Bullying has been recognized as a pervasive and a severe problem as well as a significant concern, mostly in the educational field. Cyberbullying is a significant problem for many schools, and it is anonymous, unlike any other form of bullying. Cyberbullying has been increasing lately and is more dangerous than the conventional way. The most common way of cyberbullying is via social networks. This paper seeks to discuss cyberbullying and various interventions for its reductions and prevention. Cyberbullying is a significant and widespread problem in most contemporary schools, though there are interventions for its reduction and prevention that can be applied.
Defining Cyberbullying
According to Sticca and Perren, cyberbullying as the contemporary form of bullying is regarded to be the most dangerous form of bullying compared to the traditional way of bullying (742). Notably, cyberbullying is most common in young people since 10 to 20 percent of the youths experience cyberbullying regularly. Cyberbullying is a type of bullying that occurs mostly on digital devices such as computers, tablets, and cell phones. The tools are used to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target an individual since the devices used to bully people involve a broader audience. It is done using MMS, SMS, or social networks like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Markedly, due to the increased use of mobile phones by youths, cell phones have become the most popular technology for cyberbullying.
Types of Bullying
Cyberbullying occurs in many ways where cyberbullies can create fake accounts on social media or convince others to post content online about a victim with the people posting not realizing the content, which is embarrassing or hurting the victim. The two common types of bullying are public and anonymous bullying. Public bullying is the type of bullying that occurs in cases where the bully may post negative things about the victim through a blog, website, or social media with a broad audience (Sticca and Perren 746). For instance, this may involve the bully creating a fake account of another person. Conversely, anonymous bullying is the type of bullying that takes place indirectly. It may include the bully tricking or convincing an individual to post content about the victim on the online platforms with that person not realizing that the content embarrasses or hurts the victim.
Effects of Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying affects individuals of any occupation and age. It can make a person feel so overwhelmed, and this can result in a person feeling hurt or embarrassed. Cyberbullying has significant effects on an individual’s everyday life, as it is a constant source of anxiety, depression, and other stress-related disorders. Similarly, it can lead to lower levels of performance for many school-going children (Cho et al. 105). Besides, it can cause a decrease in the family relationship quality as well as generating various psychological difficulties for many people. Additionally, cyberbullying has been noted to increase the risks of suicide among many teenagers. According to Shain, victims and perpetrators of cyberbullying are more vulnerable to suicidal behaviors and thoughts (132). The mentioned studies reveal the negative effects of cyberbullying, which cannot be underestimated.
Signs of Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying can be as damaging as physical bullying is. Many teens will not tell if they are being bullied, but some signs can show if one is a victim of cyberbullying. However, the signs depend on the victim, and the bully since not all the victims or the bully show these signs. Such signs include being emotionally upset, creating secrets, and protecting one’s digital life. Avoidance of school meetings and usual gadgets, nervousness when using devices, and changes in mood, appetite, or sleep may also be called cyberbullying.
Interventions for Prevention
According to Espelage and Hong, bullying is associated with adverse social, physical, and mental outcomes (376). Therefore, various interventions for the prevention of the practices have been developed to help in addressing cyberbullying. The responses include blocking the bully, limiting the access to gadgets for the victim child, being close to children, knowing their secrets, and having safety measures for children surfing the internet.
In conclusion, since cyberbullying has become a significant and widespread problem in various contemporary schools, it is essential to control the online behavior of children. Notably, it is necessary to ensure that efficient interventions are done to prevent cyberbullying. Therefore, educating children concerning the peculiarities of conduct with a bully is vital to ensure a reduction in cyberbullying.
Works Cited
Cho, Mi-Kyoung, Kim, Miyoung, and Gisoo Shin. “Effects of cyberbullying experience and the cyberbullying tendency on school violence in early adolescence.” The Open Nursing Journal, vol. 11, 2017, pp. 98- 107.
Espelage, Dorothy, and Jun S. Hong. “Cyberbullying Prevention and Intervention Efforts: Current Knowledge and Future Directions.” The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 62, no. 6, 2017, pp. 374-380.
Shain, Benjamin. “Suicide and Suicide Attempts in Adolescents.” Pediatrics, vol. 138, no.1, 2016, p. 132.
Sticca, Fabio, and Sonja Perren. “Is cyberbullying worse than traditional bullying? Examining the differential roles of medium, publicity, and anonymity for the perceived severity of bullying.” Journal of youth and adolescence, vol. 42, no. 5, 2013, pp. 739-750.