Cyberbullying Prevention Essay Example

Definition and Types of Cyberbullying

Cyber bullying is defined as using information and communication technology to support a group or individual's hostile, repeated and deliberate behavior that is designed to harm others. Cyber bullying is most often perpetrated by children who have early access to these technologies. Bullies can use fake names to disguise their true identity and hide their crimes. This makes the problem even worse. It is difficult to track bullies, which makes it even more difficult for them to escalate their actions. Because cyber bullying is anonymous, it is different from regular physical bullying. Because cyber bullies don't have to confess their actions publicly, they are not required to do so.

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Challenges in Addressing Cyberbullying

Cyber bullying is usually beyond the reach of school boards as it takes place mostly outside the school premises. There are many forms of cyber bullying, including flaming and persecution, discrediting, imitating, cyber stalking, threats, and disparagement. Cyberbullying can include sending threats or threatening messages, making racial or provoking remarks, and trying to infect the victim's computer using viruses.

Cyber bullying can be dealt with by the victim in part by restricting their computer connection, ignoring defamatory or threatening messages and refusing to receive mails from unknown sources. Blacklisting or whitelisting e-mail accounts, changing frequent e-mail addresses, switching ISPs, switching mobile phone accounts and trying to trace the source are all more effective and high-tech methods. Cyber bullying is still a relatively new phenomenon. Therefore, strict laws have yet to be implemented. The existing laws against harassment and threats cover the time period. Sometimes it is possible to get help from the local police or an attorney. Retaliation in such cases is not an option as it can escalate the level of danger and worsen the situation. Nearly 15% of students have experienced cyber bullying.

A 2014 research found that cyber bullying is a major problem. Students feel more confident after bullying others. The anonymity provided by the internet is also reported to be a contributing factor. To vent their frustrations, some youths bully others online. Research has shown that children who are subject to bullying and harassment as kids will be more likely to bully their peers when they get older. Cyber bullying can also be motivated by revengeful feelings. New research has found that cyber bullying is associated with depression among teenagers. This was based on multiple studies. A series of suicides by teenagers who were bullied on various social media sites every day has brought attention to cyber bullying. Ask.fm was the site that allowed users to anonymously ask questions. This led to a number of suicides in 2013. Ask.com acquired Ask.fm in 2014 to help with safety measures after teens died as a result of abuse. Researchers have found that cyberbullying victims exhibit negative reactions that are similar to those who were victims of traditional bullying. However, a lot of research has not been done. It is possible to say that cyber bullying causes more harm than traditional bullying. Because victims cannot escape their bullies' grasp, and because these cyber attacks become permanent, cyber bullying can also cause students to feel victimized. This may lead to depression, as well as other mental disorders. Cyberbullying has been associated with multiple negative emotional, psychological and behavioral outcomes.

Effects of Cyberbullying and Associated Negative Outcomes

Cyber bullying can have a variety of physical and psychological effects depending on who the victim is. These include depression, anxiety, sadness, being scared, feeling embarrassed and feeling sad. Cyber harassment is linked to depression. Targets of cyber harassment report more cases than those who are not. How to stop Cyber bullying Sometimes, bullies start as friends, ex-fellows, or people who are well-known to the victim. It is possible to have a meaningful conversation with the victim. It is more productive to have a conversation with the person in person than via email or text. You should ignore the messages that the bully sends. If the bully doesn't respond to your request, ignore any attachments or emails sent by him/her. Bullies will try to get a response from their targets so replying to them via text message will only make matters worse. Stop the bully. You can immediately stop the bully from making invasive threats to you by removing them from any communication. After you have saved all previous messages, Make sure to update your account settings. Limit the personal information that you make public online to prevent the bully from finding another way to contact you.

Conclusion

Don't wait too long to seek help from others in these situations. If you wait too long to reply, the bully may feel that he is not visible or cannot be found. For this reason, patience is not an option. You should review the policies of all service providers to see if there are any rules that apply to bullies. If you find something, report it. Sometimes, law enforcement can provide assistance in combating cyberbullying. The best way to help is the local police department if the situation becomes more serious and violates school rules or any other rights. Cyberbullying is a serious problem for teens today. Cyber bullying is not just harmful to the victims, but it can also have devastating consequences that can impact the loved ones as well as the victim's peers.

Cyberbullying may pose a greater threat to children than we think. According to experts, cyber bullying affects 1 in 3 teenagers. If we want to end this nightmare for teenagers around the world, parents, government bodies, and society must all come together. Let's make the internet safer for all those who use it every day.