Because communication technology will continue to increase, it goes to figure that cyberbullying will as well. A recent survey found that 87% of adolescents, ages 12 to 17, go online. This indicates that communication devices such as cell phone and computers allow them to contact others at all times for both prosocial and antisocial purposes. (Mason, 2008. p. 325) As shown, this bullying can result in serious health and psychological issues for the victims. From low self- esteem to suicide, victims of cyberbullying have truly felt the negative effects. Since adolescents are tuning in to communication technology at a younger age these effects are becoming increasingly more profound. Unfortunately, adolescents don’t always deal with adversity well. Youngsters mostly react to cyberbullying by pretending to ignore it, by actually ignoring it, or by bullying the bully. (Dehue, Bolman, and Vollick, 2008). None of these reactions result in positive outcomes. Parenting is the line of first defense when dealing with online usage and issues of cyberbullying. Setting rules and checking on the child’s activities can help keep problems to a minimum. Knowing which signs to look for can alert parents to possible problems. Since it is rare that children will tell their parents, it makes good sense to create an open line of communication with the child to let them know they can share the information. There is also a plethora of computer programs that can assist in tracking the offender.
Unfortunately, since cyberbullying is a relatively new phenomenon, there isn’t much recourse for victims. There are examples of actions that are taking place in this arena. The case of Lori Drew and Megan Meier is an example of someone who was made to pay the consequences for this type of behavior. We’ve also seen actions taken against social networking sites like MySpace. School administrators and police forces are searching these sites for possible problems. (Koppelman, 2006). As suggested, it is advisable to inform the authorities of any cyberbullying activities.
The big question is where do we go from here? How do we better prepare our children for this type of bullying? How do we police this problem? Where does the jurisdiction lie in regards to Internet and cell phone usage? What tools can we provide for our children? This is an international problem and it behooves the world community to step up and take action, as these children are our future.
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3 comments:
The previous post by Tischer & Pickett was done by Tischer.
I think a main reason cyber bullying has such a negative psychological and emotional effect, especially on minors, is because the home used to be a sanctuary that protected you from all outside bullying. Now people can even reach you in your home, or when you first wake up in the morning, with a nasty comment.
Growing up, when I felt bullied at school, I would go home and everything would be okay. I noticed that as I got into high school, other students that I didn't get along with would often insult, bother, or threaten me over instant messenger and e-mail. My sanctuary was gone... and I don't really think there is a way around this.
I am torn, because my desire to have an Internet free of regulation beyond law-breaking allows for bullying… my remedy would be to just ignore it; but this isn’t always possible. Making it legal to rat someone out for cyber bullying on a non-criminal level would be a regulation on the freedom of speech.
Perhaps there can be a computer function that blocks all communication from another user. Not just based on screen name or e-mail, but based on the Internet Protocol (IP) address. This would make sure that the same person doesn’t harass you using multiple names from their computer. His or her computer would be blocked on that Internet connection. But that wouldn’t stop them from going to another computer, but a barrier none the less. I would find this acceptable as it is setup by the individual, and it is a freedom to be able to not have to be harassed by others.
I feel everyone has the right to say what they will online, but everyone also has the right to not hear what certain people say; and so from an individuals side can modify regulation or security to adjust this.
The scary thing is that cyber-bullying can be a step above normal bullying in terms of violence-related threats and statements, because people don’t have to hold back their tongue due to the anonymity and lack of repercussions (Hinduja, 2008). This does lead to a deeper and more harmful psychological and emotional impact on the victim.
In my opinion, bullying could never really be stopped in school… there isn’t much hope for it stopping online either.
Sources:
Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2008). Cyberbullying: An exploratory analysis of factors related to offending and victimization. Deviant Behavior, 29, 129-156.
I think cyberbullying is a very frightening thing, as it should be given the statistics you have given. With the increase of CMC, the questions you pose present a pressing issue, how to solve them to keep our children safe. The reason cyberbullying is a new concept to me is because it is relatively new with the increase of internet use, but also because as you mentioned my parents served as my first line of defense. At the time, like any child, I though they were annoying and too protective yet looking back I can see they regulated and monitored my internet usage for a good reason. But cyberbullying goes to show that children are really not safe anywhere, not even in the confines of their own home while using their computer. Overtly saying children are not safe on the internet, might be a little extreme, yet there are risks involved. However, one thing is for sure, children will not be safe if preventative measures are not enacted to ensure that they stay safe, both psychologically and physically.
What astounded me during my research on cyberbullying, was that according to Hinduja & Patchin (2008),"Almost three-fourths (73%)[of children] stated that they knew the bully (p.132)" who was bothering them. This is worrisome because how does a parent control and monitor this abuse when they assume that their child is talking to someone they know, perhaps even their best friend? They might just assume its a perfectly normal conversation, chatting on IM; when in all reality it could be harmful. It is rare to begin with that children actually tell their parents about the bullying, but I am curious if they are even less likely to confess if it is someone close to them?
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