A Closer Look

            
                      Created by Erika Stanford with Animoto

A Closer Look at Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is bullying though the use of technology for example texting, IM chat, different websites, and social media sites. Different kinds of technology used to conduct cyberbullying includes cell phones, computer and tablets that the children have access to. Students send text messages, posts on social media sites, or even just send direct messages through the social media sites that can be mean, fake, hurtful and overall just rumors that should not be going around. Also, emails and embarrassing pictures or videos could be shared and fake profiles could be made to hurt their “victims”. There are so many ways kids today can cyberbully others by just hiding behind the screen and tormenting others. What makes cyberbullying even more hurtful then in person bulling is because the bullies are not attacking their victim in person. They are then more inclined to say more hurtful things they may not be able to say in person because they have the protection of hiding behind technology. They feel more powerful with the extra protection of not saying it to the persons face. Cyberbullying can harm victims in many ways.  One way can make them have very low self-esteem.  Many cyberbullying victims reported having lower self-esteem problems then middle school students that have not been cyberbullied. The effect kids have on each other that are the same age group is enormous. Middle school is where students are most insecure with the way they look because they are going through puberty and not sure who they are. They want to fit in with their other classmates and when they are made fun of and attacked on the internet and through text and social media it can be very detrimental to them. Also, a reason someone might be bullying someone else is because they themselves do not have high self-esteem either and have to make someone else feel bad about themselves to make them feel better. Finding flaws in others so they do not have to recognize the ones they have themselves. It is a viscous cycle that hurts many young students trying to figure out who they are and who they want to be as a person. 

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Cyberbullying can happen at any time because of the advances in technology and the use of smart phones and computers. They can be accessed at any time and rumors and pictures can spread in seconds. These lies that people spread and the hurtful words used can have a huge impact in someone’s life. Middle school students do not fully understand that bullying someone can harm a peer of theirs for a very long time. It can cause a student to have low self-esteem that takes time to gain back even after the cyberbullying stops. Alcohol and drug abuse can be another huge problem that can happen trying to escape the pain that others caused them. Also, students began to miss school and slowly their grades become poor because they have nothing else on their mind besides what others are saying about them. Worst thing of all is that a young kid can think that the words of their peers are the worst thing in the world and become depressed and commits suicide. Just because you can say something bad about another person or share a picture, rumor or video does not mean you should because then you are participating in cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying can also lead teens to drug and alcohol use to try and escape the pain of being bullied. It is more likely that a student that has been cyberbullied to have a substance abuse then a student that has not. Victims of cyberbullying turn to drugs and alcohol as a way to escape the pain of the torment from others. Alcohol and drugs can suppress your mind and body from feeling the emotional pain of being bullied. People can physically ache with pain from being so emotional ripped apart by peers that the only way to escape is through illegal substances. Alcohol and drugs can change the way someone thinks and kills brain cells and has many harmful effect on the brain and body. When kids turn to these extremes it is easier for them to become addicted and have more serious health problems later in life. It is also easier to not know their limits of drugs and alcohol and overdose which in some cases can mean death. 

Cyberbullying can make students more likely to skip school and get lower grades then normal when experiencing being bullying. When a student does not feel safe in school they are more likely to make up reasons why they cannot go to school and more likely to skip school without telling their parents why.  They become scared of the social ridicule they would have to face when going and there comes a point where they rather skip school and not do as well in school then face going to school and seeing the people that bully them. Once a student is cyberbullied it is also more likely for them to be bullied in person too. The bullies become more confident and not afraid of the consequences that they no longer have to hide behind they screen of technology. They fall behind in school and not concentrate in class which means their grades start to fall. The fear of others bullying them becomes the only thing that matters and they cannot think about school work because it does not mean anything to them anymore. They are worried more about what others are saying about them then learning and bettering themselves for their future.  

One of the scariest and saddest effect that cyberbullying can have is suicide. Cyberbullying can make someone feel depressed and feel worthless to the world. They become so sad that no one likes them and that things will never get better for them. They think taking their own life to escape the pain and torment is the best and only option for them. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for young adults. Cyberbullied victims are 2 to 9 times more likely to take their own life than those that have not been bullied.  Students do not realize the effect they have on their peers. It might seem funny to make fun of someone but it is wrong and can have such a huge effect on their life. They also do not realize that they can get arrested for cyberbullying when it gets out of hand and their target of their made up rumors and mean words commits suicide. It is a serious affiance and should not be taken lightly.  

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, (n.d.). Cyberbullying. Retrieved from website: http://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/

Hinduja, S., and J. Patchin. N.p.. Web. 2 Dec 2013. <http://www.cyberbullying.us/cyberbullying_and_self_esteem_research_fact_sheet.pdf>.

Bullying statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/bullying-and-suicide.html