Introduction
Bullying and harassment have been a common issue among students for a long time. Following advancements in information technology, people have gained a new mode of harassing others. In the 21st century cyberbullying is a common way of victimizing people, particularly the youths. Several researchers have studied this topic, leading to an identification of its causes, effects, and methods of controlling it. This paper also focuses on this are of study and it discusses the causes of this form of bullying and the factors that promote it. It also considers the perpetrators and victims of this form of harassment and its effects on both these individuals. The paper ends with a discussion of possible methods of reducing the prevalence of this act.
Causes of Cyberbullying
While bullying is not a new issue, cyberbullying is a new phenomenon that has increased due to the advancement in information technology. Unlike the ordinary mode of bullying, this method depends on electronic devices that can access the internet, which people use to communicate. Patchin and Hinduja (615), define cyberbullying as “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices.” It can also be defined as the act of harassing, embarrassing, or intimidating someone using devices that access the internet, such as smartphones and computers. These definitions shows that this mode of harassment depends on availability and access to the internet.
Unlike cases of conventional harassment, cyberbullying uses the internet as the main channel of propagation. Specifically, if the perpetrator or victim of this harassment cannot access the internet, then it is impossible for it to exist. A person intending to use the internet to bully another one usually needs to know that they will succeed to pass their message. However, if they cannot use it to reach the victim, then the perpetrator may not use it. Therefore, one of the main factors that has caused cyberbullying is the development of advancements in information technology. These technological developments include the ease of accessing the internet using phones and computers.
Another factor that has helped the propagation of cyberbullying cases is the development of social media. This introduction is a major factor that causes bullying since most youths spend a lot of their time on these sites (Johnson, Haralson and Batts 3). These authors say that “one of the most popular websites used in cyberbullying is Facebook, where more than 350 million users share over 3.5 billion links, stories, and photos” (Johnson, Haralson and Batts 3). Moreover, unlike in the case of convectional bullying, the internet makes it hard to control this practice. Specifically, social media allows the perpetrator to harass others anonymously, which makes it worse than conventional bullying (Nilan, Burgess and Hobbs 6). For instance, the perpetrator may create an account with an unknown name and then use it to bully the victim. This anonymity increase the chances of people engaging in cyberbullying.
Types of Cyberbullying
Many researchers have studied this topic with the aim of detecting different forms of cyberbullying. Different studies categorize them differently. For instance, some researchers divide them into two types; those that use phone calls, and those that rely om the imternet. Moreover, Li (373) divided them into flaming, harassment, cyberstalking, denigration, masquerade, outing and trikery, and exclussion. He explained them as the different forms in which cyberbullying is done. Slonje, Smith and Frisen (3) categorized them as threats of physical abuse, abusive or hate related, name calling, death threats, ending of platonic relationships, sexual messages, threats to destroy existing relationships, family threats, and menacing chain message.
Cyberbullying can also be divided into two categories, which are direct and indirect harassment. Direct cyberbullying is when an oppressor harasses the victim directly, such as when sending defaming messages to the target. On the other hand, indirect cyberbullying happens without the victim’s awareness, and it includes cases of gossiping and publishing private information about a person (Hee, Jacobs and Emmery 7). It is only easy to stop and control cyberbullying when one knows its different types. Specifically, this information helps a person know the methods to apply to reduce its impacts on the life of the victim. Figure 1 below shows the prevalence of cyberbullying depending on the gender of a person globally.
Figure SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 1: Prevalence of cyberbullying. Source: (Biswas, Scott and Munir 3)
Effects of Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying affects its victims negatively starting with their psychology and extending to their family. It has both physical and emotional effects, which may include a feeling of insecurity, deterioration of academic performance, and a person’s relationship with others. It also affects the confidence and concentration of the victims, could cause a student to drop from school, causes other mental health issues such as axiety and depression. Depending on the degree of hurt that this harassment affects a person, it can lead to the development of loneliness, depression, somatic symptoms, and anxiety issues (Nixon 144). Moreover, in some extreme cases, it could also lead a person to become suicidal (Faucher, Jackson and Cassidy 6). This effect are fatal such that it infects the family, either their relationship will be affected or they may end up loosing the victim.
