Introduction
With today’s technology, cyberbullying has become easier than ever, and children and youth of this generation do not need to have a personal confrontation. The use of internet has become one of the most vital factors of the information source and a platform where people can share or communicate their experiences and feelings with friends, family members and individuals from all part of the world. Nevertheless, the use of the internet has brought adverse effects such as cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is a form of bullying that takes place often on children and teens in middle school and high schools as a result of increased use of social media platform and improvements in technology. Moreover, cyberbullying can be defined as any communication sent or posted by a minor online by email, dairy site, interactive game, instant messenger, cell phone or other interactive devices with an intention to harass, embarrass, frighten or otherwise target another minor. Cyberbullying has tremendous effects on victims compared to face-to-face bullying on teenagers, and it is crucial for young and children be protected from cyberbullying.
Research on Cyberbullying
Research has proved that cyberbullying has become one of the severe factor, which tortures many teenagers. In the current digital age, cyberbullying has been known to take place in schools, and many students have witnessed some form of cyberbullying as they progress from kindergarten up to the end of high school (Mirsky et al. 37). Besides, the effects of cyberbullying are unforgettable and have tremendous mental health effects on teens. Similarly, cyberbullying has shown to cause significant stress particularly on an individual, and it has become impossible for victims to escape from torment as long as they stay hooked up to the internet (Raskauskas et al. 564). According to Studies, one out of three teens has experienced online harassment and the most prevalent form of cyberbullying involved making private information public, which included pictures, emails, and messages (Mirsky et al. 37). These forms of online harassment have shown to cause a substantial amount of stress on the victims, which in turn have resulted in mental health problems (Rapaport 1).
Cyberbullying as the Most Common Type of Bullying
Many argue that any forms of bullying take place without the use of the internet; hence, social media is not the problem. However, cyberbullying has been the most common type of bullying in the current century (Mirsky et al. 37). Cyberbullying is not a new concept, and unfortunately, some individuals harass others online whom they perceive to be inferior (Sivashanker 113). In addition, cyber bullies take advantage of the technology to intimidate and torment their victims because there is the absence of face-to-face interaction unlike in personal bullying. Cyberbullying has been rapidly growing worse posing as one of the biggest online threat for young people (Sivashanker 113). Researches have shown that 43 percent of the 900 middle school and high school aged youth in the United States have experienced some form of cyberbullying (Raskauskas et al. 564). Besides, research has indicated that 80 percent of 11 to 17-year-olds own cell phones, which increased from 39 percent in 2014 and one in fourteen sends 3400 texts per month (Raskauskas et al. 564). Many parents believe they are buying a cell phone for the children for safety reasons, but in the real sense, many youths have admitted to using their cell phones as instruments of cyberbullying (Rapaport 2).
The Advancement of Technology and Social Media
Further, the advancement of technology such as the internet social media has brought about more and more platforms and website, and this brings about the advent of social media (Mirsky et al. 37). For example, a site such as Myspace is regularly considered as the pioneer of social media, and it allows the user to create a unique profile and interact in the cyberspace with foes and friends alike (Raskauskas et al. 564). Online publication of individual’s information is dangerous since it enables many people to see a side of a person more often kept private in an eye-to-eye interaction(Sivashanker 114). This kind of vulnerability puts many teenagers in a position as either active offender or victims of cyberbully actions. Also, the ability to create alias profiles on social media is another aspect of the internet that can be hazardous and misleading. The use of the internet has given bullies a more discreet method to cause harm to others by making them feel a sense of security while hiding behind their computers and phones (Sivashanker 114). This has encouraged continuous acts of cyberbullying on victims due to the anonymity of the bullies thus creating more harm on the victims (Rapaport 1). On the contrary, face to face bullying is easily noticeable because a bystander can witness it (Rapaport 3).
