Cyberbullying Is Not A Victimless Crime

Bullying is one of the leading causes in teen suicide today. People bullied in the past or present have been studied and it has shown that they have a lower quality of life. Though they have a lower quality of life, the have better physical and mental health. (“Seaman” 1). Studies have shown that most bullying happens in middle school and high school. There is bullying in elementary school but it is minimal and less serious (“Bullying Statistics” 1). Most kids refuse to speak up while being bullied in fear that the bully will just taunt them more (“Cyber-Safety Act” 2). Bullying has become a very serious issue regarding our society today.

In “Cyberbullying Is Serious but Not an Epidemic” Larry Magid argues that there is a problem with cyber bullying, but maybe we shouldn’t make such a big about it. He states that cyber bullying is an aspect that leads adolescents to suicide, but there are also other factors as well. Some factors could include existing depression, issues at home, or issues with self-esteem. Magid goes on to say that bullying isn’t as harmful as we all make it out to be. We should take action when it comes to children being bullied but maybe not overreact like we tend to.

“Nationwide, one out of four students from the ages twelve to eighteen have been bullied. That is twenty five percent to the teenage/young adult population and these numbers are continuously to rise every day” (Wassdorp, Bradshaw, and Leaf 116, 149-156). Bullying is the action of repeated harmful acts or harassing another in various forms. Many situations fall under one or even multiple of these categories: physical, verbal, indirect, and cyber. What this does is strips the victim down from their identity and leaves them to pity themselves for being the way they are. Bullying is an issue in this nation because it tears apart the teenage/young adult population, and it is causing an increase in risk of suicide among these groups. Bullying is

Bullying is an undesirable, antagonistic conduct among not only school aged children but also adults. People who are bullied may have serious and long-term problems. Bullying has become more prominent throughout the years, increasing the suicide rate in the U.S. to 24.5% since 2003. (Hey U.G.L.Y, 2006) This results in approximately 160,000 individuals stay home from school or work each day because they are afraid or feel threatened by bullies. (Hey U.G.L.Y, 2006) Approximately 4,400 lives are lost each year due to bullying. (Hey U.G.L.Y, 2006) A nationwide survey was done throughout public schools and private schools in 2014 to find out how many students actually considered suicide due to bullying. (Hey U.G.L.Y, 2006) 15% of students reported

Suicide is the act or an instance of taking one’s own life voluntarily, a person who kills herself intentionally. In fact suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15 to 24 year olds and at least 90% of teens who kill themselves have some type of mental problem. Suicides among young people continue to be a serious problem. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for children. School bullying statistics in the United States show that one in four kids in the U.S. are bullied on a regular basis. A student is being or victimized when he or she is exposed negative action on the part of one or more student. Bullying remains one of the largest problems in school with the percentage of students,over most 13 million American kids, will be bullied this year. Noticeable effects of bullying are ongoing sadness, withdrawal from others, reckless behavior, rejecting to eat & lack of sleep. According to suicide prevention resource center, cyberbullying is a new way of communication through social media and texting to hatrass and cause emotional harm to victims. Suicide is clearly influenced by bullies.

In 2014-2015 over 21% of teenagers have been cyberbullied. The effects of being cyberbullied include, usage of alcohol and/or drugs, skipping school, poor grades, have low self-esteem, have more health problems, and depression (What is Cyberbullying). Victims of cyberbullying are twice as likely to attempt suicide than those who haven’t experienced cyberbullying. Each year, approximately 4,500 teenagers commit suicide due cyberbullying and bullying. Self-harm is also common to victims of cyberbullying; the amount of teenagers who commit suicide and self-harm due to bullying rise along with the usage of social media.

Bullying causes suicide. There is a firm link between suicide and bullying, as stated by many reports on bullying-related suicides in the United States and many other countries. “Children who are bullied as well as those who bully others are more likely to contemplate or attempt suicide” (Strickland 1). The National Center for Educational Statistics, in 2009, said nearly 1 in 3 students between the ages of 12 and 18 reported being bullied in school. “Bullycide,” is a term that is increasingly finding its way into the educational lexicon as a result of several teen suicides that were attributed at least in part to bullying.

