Bullying
Bullying is a term that refers to the behavior of a person to another where one person is regularly and intentionally harassing and harming another person. Bullying takes many different forms such as verbal, physical, and indirect/relational and also can take place on different platforms. In the past, harassment was mostly material, in which there had to be physical contact and proximity for one to experience bullying. This form of bullying was relatively easy to avoid and even escape in some cases.
Cyber-Bullying
However, with the technological growth that has come with the advancement and changes in the internet, bullying has taken a higher form too. The internet has not only seen the creation of a new platform for bullying but also new ways of the same. The worst thing about cyber-bullying is that it cannot be escaped and neither can it be avoided. In a fast transforming digital world, one cannot survive without the internet. On the other hand, the web is inescapable since it is everywhere. With the internet, it is effortless to stalk someone without necessarily being where they are. And cyber-bullying has proven to have more adverse effects as compared to physical bullying.
Power Dynamics in Cyber Bullying
With the internet, one has access to a vast number of people in any part of the world. With that in mind, the bully holds an immense amount of power over the subject. One example of cyber bullying is slut-shaming. This is where the bully uses materials such as nude photos or half-naked photos of their subjects and either blackmails them or shares it on the internet where a lot of people, both those who know the person being bullied and those who do not have access to the information. This is more explosive than before and therefore has worse effects.
Impact of Social Media
Social media has also seen the coming of body-shaming. Everyone now wants to have the "perfect body shape" as portrayed by social media. Starting from magazines that paint models as the only ones with a perfect body shape to Instagram posts that describe beauty in how society interprets it. Research shows that women, especially between the ages of 18-25 years are much more affected by these ideologies of social media. However, there is much more deception in these posts because of the introduction of make-up and photoshop. In a bid to "fit" in, people are driven to do all sorts of crazy things. At the end of the day, when one does not subscribe to the specifications of society on beauty, they are more likely to undergo body-shaming.
Consequences of Bullying
The outcomes and consequences of cyber bullying and body-shaming are very harmful and cruel that come with cyber-bullying and body-shaming. There have been many cases of suicide that have resulted from bullying. Moreover, people who are bullied are reported to experience suicidal thoughts in comparison to those who have not undergone harassment. Death is a severe occurrence. In extreme cases, the victims go to the extent of taking other people's lives alongside theirs. One such incident took place in the US, where two students shot and murdered 12 students, one teacher and injured 24 others, before pulling the trigger on themselves. Investigations proved that they were victims of bullying. Furthermore, a thorough look into 37 such premeditated cases revealed that more than two-thirds of them were as a result of bullying (Wright, M. F. 2015).
Low Self-esteem
Bullying and body-shaming also bring about low self-esteem. When one becomes insecure about their physical appearance or even physical strength, it has a consequence on their confidence. Consequently, one suffers from low self-esteem. The constant ridicule and more often than not, the lack of a person to share it with, does nothing to mend the situation but instead ends up internally breaking the person (Sameer Hinduja and Justin W. Patchin 2018).
Cultural Differences
The effect of body-shaming and cyber-bullying is much more profound and evident in western countries than in developing countries such as in Africa. Although the elements that contribute to the bullying itself are the same, the adversity of the outcome is what's different. In both regions, bullying is also associated with body weight and body shapes. When one is considered too thin, presumably overweight or even obese, they are most likely to be subjects of bullying.
Personal Beliefs and Recovery
A research conducted in Seychelles by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health showed slightly different effects from a country such as the UK. In this particular state, the definition of a perfect body shape is not as profound and specific as in the UK. The research suggests that in Africa body image is mostly shaped to a greater extent by cultural inclinations towards relatively larger body sizes, in particular for females.
Other than social definitions of perfection, personal beliefs and views of oneself have been proven to cause bullying and body-shaming too. Despite the slight differences in bullying between developing and developed countries, one fact stands for both nations: as long as one does not subscribe to the social norms as prescribed and is deemed to be different, they are likely to fall victim to bullying.
Recovery and Individual Responsibility
However, the same internet that promotes bullying and body-shaming is also an avenue that those who have experienced these problems can use to recover from the effects before it's too late. One can join groups that are against bullying as well as follow pages and individuals with positive personalities, hence a positive impact. Moreover, when one discovers that they are not alone, they might take that positively and channel it to recovering from the effects of bullying.
However, although the media plays a significant role in the promotion of bullying, we as individuals can also be a positive impact in fighting bullying. We need not be bullies ourselves but seek to help without judging the victims of bullying, both the subject and the bully. This is because they are both likely to suffer from psychological issues.
References
Patchin, J. W. " Hinduja, S. (2013). Cyberbullying among Adolescents: Implications for Empirical Research. Journal of Adolescent Health 53(4), 431-432.
Patchin, J. W., " Hinduja, S. (2010). Cyberbullying and Self-Esteem*. Journal of School Health, 80(12), 614-621. doi:10.1111/j.1746-1561.2010.00548.x
Wright, M. F. (2015). Coping Strategies for Cyber Victimization Coding Scheme. PsycTESTS Dataset. doi:10.1037/t51559-000
