Taking a Look at Cyberbullying

‘Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me’ (The Christian Recorder). This is the infamous saying that many have heard since they were young. With vastly growing technology today, face to face bullying is being replaced with what is known as ‘cyberbullying’. Cyberbullying is defined as, “an aggressive intentional act carried out by a group or individual using electronic forms of contact repeatedly and over against a victim who cannot easily defend him or herself” (WebMD). It can take place using cell phones, computers, tablets, social media sites, text messaging, and/or chat rooms. Cyberbullying has become a growing awareness nationwide, prompting lawmakers to act and propose new laws making cyberbullying a

Many would agree that technology has advanced remarkably, in the past decade and has impacted the the as we know it in so many good ways. However, it has come with some downfalls as well. One of these downfalls is, the impact technology has on teenagers especially when it comes to social media and instant messaging. With that being said, there is this epidemic that the younger generations face with the internet. This includes, being harassed over the internet or cyberbullying. Unfortunately, bullying has always been an issue especially among young adolescents. However, now we have the same issue yet the bullies are able to hide behind a computer screen and this has been affecting teenagers in a negative way just as traditional bullying has. According to Merriam-Webster cyberbullying can be defined as “the electronic posting of mean-spirited messages about a person (such as a student) often done anonymously”. Cyberbullying usually results in embarrassment and can sometimes lead to an even worse feeling if continued. According to the indicators of school crime and safety report done in 2013; 6% of students in middle school were cyberbullies and 16% of high schoolers reported that in the past year they have been harassed over the internet. Even though those numbers are smaller than students who get bullied in person, cyberbullying still has negative effects on the victim. The purpose of this paper is to reach out to kids who

As the drastic increase of social media networks has increased, so too has the cyberbullying prevalence. Merriam-Webster defines cyberbullying as the electronic posting of mean-spirited messages about a person often done anonymously. Kassandra Gahagan and her fellow colleagues studied cyberbullying among students and its outcomes. Studies show higher rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors with victims of cyberbullying, along with higher rates of depression, anxiety and paranoia (Gahagan, Vaterlaus & Frost, 2015). While cyberbullying can be both intentional or unintentional, it is a negative process which effects the victim. This includes comments, posts without consent and messages. The study conducted sought to determine the prevalence of cyberbullying among young adults and the negative outcomes through asking three questions.

Cyberbullying is a form of written and verbal bullying which is conveyed by teens and adolescents through communication technologies such as cell-phones, emails, text messages, websites, webcams and chatrooms. It also includes taking sexual photographs by ex-partners and sending to others after

Cyberbullying is a relatively new threat, and it is very similar to traditional bullying. Despite the fact that cyberbullying and traditional bullying both share the common goal of harassment, cyberbullying differs from traditional bullying in that it does not stop at the schoolyard, and can continue when the victim is far away from the aggressor. It is just as devastating as common bullying, and sometimes is even more damaging. Professors Sameer Hinduja and Justin W. Patchin note in their journal, “Cyberbullying Creates Dangerous Stress and Anxiety”, that cyberbullying affects anywhere between 10-40% of students (contingent on their age group) (par. 1). J.D. Kelly A. Albin, in her article “Bullies in a Wired World”, defines cyberbullying as “…the ‘willful and repeated harm inflicted through use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices’” (157). It is caused by the fact that children feel their actions are mitigated when they use social media, as it creates the illusion of indirectness, and its effects range anywhere from mild depression to suicide.

This research shows that cyberbullying is at an all-time high over the past few years. The purpose of this report was to gain knowledge for personally and professionally for the future as well as to use for reporting. With the rise of children and teenagers getting cell phones, tablets, and even computers at such a young age the rise will only continue to go up if we cannot stop it now. Young girls are at a higher risk than young men to be bullied but young men are higher for being bullies. Every one in three teens have been the victims of cyber bullying and only one in five are reported to parents or law enforcement. If there was something that could be done to stop cyberbullying

Cyberbullying has been on the rise in the past years because of the rise in the usage of social media. People tend to go to social media with positive intentions, but not everyone’s intentions are positive. Social media can bring what usually takes place at school to the household. For bullies, cyberbullying requires less physical contact and their bullying

1. Adams, Caralee. “CYBERBULLYING.” Instructor, Vol. 120 Issue 2, p2. MasterFILE Premier. Web. Fall2010. 15 Nov. 2010

Cyberbullying is a form of bullying that is initiated through electronic devices and takes place in social media forms such as face Book. Cyberbullying is when someone places mean comments or images of you on one of these social media sites and uses it demean or intimidate someone. The effects of cyberbullying are sometimes more severe than face to face bullying because it is a wider audience. In

Cyberbullying is the abuse of an electronic source to degrade and devalue others. It is cruel and immoral but unfortunately unavoidable in today’s age.

According to Beran and Li (2007) there are six different forms of cyberbullying, which include flaming, harassment, gossip, impersonation, exclusion, and cyberstalking. The ways for this to occur have become countless, from well-known social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, to smaller sites that allow you remain anonymous such as Yik Yak and ask.com. The days are gone of having to be the biggest meanest kid in the schoolyard to hurt others. Now it does not matter one’s size, age, gender, or social standing to bully someone. People can now create their own anonymous personas or simply continue to bully others online after they have left school or work.

“I wanted to say bye… for, like, ever” (Abigail Pesta). Those were the last words Rebecca Sedwick texted to her two middle school friends before jumping to her death. This is one of many cases where bullying has been a common cause of death especially for young adolescents. A statistic from bullyingstastics.org states that 1 in 3 adolescents have experienced cyber threats online. Based on the research, now with advanced technology and social media sites, cyberbullying is a growing concern today. There is no federal anti-bullying law, but every state has their own laws. With each cyberbullying case being unique, defining this recent phenomenon can be challenging. This paper will look to address the issues behind cyberbullying, ways it can be stopped, and a universal definition that can be applied to these hateful acts.

Allie Young-Cyberbullying, it is the act of harassing someone online by sending or posting mean messages, usually anonymously. That’s the definition, at least according to Dictionary.com. While this definition is true, the meaning extends way beyond that. There are various ways a bully can target their victim. Dr. Martyn Wild said, “Cyberbullying is poised to turn into the biggest online concern, already affecting up to 35% of all children.” Many people do not realize the damage done by cyberbullying because it is not physical. This may also be due to the fact that there are many misrepresentations about cyberbullying.

While researching what makes an individual want to cyberbully, as well as researching their process of how they select a victim, it is important to note and analyze the six main types of cyberbullying: flaming, cyber-harassment, exclusion, outing, impersonation (also called Masquerading), and cyberstalking. Flaming is the exchange of intense and extreme conversation between the cyberbully and victim. Flaming entails verbal, emotional, and sometimes sexual abuse (Notar,

We use technology in almost every aspect of our daily lives; it is how we stay connected in this fast-paced world. Technology provides many benefits, but it has the potential to destroy many people. With technology use on the rise, bullying has taken a new, more destructive form. Cyberbullying, as defined by the Cyberbullying Research Center, is the willful and repeated harm inflicted through the medium of electronic text (qtd. in Chait). Cyberbullying is a serious problem and has serious consequences.