008). Extending the school grounds?—Bullying experiences in cyberspace. Journal of School Health, 78, 496-505.
Ledley, D., Storch, E., Coles, M., Heimberg, R., Moser, J., & Bravata, E. (2006). The Relationship between childhood teasing and later interpersonal functioning. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment.
Agatston, P. W., Kowalski, R., & Limber, S. (2007). Students’ perspectives on cyber bullying. Journal of Adolescent Health, 41, 59-60.
