Community Problem Gonzalez 1

Cyber Bullying

Carolyn Gonzalez

RWS 1301

March 11,2017

Professor Ruby Pappoe

 Community Problem Gonzalez 2

"Abstract"

Cyberbullying is growing in our society and many teenagers get affected by its

devastating effects. I chose this subject because I identify with cyberbullying for being a young

adult that uses the Internet every day, and that it could happen to me anytime. Also,

cyberbullying can have lasting repercussions on youth such as mental health problems,

extremely low self-esteem or in extreme cases it can lead to suicide. On this essay, the main

points that are discussed are what is the purpose of cyberbullying, how to detect cyberbullying

among teens, what to do if your child is the victim or perpetrator and most important how do

parents and teachers can prevent cyberbullying from happening. This essay provides an analysis

of the problem from a different perspective in order to try and find solutions to reduce

cyberbullying and educate the teenagers of internet danger for both the victim and the

perpetrator.

"Cyber Bullying"

Bullying is a deep-seated issue in many institutions such as academic, workplace, and

others. Over the years, bullying tactics have evolved and become more brutal and punitive as

well as innovative. Our current generation of youth is particularly tech savvy and is often the

first one to adapt to new technologies in their daily life. However, the availability of having free

or affordable internet with little to no adult supervision has led to the exposure of high-risk

behavior such as pornography, drugs, violence, and most notoriously, cyber bullying. Unlike

traditional bullying, cyberbullying is more sophisticated were the aggressor is anonymous and

bullying has the potential of going viral. The main points to discuss are what is the purpose of

cyberbullying? how to detect cyberbullying among teens, what to do if your child is the victim or

perpetrator and most important how do parents and teachers can prevent cyberbullying.
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Cyberbullying is meticulous, is the constant use of electronic communication devices

with the aim of harassing, humiliating, and/or threatening another person. As mention in the

book "Bullying beyond the schoolyard: Preventing and responding to cyberbullying" by Sameer

Hinduja and Justin W. Patchin. There are various forms cyberbullying that are used to inflict

harm such as harassment, slander, flaming a situation, using social media to publicly annoy and

embarrass the victim, cyber stalking, trickery, cyber threats, impersonation among others. The

need for validation and acceptance from their peers contributes to the victimization of the person.

Feeling to be accepted in different social circles makes the victim a target for further harassment

the effects that victims suffer can be depression being emotionally upset during or after using the

Internet or the phone. Being very secretive or protective of one's digital life. Withdrawal from

family members, friends, and activities, avoiding school or group gatherings, slipping grades and

"acting out" in anger at home, changes in mood, behavior, sleep, or appetite, wanting to stop

using the computer or cell phone. Being nervous or jumpy when getting an instant message, text,

or email. Avoiding discussions about computer or cell phone activities and lack of enthusiasm,

sometimes drives victims to an easy way out such as suicide; in order to escape their torments.

This are some of the emotional experience that teenagers have during cyberbullying as mention

in the article "Cyberbullying: emotional and psychological consequences" by Sameer Hinduja

and Justin W. Patchin. At least 50% of teenagers online have experienced cyberbullying of some

sort. Is imperative that society pays attention to this phenomena, and provides a safe environment

for the youth in schools. There are lots of signs that teens show but parents and teachers have to

see them in order to fix the issue.

The social institution's foundation should protect, respect and empathize with their pupils.

As mention before due to the development of our technology today, cyber bullying has become
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one of the most difficult issues to resolve in our society. Teachers, principals, and parents are

responsible for monitoring, prevent, and correct cyber bullying. Some of the expectations of

most parents are that schools are safe of everything, including cyber bullying but, it is a fact that

some institutions aren't that safe and that bullies know how to avoid punishment. For example,

some educators feel unprepared and unwilling to be prosecutors and judges because they do not

want to be sued for something done. Which might seem right to them but not to others,

especially to parents who are responsible for the childs well-being.

Detecting cyberbullying can be easy to spot. For example, if your child shows you a text,

tweet, or response to a status from Facebook that is harsh, mean, or cruel. There's a high chance

of your child is being bullied by someone. Other acts are less obvious, like impersonating a

victim online or posting personal information, photos, or videos designed to hurt or embarrass

another person. Some teens have reported that fake account is created such as web page, online

persona and other types of accounts with the only intention to hurt and bully a victim.

