Cyberbullying refers to the deliberate use of technology, for instance, social media, the internet, or gaming environments to humiliate, harass, threaten, or badmouth someone. The vice is a severe problem in the American society, and like any other form of bullying, it poisons a person's reputation, joy, and well-being. Incidences of cyberbullying and other forms of electronic aggression have caused a great deal of suffering that can and ought to be stopped. Any persons across all age categories can become victims of cyberbullying. However, the young members of the population are the most affected. All adults particularly teachers and parents have a responsibility of teaching the young people how to be good digital countrymen and women, and to act by example through ensuring that every person demonstrates a continuous commitment of utilizing technology safely and wisely. Cyberbullying has not received the attention it deserves, and the number of its victims continue to grow every day. There are practical steps that can be taken to stop the harassment via social media platforms as well as through other uses of technology.
Parents and teachers have a crucial role to play in prevention of cyberbullying. The adults ought to set a good example for the young members of the population to emulate. It is clear that teenagers act depending on how adults near them behave. The actions of young persons' close adults have a great influence on what they will do (Colt, et al. 18). Most children do exactly what their parents, teachers, or other close people do. Acting by showing a good example implies that teacher or parent chooses to stay respectful even when they are disappointed. Grownups need to act politely whenever they want to settle their differences with other people. Engaging in online exchange of bitter words in the presence of children sets a bad example, and the young people will do what they see. Parents and teachers also need to appreciate other people's online activities instead of disrespecting them openly. Majority of children follow the online activities and discussions of their parents hence; the adults need to conduct themselves in the right way to positively influence the young generation concerning the proper use of the internet and social media platforms through respecting others.
Adults have the responsibility of carefully monitoring what their children do online. Giving full freedom to children and being less concerned about what they are doing online is a significant mistake that parent has caused. Most adults do not care about their children's activities, particularly on social media. It is vital that caregivers follow closely to understand the kind of discussions their children are engaging in. It also gives a room for adults to show the right direction that will help the children void dangerous charts that could harm them psychologically. It has been established that cyberbullying is mainly contributed by the ignorance of their parents and other people close to the teens. In most cases, discover that their kids are psychologically poisoned as a result of cyberbullying when it is too late.
Teachers play a vital role in preventing and stopping cyberbullying. It is important for teachers to take their time and educate the young citizens about the meaning and consequences of cyberbullying. An emphasis on the dangers of cyberbullying enables people to keep themselves far from incidences that amount of cyberbullying. In addition, some people especially teens find themselves being cyberbullied without their knowledge. Whether the victims know that whatever they are going through is cyberbullying or not, the outcomes on their psychological wellbeing are analogous. Hence, teachers must teach their leaners about diverse forms of cyberbullying (Mishna 81).
Most children and young adults do not understand how to respond to cyberbullying, and it is fundamental to make them know how to react when they are attacked through the various channels of technological communication. Online charts degenerate into ugly exchanges when one party decides to retaliate by using phrases designed to upset the attacker. Children should be taught how to respond to prevent finding themselves as victims of the vice. An advisable response can be through ignoring online users who intend to bully others, blocking some people that indicate signs of attacking others, and sharing with others especially their closest adults concerning their experiences. Knowing how to handle the situation saves many from the online aggravation (Van Laer 89).
The nature of relationships between children and their adult caregivers determines the probability of children opening up about their encounter with cyber bullies. Parents and teachers ought to encourage a cordial relationship with their young ones. Affable interactions create a friendly environment for the affected kids to talk about cyberbullying openly. Communication eases the impacts of the harassment because parents find a chance to explain how the victims should handle the situation (Colt, et al. 30). It is also crucial because grownups combine the information from children to identify the risk factors for cyberbullying. It can be done through identifying sites that majority of the sufferers use and the nature of discussions that degenerate into cyberbullying. Pinpointing the common locations that people have encountered electronic aggressions in the past is a crucial step in dealing with and preventing cyberbullying. Parents and teachers then take bold steps to ensure that teenagers do not access or subscribe to such sites. Offering necessary help to the affected members of the population like guiding and counseling encourages other victims to talk about their experience and get a chance to receive the much-needed support (Mishna 75).
It is worth noting that many individuals do not take cyberbullying with the seriousness it deserves. The issue is only talked about when a serious incident occurs, for example, victims committing suicide. The discussions about how cyberbullying can be eliminated and be contained are important because it uncovers the necessary steps that must be taken to prevent the population especially the youngest faction of the populace from becoming victims. The readers of the paper should realize that cyberbullying is a severe problem in the society and that it can be controlled if it is taken seriously.
Works Cited
Colt, James P, et al. Cyber Bullying: Protecting Kids and Adults from Online Bullies. ABC-CLIO, 2009.
Mishna, Faye. "Cyber Bullying in a Cyber World." Bullying, 2012, pp. 73-86.
Van Laer, Tom. "The Means to Justify the End: Combating Cyber Harassment in Social Media." SSRN Electronic Journal, 2013.