Michael M. Honda states that “everyone in America likely has a bullying story, whether as a victim, bully, or as a witness.” Cyberbullying has become a major epidemic in the modern day world because everyone has access to the internet in some way. By taking an in depth look at cyberbullying, one can see just how urgent it is to stop it, because not only can it strike anywhere at any time, cyberbullying can also lead to suicide and cause serious mental health issues.

“Statistics on cyberbullying include: Nearly 43% of kids have been bullied online; seventy percent of students’ report seeing frequent bullying online; sixty-eight percent of teens agree that cyberbullying is a serious problem; eighty-one percent of young people believe bullying online is easier to get away with than bullying in person; ninety percent of teens who have seen social-media bullying say they have ignored it; only one in 10 victims will inform a parent or trusted adult of their abuse; girls are about twice as likely as boys to be victims and perpetrators of cyberbullying; nearly 58% of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online; bullying victims are two to nine times more likely to consider committing suicide; furthermore about 75% of students admit they have visited a website bashing another

Bullying in American schools has become an underrated topic to converse about. It is a worldwide problem that can have negative consequences for the general school climate and for the right of students to learn in a safe environment without fear. Throughout Elementary schools, students are taught about bullying more than any other grade school. 282,000 students are physically attacked in secondary schools each month. As generations have evolved, kids in all schools get bullied rapidly and are afraid to report it. They feel they have no one to go to and situations like this can ruin a young life. Students can start bullying at a young age and stay consistent through until they graduate. Young people commit suicide due to being bullied in American schools. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year according to the CDC.

Cyber bullying can be a federal crime depending on how far the bully goes with saying mean things and or threatening the victim. “Cyber bullying occurs frequently throughout the world” says coburn(1). Most of the bullies today do it online rather than face to face. It's easier for bullies to

Suicide from bullying is a huge issue in teens around the world. Suicide is the third leading cause of death with young people. According to “Bullying Info and Statistics: Don't Stand Alone,” about 4,400 people commit suicide per year. For every suicide, there are hundreds of

Traditional bullying has been happening for a long time, but cyberbullying is fairly new, and is becoming more popular. Bullying is repetitive, negative interactions with the intention of inflicting physical or emotional pain to the victim, or in any way making the victim feel bad about themselves (Jan & Husains, 2015). Due to advances in technology, a new form of bullying called cyberbullying had begun to grow in popularity. Cyberbullying is similar to traditional bullying in that the intent of the bully is the same, but cyberbullying is committed using the internet, or cell phones (Baraldsnes, 2015). There has been a connection that has been found between bullying and cyber bullying; and that is that some of the bullies will continue to attack the

Cyber bullying laws are being created to make this destructive activity illegal. Threats are not protected speech. Thus, cyber bullying isn’t protected by the first amendment as freedom of speech. Cyber bullying deprives people of their rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. According to research in as of June 2011, thirty states have passed bullying laws where cyber bullying was included. Studies show that cyber bullying has influenced 50% of US teenagers. Schools and organizations are required to create a bullying policy including cyber bullying, as long as it is reported. Clear repercussions must be outlined. Schools require direction from the state legislatures and education departments to draft policies that will hold up in court.

Most schools won’t take action to stop bullying or notice the signs of someone going to kill themselves. Most of the time kids do show that they’re sad or depressed but no one will say anything nor try to help them. “Between the ages 10-18 is usually where cyber bullying occurs the most”(Cyberbullying). Teen deaths have gone up substantially since kids started bullying and cyberbullying one another, most of the time considering it a funny joke. If no one takes action towards helping these kids, it will continue to get worse and will drive them to suicide. About fourteen percent of kids in high school will think about committing suicide, but seven percent of them will actually attempt to kill themselves. Most kids have started to cyberbully more so than bullying because no one will take notice or speak about it. “In some cases, it may not be obvious that a teen is thinking about suicide, such as when the suicide seems to be triggered by a particularly bad episode of bullying”(Bullying and Suicide). About 20 percent of girls get cyber bullied online and only 17 percent of guys. Why is the issue that girls get cyber bullied online more often than boys. “Ten to fourteen year old girls may be at even higher risk for suicide, according to the