Suzanne Siegel March 11, 2009

EST 567 Project #2

Cyberbullying Reaction Paper

Cyberbullying is an increasingly alarming trend, which is a direct result of

students having greater access to communication technologies. In the past, bullying was

often conducted through physical intimidation and verbal harassment. Cyberbullying is

defined as a form of online bullying using several types of media such as the Internet, cell

phones, and personal digital assistants (PDA’s) in order to send, post, or text images and

messages intended to hurt, embarrass, or spread lies and rumors about a particular person.

According to the Harris Interactive Cyberbullying Research Report commissioned by the

National Crime Prevention Council (2006), cyberbullying is a problem that affects almost

half of all American teenagers.

There are two sides that are involved in the cyberbullying problem, those

individuals who act as cyberbullies and those who are on the receiving end of the

cyberbullying. In 2004, the i-SAFE America research team conducted a survey of 1,500

students between the fourth and eighth grades and reported that 58% of kids admit that

someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online and 53% of kids admit having

said something mean or hurtful things to others online. Cyberbullying can be initiated

through a variety of different methods that include threatening e-mails, cruel instant

messaging sessions, sending or forwarding mean text messages, creating websites to post

inappropriate pictures and to make fun of a specific individual. In addition, individuals

can pretend that they are someone else online in order to trick others about revealing

private or personal information.

 I choose this topic to report on because of its current implications on today’s

children as well as my own experiences as a teenager. When I was a teenager in junior

high school, I was often the target of verbal and physical harassment from a specific

group of students. I can recall an incident where a student put gum into my hair and

another who placed a tack face up on my stool in art class. This harassment often

extended onto the bus rides to and from school as well. Looking back, I can only

imagine the turn this harassment could have taken if those particular students had the

same access to the forms of media that exist today.

Interestingly enough, as I write this paper, there is a case in the media regarding

an Oceanside teenager who is suing four former high school classmates, their parents,

and Facebook for $3 million dollars for allegedly bullying her on a private password-

protected website on the social networking site. According to Newsday (2009), Denise

Finkel, who is currently a student at the University at Albany, filed a lawsuit in State

Supreme Court in Manhattan accusing the four former classmates of creating this website

to ridicule and disgrace her online as well as posting a statement stating that she

contracted AIDS.

Many of the cyberbullying websites offer ways students can prevent or avoid

cyberbullying. For example, blocking communication with cyberbullies and refusing to

forward cyberbullying messages. In addition they offer suggestions for staying safe

online such as not posting personal or private information online and not sharing Internet

passwords with friends or peers. I believe one of the most effective ways to prevent

cyberbullying is to have parents be more attentive to their child’s online activities and

their cell phone usage.

 Resource Links

http://www.newsday.com/iphone/ny-liface0312510748mar03,0,2290035.story

http://www.ncpc.org/cyberbullying

http://www.isafe.org