Low self-esteem is another effect of cyberbullying. The people whose self-esteem suffers most harm from cyberbullying are adolescents. Patchin and Hinduja (615) say that the process of identity formation in these individuals depends on cues that they receive from theiir environment. Now, since these individuals spend a large part of their time on the internet, they are likely to see any harassment messages that bullies post on these sites. These messages are gypically likely to make the individuals to develop low self-esteem. Moreover, in some cases, cyberbullying causes both the victims and offenders to have low self-esteem (Patchin and Hinduja 618). Specifically, the messages that a victim receives hurts them, leading to low self-esteem. On the other hand, many offenders were previously victims and they now want to revenge. Therefore, they both experience low self-esteem.
Cyberbullying also harms a child’s spirituality. Apostolides (2) explains that, “ children engage with their parent world to form, shape identity and spirituality. However, when they become bigger, their language skill improve and they may reject their parents world.” As adolescents, their world becomes blasted with discourses that happens all the time which forms their environment, shaping their identities and spiritualities. The decisions made at this stage of life have lifelong consquences such that they change their thoughts and the teachings induced by their parents. Now, when a child is exposed to cyberbullying, his spiritual life faces adverse effects.
The worst of all is suicidal thoughts that one gets after being bullied. Most cases of suicide that have been reported had their roots from cyberbullying. An example is when ones private information leaks to the internet. The internet has millions of people in it and any information can gain popularity in a substantially short time. In some cases this act leads to the posting of embarassing or ashaming information about a person. Once it goes viral the victim gets embarassed to be before people and this is when the person may get suicidal thoughts. For instance, after a breakup, one may post nude pictures on the internet as revenge. These pictures and messages may embarrass the victims to a point of contemplating suicide (Apostolides 3). Moreover, since cyberbullying happens on the internet, it is possible for the victim to suffer alone to the time when the individual commits suicide.
Victims of Cyberbullying
According to Slonje, Smith and Frisen 3, cyberbullying victims are of certain age and gender. In the study, the ones affected are of age 13-15 years, though, it may continue in adulthood but not as much. Most teens are affected since this is their time for identity formation which depends on their social environment. During this stage of life any negative pressure brings a big impact to oneself. Older youths bully the young ones and they are rougher as compared to the younger ones. Other than the age, gender is also another variable in cyberbullying (Donegan 35). Female are more affected since they are emotional as compared to the other gender. Male fail to share openly their victimization and especially when it comes to their emotions
Methods of Preventing Cyberbullying
Despite the stiffness of the impacts of cyberbullying, it is possible to use some approaches to reduce its impacts on the lives of a person. Moreover, the implementation of some actions may prevent cases of cyberbullying. One way of reducing its impacts on the lives of a person is to counsel the victims. Counselling helps one to view life after the harassment that the victim has faced. An advantage of this method is that it can be provided to a person that is afraid of being seen. While in the counseling sessions, the victim can be informed that they are not alone and that they can deal with the problems Giving them this moral support will enable them to have a different perception in life.
The second way is by having an anonymous phone or hotlines for reporting cyberbullying. Since, the victims are typically embarrassed and ashamed, they may not want to be identified and having the phone may help one to report without being identified. When cyberbullying is reported one can be assisted immediately rather than when one is silent. Counseling as a method may identify the victim, but Faucher, Jackson, and Cassidy (7) say that this method is more effective than counseling in some cases. This method works in cases where the victim is too shy to face a counsellor. Moreover, it gives the victim anonymity, which remove any shame from the process since the victim knows that the counsellor does not know them personally.
Teamwork is another measure to prevent cyberbullying, a community can come together to put guidelines against bullying. A community can be formed by choosing bringing educators, counselors, psychologists, and law enforcers together.By having this policies in place the bullies will be afraid for they will face the law. In schools one may expell the bullies as a punishment to straighten their paths (Faucher, Jackson and Cassidy 7). Counselors and psychologists may help the victims by advising them to improve their esteem. On the other hand education should be provided to all so as to understand the effects of cyberbullying.
Conclusion
Cyber victimization is a major problem affecting the youths in this technological era. This kind of bullying is a secret way of bullies to put down their victims, showing how powerful they are. Although, the offenders may think they are powerful and that’s why they are bullying others, but it’s the weakness inside them that is forcing them to do so. Since, its hard to know the exact identity of the oppressor, this method ends up being worse than conventional methods of bullying. Cyberbyllying has many effects on the life of an individual, such as causing low self-esteem, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and embarassment. However, despite the severity of this condition, it is possible to control and prevent it using some measures such as anonymous calls and counselling.