Effects of Cyberbullying on Youth
Nonetheless, cyberbullying can lead to significant effects on the developmental of the youth. This is primarily caused by the considerable power imbalance, which is as a result of the victim failing to recognize the cyberbully (Lane 1792). Assessing and conceptualizing power imbalance in internet-based interactions is very complicated than in personal bullying. Power in internet relationships can be interpreted as advanced technological skill, and an individual is not required any superior ability to enable him or her to take a picture using a cell phone or camera and send it to others (Sivashanker 114). Similarly, creating fake internet site or posting photos online only require basic skills. Therefore, young cyberbullies can harass older victims and victims of older cyberbullies can harass younger victims as well (Sivashanker 114). Contrary to physical bullying where the majority of bullies are older and stronger, and the victims are younger and weaker (Sivashanker 114).
The Continuous Nature of Cyberbullying
Moreover, research has proved that one of the features of cyberbullying on youth is the inability of victims to get away from it (Raskauskas et al. 564). Unlike the face to face bullying that takes place in school where it ends as the student leave school or arrives home, cyberbullying does not stop and continues happening around the clock (Raskauskas et al. 564). This is true since there is potentially no reprise from internet-based interaction as they can be sent or received at any time of the night or day and the inability to have control over acts of cyberbullying may result in feelings of powerlessness in victims of cyberbullying (Mirsky et al. 37). Research evidence has shown that weaker children or teens are regularly victims of a traditional form of harassment while youth or kids that are considered more powerful or stronger are often victims of cyberbullying due to the anonymity that the internet technology affords (Sivashanker 114). Likewise, evidence from research studies has reported that the inability of victims of cyberbullying not knowing the identity of cyber bullies has resulted to increased feelings of powerlessness and frustrations, and the continuous harassment of victims caused by cyberbullying has majorly lead to suicidal behaviors, poor performance in school, anxiety, low self-esteem and increased levels of stress (Rapaport 1).
Emotional and Social Harm from Cyberbullying
Further, continuous exposure of teens to cyberbullying has regularly led to significant feelings of depression and weakness(Lane 1794). Posting an embarrassing picture on the internet has the potential for long-lasting and significant emotional and social harm on an individual. For example, a 22-year-old female whose drunk behavior was video recorded and posted on the internet reported that she felt like the act was being repeated as she watched the number of websites hits increase (Mirsky et al. 37). The adolescence stage is considered essential and delicate phase when teens undergo significant changes regarding identity development and the peer environment in which teens spend most of their time is vital (Mirsky et al. 37). Youths who are the victims of cyberbullying during this developmental phase tend to suffer from sociological and psychological maladies than those who are victims of a face-to-face form of bullying (Mirsky et al. 37). Studies have shown that cyberbullying using pictures or video clips is perceived by victims as more severe than any other forms of cyberbullying and this is primarily because the victim’s identity is not withheld and the increased presence of immense potential of an audience (Sivashanker 115). Hence, the damage experienced by teens in cyberbullying may be largely emotional or social and is exacerbated by the severity of the damaged inflicted (Sivashanker 115). Children and teenagers who go through cyberbullying during this period continue to show symptoms of these problems well past the end of adolescence(Lane 1795). Different from the bully we are familiar with, children who are experiencing cyberbullying are not easily noticed by their parents, because children tend to hide their feelings in front of their parents (Sivashanker 115). Besides, studies have shown that teens who go through cyberbullying during their adolescence stage are at a higher likelihood to have depression related disorders before they get to adulthood than the youth who undergo face to face bullying.
Link Between Cyberbullying and Future Law Breaking
Furthermore, individuals who commit cyberbullying offenses or are victims of cyberbullying are at a higher likelihood of breaking the law in future than those who neither commit nor receive cyberbullying (Lane 1798). Cyberbullies tend to commit cybercrime more often without being identified or punished for their crimes, unlike their counterparts (McBride 23). This results in cyberbullies forming habits of committing cyberbullying and get away without being punished or recognized which in turn makes them accustomed to breaking the laws (McBride 23). Also, victims of cyberbullying have a higher possibility of indulging in drug use, drinking alcohol and smoking (McBride 23). Research has shown that victims of cyberbullying tend to drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, and use drugs as a way to mask their suffering from depression and anxiety (McBride 23).
