In 2000, only eight
percent of young adults with access to the internet had been cyber bullied.
Today, forty-three percent of all teenagers have been victims of cyber bullying
at least once in their life (Coutino, 2). That’s nearly half. Bullying is not
just being called out in front of the class or stealing someone’s lunch money
anymore. Kids have been dealing with bullies since the beginning of time but
now it’s transforming. It’s the pictures, messages, statuses, tweets
and videos that are being electronically posted and viewed online to negatively
influence someone’s life. It’s the use of electronic devices to harass, bully
embarrass others online. Today most of the online harassment originates because
of race, religion, sexuality, and jealousy. What can come of this harassment is
permanent. Psychological effects engrave us deeper than any physical bruise;
it’s time to recognize the signs and reproductions of cyber-bullying and to realize
this new form of bullying can be more toxic than its label reveals.
Today, nearly eighty percent of American teenagers have a
cell phone (Coutino, 2). This means
within seconds, pictures can be forwarded around that was intended to be “no
big deal.” Cyber bullying is often overlooked because evidence is easily
deleted and never reported. The term cyber stalking only occurs when one minor
harasses another minor. If an adult is involved it is considered Cyber Stalking
(kellywarner). Unfortunately, only ten percent of those who are targeted report
this abuse. This began in the late nineties when the internet began to become
more common. However, even with easier access to the internet, not a lot has
been done to protect those who are victimized.
Physically harming someone else will bring cops to the
front door within minutes; therefore, wouldn’t one expect the same results with
verbal or mental abuse? State laws share that there are laws against cyber stalking;
however, within school boundaries and events that are school related. More laws
should be put in place for minors unprotected from the harm of predators. In
North Carolina, it is illegal to bully someone online within school walls.
However, most of this done at home, sixty-seven percent in chat rooms (Johnson
15).
The marks left behind are sometimes deeper than cuts and
bruises; they’re the scars that stay with them forever. ABC reported that
nearly 30 percent of students are either bullies or victims of bullying, and
160,000 kids stay home every day because they want to avoid being bullied
(Johnson 8). Teenagers feel a sense of empowerment when they’re at home behind
a computer screen with no sense of identity to be found. Because of this, it is
easier to feed lies into a forum that they know will be seen by the person they
are trying to victimize or peers in close contact. Just like if a close family
member were to say something negative, the same goes for a stranger on the
internet. Children yearn for attention, sometimes it doesn’t even matter who is
reflecting that. Even bullies themselves, are searching for some sick need of
satisfaction. The key is to look for those children that aren’t going to put
themselves out there but are also crying for help. Dr. Caudle, PhD states that,
“creating a safe
environment where one’s child feels comfortable enough to talk about being
bullied can help put a stop to bullying before it ever starts.” A study performed by
Anglia Ruskin University shares that out of 80 students tested that had been
cyber bullied, 35 of those said that their self esteem had been affected
(O’Brien, 27).
Of these mental effects, depression
and anxiety are the most common. Imagine being tormented day after day and not
being able to escape. Imagine constantly being blamed. Imagine constantly being
told “you’re not good enough.” Imagine constantly being tortured. Studies show
that children/teenagers who are cyber bullied are less likely to attend school
regularly and their performance in school slowly declines. There are sudden
mood changes and the zest for life seems to be absent. It all comes back to the
feeling of being wanted. Nancy Willard, Author of Cyberbullying and
Cyberthreats: Responding to the Challenge of Online Social Aggression, Threats,
and Distress,
shares, “that the effects of cyberbullying may be more damaging than in-school
bullying because cyberbullied children do not have the opportunity to escape
the harassment. Due to the anonymous nature of some Internet harassment,
victims may not be able to identify their harasser and feel that everyone is
against them (Freeman 3).”
Sadly, hearing about depression being the stopping point
for those bullied online is not the case. Over the past few years, it has been
more common for victims to commit suicide. Lives cut short because people hide
behind public words. A popular case that caught the media attention of
lawmakers across the United States was the death of thirteen year old, Megan
Meiers. She was an average American girl with a normal family but had low
self-esteem. She began talking to a boy named Jake Evans on Myspace and soon
began to have feelings for this “older guy.” However this was short lived and
he began calling her names and threatening her through messages. Her insecurity
and constant harassment eventually led her to hang herself, leaving her mom alone.
Months passed but the man behind the screen wasn’t revealed until about a year
later. Secrets surfaced and the identity of “Josh Evans” turned out to be a
family that lived a few houses down from Megan Meiers. They had a daughter the
same age and wanted to torture Megan for a friendship that the two girls used
to have but unfortunately went downhill. This term is referred to as
Masquerading; or the act of making a fake account with the intent to hurt
someone else online. Her parents even closely monitored her conversations with
Josh. A joke that went way too far eventually led to a death that can never be
taken back. No situation should ever be taken too lightly because suicide
happens to be the third leading cause of death for teenagers in the United
States (Kowalski 4). In October 2012, Amanda Todd’s video crying for help
gained millions of views after she killed herself because of peers persistently
telling her to actually kill herself this time. Another victim, Jamey Rodemeyer
was bullied because of his sexual orientation and eventually ending his life
and leaving his last words on his Twitter for Lady Gaga. This caught the
attention of the superstar and is now an activist to end Cyber Bullying.
However, should a death be the change needed to go through with it? No.
What exactly can be done? What are the signs? This is
another reason why cyber bullying can potentially be more dangerous than other
forms of bullying. The signs are hidden behind emotion. Victims will often
become more and more withdrawn from family and friend discussions and will unexpectedly
stop using the computer (Patchin, 1). They will often seem irritated and
frustrated for a reason they will not discuss or will often lie about. Although
pressing charges on minors is a complicated process, it is being taken more
seriously now than in the past. More parents are taking precautions to monitor
their children’s activity and behavior. The key is to make the victim and
bullies feel comfortable enough to talk openly. On either side, help is needed.
Bullies want the attention just as the victims but their only way is to torture.
Somehow thinking that this form, will fulfill psychological needs for them as
well.
No matter what the situation may be, there is always
someone out there who needs help and is just waiting for some attention that
will build and encourage them. Growing up, we’ve all seen others being bullied
or harassed but often overlooked it as something that was not our problem. It
should always be our problem. It should always concern us. Adding fuel to the
fire will never solve the problem. As this issue continues to grow, the call
for respect has never been higher. We should be the voices that these teenagers
need. We can help heal physical wounds, but we need to be there for the deeper,
emotional ones. The saying always comes back to, “We cannot help what
situations we are put in to, but we have the decision on how to react to them.”
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