Adolescents all across the world use the web for socializing, communicating and interacting. The era of online communication has led to a unique harmful dynamic for social relationships, where there are no faces, and thus a lower personal accountability. This has given rise to Internet harassment, and cyberbullying behavior seems to have become a norm this day. As compared to traditional bullying, cyberbullying gets access to an unlimited audience and increased exposure. Cyber bullying is an addition to the general bullying styles seen in schools and colleges. Several conditions distinguish friendly teasing from bullying which is unwanted, persistent and creates a power imbalance between the one who is bullying and the bullied. It is a sinister variation of verbal and written bullying. If one googles the term cyberbully, they will get millions of hits on Search engines, carrying web pages related to stories, agencies, and professions conferences related to cyberbullying. It is true that traditional bullying has moved over to the virtual world and taken on the name – cyber bullying. Regardless of how it is called or what technologies are used, it is the aggressive individual or groups seeking out weak and vulnerable victims. Sometimes, it is difficult to have precise descriptive words surrounding Cyberbullying. Still, with the choice of the right words, one can define it in a straightforward and concise manner as a deliberate and repeated behavior that inflicts harm through the use of computers and other electronic devices (McQuade, Colt and Meer Nancy 1). The bullying behavior reflects a pattern of behavior to harm a certain target. The data collected by the Cyberbullying Research Center from middle and high school students surveyed thousands of students from middle and high schools across the United. Although the rates of cyberbullying victimization vary over the past few years, and the rates did dip a bit in 2013, they have risen in 2014and 2015 (What is Cyberbullying 2014). More than 25% of the students surveyed in the recent studies have admitted that they have been cyberbullied at some point in their lifetimes. The researchers are trying to narrow down the risks of cyberbullying and how to curb them. Students’ sense of self-esteem during adolescence makes them more vulnerable to cyberbullying. It is also essential to locate those who are more at risk of getting involved with cyberbullying behavior (Nixon 149). Studies reflect that traditional rule-breaking behavior is a strong predictor of cyberbullying perpetration, followed by their frequency of online use. Those adults who were involved in traditions bullying in the real world are more likely to bully someone online. The children and youth of today face the same dangers of the bullying, only, the dangers have become a lot more challenging, with the advent of the internet. The bullying over the internet can lead to severe consequences. A closer analysis of the bullying cases online has led to the identification of several common aspects of bullying in computerized societies. Most of the victims were weak and vulnerable, and the computer technologies were used creatively to abuse the victim. Moreover, the cyberbullying victims also feared and experienced physical bullying (McQuade, Colt and Meyer 7). In most cases, personal relationships and sexuality were targeted. Parents and school authorities were not able to intervene successfully and the youth involved was not given the right guidance and protection. Cyberbullying victims feel alienated from their parents and peers and experience a higher degree of loneliness and isolation. It is not surprising to see that Cyberbullying victims are reported to have fewer friendships and a weaker social support system. Research was done to assess the impact of cyber bullying on mental health of adolescents shows development of negative disorders such as depression, suicidal ideate, anxiety and loneliness as asserted by Nixon (144). Cyber victims report the feeling of powerlessness and hopelessness against the perpetrator. The results demonstrate an increased rates of trauma symptomology among the victims. What adds to their fears is that the victims fear for their safety as they didn’t know their perpetrators. As Nixon (145) states, the reactions to being cyberbullied may rely on the kind of cyberbullying, its degree and duration. Different forms of cyberbullying may provoke the different emotional reaction. For instance, being bullied online will be different from being bullied on a phone. Studies show that adolescents get most disturbed due to any misuse of pictures and videos. Thus, different psychological outcomes can be expected. Recent research on both targets and perpetrators of cyberbullying were more likely to think about suicide or attempt it. However, it is the victim who is more likely to attempt suicide as compared to the perpetrator. Cyberbullied are under depression and suicidal ideation, and thus, there is a positive relationship between suicidal behavior and cyber victimization. The stage has come to take cyberbullying seriously and stop the blaming the technology, the school, and parents or the law. The overall usage of internet has increased more than 290%, and the growth is still going on a stated by McQuade, Colt and Meyer (10). A typical child anywhere in the world is growing up with the internet technology around him. Thus, the more adolescents are involved in cyberbullying, the more likely they are to engage in suicidal behavior. What adds to the problem are the increased substance use and physical violence, which are a result of the psychological pain associated with cyberbullying. The above discussion shows that it is the collective responsibility of parents, guardians, and mentor and the law authorities to take the subject of cyberbullying seriously and wake up to its serious consequences. The recent studies suggest the need for health care providers, educators, and caring adults to help the young and adolescents, and teach them constructive coping strategies to face cyber bullying effectively. Both victims and perpetrators need help and awareness. Recent study findings suggest a strong need for comprehensive programs directed at cyberbullying prevention and intervention. Education and awareness about cyberbullying should be incorporated into school curriculums and the community as a whole. Adolescents, teachers, parents and schools should get engaged in debates and community discussions regarding legislation and accountability of cyberbullying. (Nixon 155). To conclude on the subject of cyber bullying, adequate and timely prevention and intervention efforts can help reduce cyberbullying. An early detection of substance use and aggressive behavior plus looking for signs of loneliness and social anxiety in adolescents’, all point to the possibilities of cyberbullying. The teachers and parents of those students carry the first responsibility to develop a social support to locate nay incident of cyberbullying and mitigate its impact on adolescent health. Given the damaging effects of cyberbullying, effective prevention and intervention efforts are a priority in the digital society of today. Recent studies emphasize on the need and importance of prevention efforts on cyberbullying and how to protect adolescents’ from problem behaviors and safeguard their self-esteem. Parents, teachers and lawmakers should look for concrete solutions to not only safeguard the youth and children from the negative impacts of cyberbullying, but also prevent them from becoming a bully. It is important to raise awareness while the cyberbullying numbers are still low, and before the problem blows out of proportion and becomes unmanageable.
Works Cited
McQuade, Samuel C., Colt, James P. and Meyer Nancy B. B." Cyber Bullying: Protecting Kids and Adults from Online Bullies." ABC-CLIO 1.1 (2009): 1-219. Print.
Nixon, Charisse L. “Current Perspectives: The Impact of Cyberbullying on Adolescent Health.” Adolescent Health, Medicine and Therapeutics 5 (2014): 143–158. PMC. Web. 11 Mar. 2016."What is Cyberbullying?" cyberbullying.org. 2014. Web. 11 March. 2016.