Cyberbullying also can happen accidentally. The impersonal nature of text messages, IMs, and

emails make it very hard to detect its origin, one person's joke could be, a hurtful insult for

someone else. Nevertheless, a repeated pattern of emails, texts, and online posts is rarely

accidental. Many kids and teens who are cyberbullied don't want to tell a teacher or parent, often

because they feel ashamed of the social stigma or fear that their computer privileges will be

taken away at home. Therefore many kids are reluctant to report being bullied, even to their

parents, it's impossible to know just how many kids are affected. But recent studies about

cyberbullying rates have found that about 1 out of 4 teens have been the victims of

cyberbullying, and about 1 out of 6 admitted to having cyberbullied someone in the past. In some
 Community Problem Gonzalez 5

studies, more than half of the teens surveyed said that they've experienced some type of abuse

through social and digital media.

What to do if you discover that your child is being cyberbullied. First, offer comfort and

support. Talking about any bullying experiences you had in your childhood might help your

child feel less alone. Let your child know that it's not his or her fault, and that bullying says more

about the bully than the victim. Praise your child for doing the right thing by talking to you about

it. Remind your child that he or she isn't alone, that a lot of people get bullied at some point in

their life. Reassure your child that you will figure out what to do about it together. Let someone

at schools such as the principal, school nurse, a counselor or teacher know about the situation.

Many schools, school districts, and after-school clubs have protocols for responding to

cyberbullying; these vary by district and state. But before reporting the problem, let your child

know that you plan to do so. So that you can work out a plan that makes both feel comfortable.

Encourage your child not to respond to cyberbullying, because doing so just fuels the fire and

makes the situation worse. But do keep the threatening messages, pictures, and texts, as these can

be used as evidence with the bully's parents, school, employer, or even the police. You may want

to take, save, and print screenshots of these to have for the future.

What if your kid is the bully. Finding out that your child is the one who is behaving badly

can be upsetting and heartbreaking. It's important to address the problem head on and not wait

for it to go away. Talking to your child firmly about his or her actions and explain the negative

impact it has on others. Joking and teasing might seem harmless to one person, but it can be

hurtful to another because everyone reacts differently to different situations. Bullying in any

form is unacceptable; there can be serious and sometimes permanent consequences at home,

school, and in the community if it continues. Remind your child that the use of cellphones and
 Community Problem Gonzalez 6

computers is a privilege and that it can be the trigger to harmful situations. Sometimes it helps to

restrict the use of these devices until their behavior improves. If you feel your child should have

a cellphone for safety reasons, make sure it is a phone that can be used only for emergencies. Set

strict parental controls on all devices. To get to the heart of the matter, talking to teachers,

guidance counselors, and other school officials can help identify situations that lead a kid to

bully others. If your child has trouble managing anger, talk to a therapist about helping your son

or daughter learn to cope with anger, hurt, frustration, and other strong emotions in a healthy

way. Professional counseling also can help improve kids' confidence and social skills, which in

turn can reduce the risk of bullying. And don't forget to set a good example yourself a good role

model on online habits to can help your kids understand the benefits and the dangers of life in the

digital world.

Students and teachers should always have conversations about relationships on daily

basis. Communication among students and teachers is the first step in the prevention of

cyberbullying. The schools should create a system of mutual respect between the students. The

responsibility to protect the students against this type of harassment falls into the administrators

of the educational institutions. This was reflected in a lawsuit as mention in the article "Openly

gay teen sues Mohawk school district" by Rebecca Croniser, Jacob Sullivan against the New

York, Mohawk Central School District, argue that school officials fail to protect him when being

harassed by other students during school. Jacob Sullivan openly said that he was gay and

accepted his surroundings and transform himself the way he fell best by wearing makeup and

dyed his hair the way he likes. This made him a target among other students, he faced

cyberbullying and harassed just for being himself around other students. The judge ruled in favor

and order better training from staff, Although teachers cant preach kindness to students; they
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can also show students how to be nice and kind to one another. Teachers need to structure

learning activities in which children can learn to view individual differences as unique sources of

strength. It is very important that every student, not just the few that sign up for special projects

or after school activities, but students who are involved in any various activities in school should

attend meetings about teaching students how to respect each other. This will help teachers

prevent cyberbullying in school by drawing students together. People have to understand that

some children bully because they have emotional and developmental problems, or because they

come from abusive families. Teachers have to understand that this is only because students

require their help, children need someone, someone they can rely on and understand their

situation to talk and free themselves. One of the first steps to take to stop and prevent

cyberbullying educate ourselves and others about the forms and effects of cyberbullying. To

raise awareness on the dreadful effects of cyberbullying in our schools, home, and social groups.

