Despite the potential damage of cyberbullying, it is alarmingly common among adolescent and teens. According to the i-SAFE foundation:
- Over half of adolescent and teens have been bullied online and about the same number have engaged in cyberbullying
- More than 1 in 3 young people have experienced cyberthreats online
- Over 25 percent of adolescent and teens have been bullied repeatedly through their mobile phones or the Internet
- Well over half of young people do not tell their parents when cyberbullying occurs
Do you know what cyberbullying is? Do you know how to prevent it?
The dark side of the Internet
The Internet is a wide open space that offers many sources of information and means for communication. However, it is not always a successful, enjoyable or pleasant experience as millions of users face the issue of cyberbullying.
What is bullying?
It is relatively common knowledge that unfortunately bullying regularly occurs at schools, colleges, universities, organisations and even among neighbours. It is a form of negative behaviour which intimidates an individual and often forces them to do something. Bullying is defined by Rigby (2002) as…
…a form of abuse that is based on an imbalance of power that produces violence towards the bullied person; it can be defined as a systematic imbalance of power.
What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying takes many different forms and can be defined as a digital communication to a person which involves an intimidating message or threat. Smith et al. (2008, p.376) define cyberbullying as…
…an aggressive, intentional act carried out by a group or individual, using electronic forms of contact, repeatedly and over time against a victim who cannot easily defend him or herself.
Cyberbullying is very similar to other forms of bullying, but differs as a result of the media of communication being used. Cyberbullies use information and communications technologies such as SMS, social networking sites and emails to harass, bully or intimidate an individual or a group.
Effects of cyberbullying
Cyberbullying can be very damaging to adolescents and teens. It can lead to anxiety, depression and even suicide. Most worryingly, once harmful statements and images are circulated online they may never disappear, resurfacing at later times to renew the pain of cyberbullying.
The effects of cyberbullying can, in extreme cases, be death. There is a very clear link between suicide and bullying. Suicide is the third largest cause of death amongst young people with over 4400 deaths per year in the US alone (Bullying Statistics). This observation is supported by multiple international studies. For example, recent bullying statistics from the UK suggest that one in ten bullied people have attempted a suicide and 30% of bullied individuals go on to self-harm.
How to stop cyberbullying?
How to prevent or stop cyberbullying
What does cyberbullying mean to you?
Thank you for reading this post. Please fill in the survey questionnaire. This data will be used for my dissertation report which I am studying as part of the Business Information Technology programme and will focus on measuring cyberbullying awareness. You can also see the current results of the survey.
What can you do to #StopCyberBullying?
Most simply you can help by sharing this post with others – tweet it, like it and share it! Please feel free to share it with others by email individuals who can benefit from this information including parents, schools, children and any organisation who see the impact of cyberbullying.
For confidential support regarding any form of bullying call the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90 or visit a local Samaritans branch for details