Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying has many similar qualities to traditional bullying. Cyberbullying is still bullying, but there are also some differences. The intent of cyberbullying is similar or the same as traditional bullying as there is a push for power by intentionally making someone else feel poorly. The potentially long-lasting effects of low self-esteem, depression, loneliness, and anxiety (Kowalski & Limber, 2007) are present in both. Because of such similarities, my proposition for reducing and preventing cyberbullying will come from the same constructs.

One difference between cyberbullying and traditional bullying is that cyberbullying does not have as much of a physical presence, but may have deeper social and psychological effects. Because of concepts like online disinhibition and and online anonymity, bullies tend to cut deeper over messaging than they would in-person. People sometimes become more aggressive and mean over message boards and social media posts. This phenomenon is similar to fans in the arena of athletic events, but to a much larger scale. What makes fans feel like it is ok to yell obscenities at players, coaches, and officials when they are at games? What makes some people feel it is acceptable to insult, objectify, or degrade when Taylor Swift posts a picture of herself on Twitter?

Another major difference between bullying and cyberbullying is that offenses that occur online have the ability to be seen worldwide in a matter of minutes. Cyberbullying can happen anywhere, at any time, to anyone, and that single post could go viral based on the entertainment value of the message, picture, or video. A post could be on record permanently, where traditional bullying could occur repeatedly with no one ever having witness or proof.

The anti-bullying campaigns over the past decade, have proven to be beneficial. Students in classrooms and playgrounds have recently started calling out bullying when they see it happen. There was enough emphasis in schools and advertisements to help the younger students recognize and give them a voice against bullying. The grassroots campaign of affecting kids while they are younger seems to be the best practice. Providing awareness, empathy, and tools to fight against cyberbullying starting at an early age will help these kids that have been born into digital media. Additional support for smart content, privacy, and security for the youth and adults alike will give people tools to help prevent or give signs to look for cyberbullying.

Despite the various campaigns and efforts to stop bullying, bullying and cyberbullying will always be around. It is the district’s duty to provide the opportunity for a student to feel safe at school. It is their job to make sure there is a protocol in place for occurences in the childrens’ educational setting. Making sure the students know who to go to if there is a problem is the first step. Then build the culture of being able to go to help for themselves or their friends. Having a report hotline or the availability of an ombudsperson is necessary. Students and teachers are not training professionals in handling bullying, so having a representative on campus or in district that is trained in the reports and necessary investigations is important.

References

Kowalski, R. M., & Limber, S. P. (2007). Electronic bullying among middle school

students. Journal of Adolescent Health, 41, S22–S30. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.08.017