CYBER-BULLYING

BULLYING -
 To deliberately and repeatedly torment, threaten, embarrass, humiliate, and pick-on someone, to break-up friendships or spread rumors or hurt.

What is cyber bullying and what are the effects on high school students? Bullying by itself can be defined as a type of aggressive behavior that involves intent to cause harm. It can include psychological, physical, verbal or cyber abuse. In my discussion, I talk about the long-term effects of being cyber bullied. The world has upgraded, and its technology has exposed our children to all of its positives and negatives that come with it: one negative with it is being cyber bullied. It is a terrible weapon that can destroy the victim’s reputation and life in just one click. Cyber bullying is becoming the biggest weapon in this world and it will evidently become too big to control.
According to the Cyber Bullying Research Center, “cyber bullying is defined as willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices.” Cyber bullying can happen with any technology people use today including social networking sites, blogs, YouTube, chat rooms, and text messaging.  According to Cyber bullying and Its Victims, an article in American School University, one in every six high school students has been the victim of electronic bullying in the past year; girls are more likely to be victimized. The study also states that a third of the high school students that were surveyed spend three hours on a computer every day. (Cyber Bullying and Its Victims, 2013) We, as a whole community, should not blame cell phones, computers or technology for cyber-bullying. As a matter of fact, social media sites can be used for positive activities like connecting with friends and family, and helping students with school. But the problem is that the same technology that is used by our population on a daily basis for both educational and entertainment purposes can become a harmful weapon against people.
Cyber bullying has increased a large amount in society. To win the battle against cyber bullying, there needs to be education on this problem to prevent health risks and other problems associated with cyber bullying. This issue affects millions of people, teenagers and young adults included, on a daily basis. Since cyber bullying is so new, research and prevention is basically nonexistent, and often fails to address the effects that cyber bullying has on the common young mind.  The effects of bullying are similar, whether or not the victim experiences bullying through technology or in person. Kids who are cyber-bullied are more likely to do these things: use alcohol and drugs, skip school (to not have to see the bully), experience in-person bullying, be unwilling to attend school, receive poor grades, and low self-esteem and more health problems. According to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, both victims and offenders of bullying can feel the long-lasting psychological effects. Bullying victims showed greater likelihood of agoraphobia, this is where the person has anxiety towards public places. People have been both victims and bullies are at higher risk for young adult depression, panic disorder, and there is also an increased chance of committing suicide. There is also a risk of antisocial personality disorder.
To prevent bullying, educating kids about the consequences is a must. Parents need to teach their children to respect others and to take a stand against bullying of all kinds. There are some state laws against bullying but most states have not incorporated the concept of cyber bullying in to their laws. To fully prevent cyber bullying, parents, teachers, administration and students need to work together in building a safe school environment, and creating a community-wide bullying prevention strategy. The National Crime Prevention website currently has two campaigns to help prevent bullying; one for parents and one for kids. They also have cartoons and games for parents to start teaching their kids early before it’s too late.
As our generation advances further, technology becomes more accessible, which opens the door for cyber-bullying. If we don’t put a stop to it now, this will be the new weapon to kill people. Who needs bullets if you can make the victims pull the trigger themselves? I believe standing together to fight against cyber bullying in the only way to help the next generation. As the motto of Stop Cyber Bullying states,” Don’t Stand by.” “Stand up.” Get help and get noticed. If you are being cyber bullied, tell someone.