Cyber-bullying rates have increased significantly over the past several years due to the high creation of technology. Bullies are no longer confined to picking on other kids on the school playground. Today, most bullies are refraining from physical assaults and dodging responses by bashing individuals via email, social media, instant messaging, and other online platforms. According to the article cyber bullying statistics 2014, 25% of teenagers report that they have experienced repeated bullying via their cell phone or on the internet. Over half, which is 52% of young individuals report being cyber bullied. This means that half of the bullying of young individuals is occurring online for the whole online community to witness. 33% of the individuals who have reported being cyber bullied have also reported that their bullies have issued online threats. Both bullies and cyber bullies turn to hate speech to victimize their target. One-tenth of all middle school and high school students have been on the receiving end of hate terms hurled against them. 95% of teens who witnessed bullying on social media report that others, like them, have ignored the behavior. Cyber bullying affects all races and boys are more likely to be threatened by cyber bullies than girls. More than half of the individuals they have surveyed say that they never confide in their parents when cyber bullying happens to them.
The sad part about cyber bullying is that the people who love the individuals who are being cyber bullied often don’t know what to do to help. With the high rate of cyber-bullying provided there are several ways to prevent it and decrease the rate of cyber-bullying. The awareness of cyber-bullying needs to be recognized. Not many individuals are aware of it nor take it as seriously as they should. Individuals need to talk to teens about cyber-bullying, explain why it is wrong and how it can have serious consequences. Parents need to take action over their children who choose to bully other individuals. Parents need to make a rule that teens do not send mean or damaging messages, even if someone else started it or they will lose their cell phone and computer privileges for a time. Encouraging teens to report incidents of cyber bullying to an adult will decrease the likelihood of cyber-bullying.
Parents should take the appropriate steps to console their children who are victims of cyber-bullying. Victims should start by changing their cell phone number and contact the provider to block the bully from contact. As far as social media goes the victim should block the perpetrator from all accounts. I would suggest the parent taking their child for therapy to deal with their emotions in a positive way. Parents should also take the bullying issue to the school’s attention to take the proper pre-cautions if the perpetrator causing the cyber-bullying attends the victims school. A parent who takes the proper steps in making their child feel safe will create an open communication between them.
References:Â http://nobullying.com/cyber-bullying-statistics-2014/
I agree with you that parents, teachers, and students need to be more aware of ways to prevent cyber bullying. The study conducted by Agatson, Kowalski, and Limber (2007) suggested that while many students were able to come up with suggestions about how to deal with cyber bullying, few were aware of how to block harmful websites. They also suggested that students were not aware of the proper strategies for intervention when they are witnesses to someone else being bullied online (Agatson, Kowalski, & Limber, 2007). This information is useful in determining strategies for any bullying intervention program. The first step is to equip students, parents, and teachers with the necessary tools to not only handle being on the receiving end of abuse, but to be able to actively work against bullying behaviors by intervening on the behalf of others and stopping the bullying at its source. I also agree with you that it is imperative for parents and teachers to report incidents of bullying to each other to make sure that all adults are on the same page in regards to potential issues.
References
Agatston, P. W., Kowalski, R., & Limber, S. (2007). Students’ perspectives on cyber bullying.Journal of Adolescent Health, 41(6), S59-S60.
I think perhaps one of the biggest problems with cyber bullying is that bullies gain easier access to targets–plus, the feeling of anonymity gives the bully a false sense of confidence. People say things online to people that they would never dream of saying in person. As for the issue of 95% of people ignoring incidences of online bullying, it is likely because things online are easier to ignore. Much like getting a pop-up ad on your screen, it is really easy to close it off and forget about it.
According to Scientific American, cyber bullying in particular can lead to increased risk of depression in teenagers (they are more likely to be on social media at increased rates). Websites such as Twitter have tried to create “safety” online by filtering out any kind of abusive language. However, it may be more efficient to ban any bullies from using the website. There is only so much that can be done in terms of technological communication.
References
Pappas, S. (2015). Social media cyber bullying linked to teen depression. Scientific American. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/social-media-cyber-bullying-linked-to-teen-depression/