Cyberbullying: Types and Consequences
Cyberbullying is and has been part of childhood, adolescence and sometimes continues into adulthood. Cyberbullying manifests in different ways as has been brought out in this article. It can be in the form of harassment, impersonation, flaming, outing and trickery, exclusion and ostracism, denigration, cyberstalking and defamation. The victims remain to be both male and female with the effects of cyberbullying being as extreme as the commission of suicide.
Understanding the Author's Purpose
The author had a clear purpose for the article. As much as the title of the article does not directly correlate with all the parts, the article communicates. The justification could be, a layperson reading this article will understand what cyberbullying is, the types that exist and how they manifest and the consequences that emerge thereof. He further advances and breaks down the role of the law and its relation to and effect in regulation and punishment of cyberbullying with an aim to prevent further occurrences. Furthermore, he speaks about the role of technology in trying to address the issue, amendments of laws and challenges therein. One might, however, argue that the author's work is jumbled up. He attempts to speak about almost all factors relating to cyberbullying in one article and ends up looking confused.
Examining Legal and Psychological Challenges
The author intended to address cyberbullying and the law. His aim was also to do a review of psychological and legal challenges experienced. Indeed, he achieved his purpose in different ways. Firstly, he educated the reader about the various laws that might be used in a suit because the UK does not recognise cyberbullying or bullying as a crime. The regulations cited by the author, however, address bullying in one way or the other. Secondly, he discussed the prosecution and the stages of the trial. Lastly, he highlighted the challenges and obstacles surrounding the issue. The main problem cited was the definition of cyberbullying which is not consistent thus making it hard to prosecute the offence.
Compelling Evidence and Areas for Improvement
The author presented relatable and compelling evidence to support his claims. The example of the 13 years old girl who killed herself shows the extreme effect of cyberbullying. Citing the laws was also a very compelling way of supporting arguments. In explaining the types of cyberbullying, he not only gives the definition but also provides examples. As much as the author gave very compelling reasons, the article has some gaps that can form a basis for another piece. For instance, he does not provide solutions and real-time recommendations on how to deal with cyberbullying aside from the technological remedies. The author has failed to identify the causes of cyberbullying in depth. There was the need to show why some people have a strong urge to bully others.
A Realistic and Relatable Presentation
The presentation of the work was done in a very appealing manner. The use of real-time adolescence examples makes the work relatable since the adolescents are the ones who have been disproportionately affected. Further, the case of Meghan who was affected by Facebook is something most of the victims can relate to.
The Need for Legal Action against Cyberbullying
The world has of course not changed because of this literary work. As much as the article addresses a very pertinent issue, to assume that the societal fabric has had a sudden change would be a big, fat, white lie. The material is not accessible to every perpetrator or victim of cyberbullying, and even if it were, to some people, it would not have any effect. However, the article does relate to the real world. Cyberbullying is something that has affected a vast majority of the youth, especially at the adolescent age. It refers to me personally as my Facebook account was hacked ones and my mind was used to send nude photos to my friend without my knowledge. The occurrence had an effect on me as some of my friends could not believe that I could do that, and to some, no explanation of hacking sufficed, and I ended up losing some of my friends. Therefore, the issues being addressed by the author are real and the law needs to keep up.
A Call for Action
From the above assertions, it is clear that cyberbullying is significantly affecting young people. There needs to be a law enacted to deal with cyberbullying as a crime on its own. Only then can there be deterrence and punishment of the perpetrators. Legislation will lead to a consistent definition, and no victim's case will go without the achievement of justice.
References
El Asam, Aiman, and Muthanna Samara. "Computers In Human Behavior". Cyberbullying And The Law: A Review Of Psychological And Legal Challenges, 65(2016), 2016, pp. 127-141., Accessed 16 July 2018.