Speak out when you see your friends participate in activities that constitute cyberbullying.

In conclusion, Cyberbullying is a growing disease that needs to be eradicated before it

destroys our youth. Online hate and hate crimes should not be ignored or underestimated. The

Internet has become bigger over time and has not been well regulated, good morals and simple

human decency will be a thing of the past if we dont stop it. Cyber bullying has already taken

innocent lives and ruined thousands of others. It is important to help and counsel children that

have been affected by cyberbullying, to prevent long-lasting emotional scars, to understand what

cyberbullying really is, to make parents and teachers help and prevent cyberbullying. Change

starts with oneself before the society catches up and follows.

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"References"
Croniser R. "Openly gay teen sues Mohawk school district." Uticaod. Uticaod, 19 Aug. 2009.
Web. 25 Feb. 2017.
This article talks about a how a gay student from Mohawk school district was
harassed by others students and how the school staff did not act properly according to the
situation. Going as far as a lawsuit against the school district. This case provides enough
evident on how some institutions aren't well train when engaging bullying providing
support on how teachers need more training on how to deal with bullying in general

Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2009). Bullying beyond the schoolyard: Preventing and
responding to cyberbullying. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Corwin Press.
This reference is helpful to understand how cyber bullying has become a major
problem in society by providing statistics on the average of teens that have been bullied
throughout the years. This article provides the effects on how cyber bullying might lead to
suicide and how to identify this signs before is too late. This book information will provide
the essay to have steps to the prevention of bullying and identification of teens attitude.
This information will help the reader understand the differences and effects of cyber
bullying.

Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J. W. (2007). Offline consequences of online victimization: School

violence and delinquency. Journal of School Violence, 6(3), 89-112.
This article talks about how cyber bullying affects victims emotionally and
psychology. Victimization is associated with a host of negative problems similar to those of
traditional bullying. Cyberbullying mainly differs from traditional bullying in the reach of
the offenders. Cyberbullies are able to extend the bullying beyond the school grounds and
follow targets into their homes. By providing this information to the essay it provides
material between general old bullying and cyber bullying. Making the essay compare and
provide the differences and similarities between bullying and cyber bullying.

Patchin, J. W., & Hinduja, S. (2014). Words wound: Delete cyberbullying and make kindness go
viral. NY: Free Spirit Publishing
This article "Words Wound" provides concrete details and statement from different
teens such as experiences and how were they able to overcome cyber bullying through
time and regain their confidence. Society is capable to confront this fear and social problem
by becoming more aware of teens social media and friends. This source provides the right
information for this essay by it providing victims statements therefore, making a
connection to readers emotions and experiences.
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Rigby, K., & Slee, P. T. (1999). Suicidal ideation among adolescent school children,
involvement in bully-victim problems, and perceived social support. Suicide and Life
Threatening Behavior, 29(2), 119-130.
This source provides information on how negative peer relations may contribute to
depression and even suicidal behavior in some children and adolescents. Poor mental
health, such as low self-esteem and high levels of depression, are associated with
involvement of being bully or problems at school, it was hypothesized that schoolchildren
who are victimized by peers or, alternatively, engage in bullying others would be more
prone to suicidal ideation than others. With this information we can connect the data with
cyber bullying providing the effects of being harassed by others.

Lenhart, A. (2010). Teens, cell phones, and texting. Pew Internet & American Life Project,
Retrieved from http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1572/teens-cell-phones-text-
The article talks about how technology has overcome our youth and how small to no
supervision parents provide when children use the internet. As well as providing statistics
on the average percentage of use of cell phones, social media, and texting that teens use.
This article provides information for the essay on the average daily use of network that
teenagers are expose every day. By supporting the idea of more supervision from teachers
and parents.