Gender Differences in Cyberbullying
Current studies have indicated that girls engage in cyberbullying more than boys do. According to Sivashanker, girls are at a higher likelihood to rely on indirect forms of aggression than boys (115). Hiding behind online social media walls can be very powerful since it allows a person to express their ideas and thoughts in a way he or she may not on eye-to-eye contact with peers. Cyberbullies see themselves as unknown entities, and for this reason, may engage in Internet-based bullying behaviors. Thirty-eight percent of girls reported to cyberbullied compared to twenty-six percent boys. Nonetheless, 41 percent of girls aged fourteen to eighteen years reported having experienced some form of bullying over the internet as well as 34 percent of girls aged 11 to 14 (Raskauskas et al. 564). Also, nearly5 to 11 online social network users are victims of cyberbullying compared with 22 percent of an online teen who does not use internet sites (McBride 23).
Prevalence of Online Rumors among Girls
Additionally, according to McBride, 66 percent of girls have been reported to indulge in online rumors as compared to 23 percent in boys (22). Cyberbullying among girls is significantly on the increase with online rumors, which includes posting an embarrassing comment on websites, instant messages, text messages and uploading embarrassing photos in online social platforms. A significant number of older female teens were more likely to report to have been threatened over the internet (Raskauskas et al. 564). Girls are less confrontational when in a face-to-face situation and thus choose to use online websites to harass other people in order to hide the identity due to the anonymity on the internet (Raskauskas et al. 564). On the other hand, male counterparts have shown to indulge more in traditional bullying because it is more physical.
Motives of Cyberbullying
Nevertheless, in spite of the many differences that exist between cyberbullying and traditional bullying, these acts of aggression share one common motive, which is inflicting fear and harm (Raskauskas et al. 564). One of the primary cause that has shown to attribute significantly to cyberbullying and face-to-face form of bullying is revenge (Raskauskas et al. 564). Moreover, research has proved that 25 percent of those who cyberbullied others stated that their reason for cyberbullying was revenge and only 9 percent of cyberbullies engaged in online aggression for fun (Raskauskas et al. 564).
Conclusion
Unlike traditional bullying, cyberbullying is a form of harassment that takes place often on children and teens as a result of increased use of social media platform and improvements in technology. I believe cyberbullying has tremendous effects as compared to face-to-face bullying on teenagers, which include causing a substantial amount of stress on the victims, the anonymity of the bullies thus creating more harm on the victims and causes victims to indulge in drug abuse as a way to mask their suffering from depression and anxiety. In addition, statistics have indicated that girls are at a higher risk of being victims of cyberbullying as compared to boys due to the ability to hide their identity due to the anonymity of the internet.
Works Cited
Sivashanker, Karthik. "Cyberbullying and the digital self." Journal of the American Academy of Child " Adolescent Psychiatry 52.2 (2013): 113-115.
Raskauskas, Juliana, and Ann D. Stoltz. "Involvement in traditional and electronic bullying among adolescents." Developmental psychology 43.3 (2007): 564.
Mirsky, Elizabeth L., and Hatim A. Omar. "Cyberbullying in adolescents: The prevalence of mental disorders and suicidal behavior." International Journal of Child and Adolescent Health 8.1 (2015): 37.
Rapaport, Lisa. “Bullied Teens More Likely to Smoke, Drink and Use Drugs.:, 10 May. 2017, https://www.psychcongress.com/news/bullied-teens-more-likely-smoke-drink-and-use-drugs
Lane, Darcy K. “Taking the Lead on Cyberbullying: Why Schools Can and Should Protect
Students Online.” Iowa Law Review 96: 1791-1811.
McBride, Kelly. “Bullying Is Not on the Rise, and It Does Not Lead to Suicide.” Poynter, 15 Mar. 2017,
