Cyberbullying: The What, Who, & Why
Society has had numerous technological advancements since the new millennium such as GPS, digital music, laptops, WiFi, and more. It seems that everything has moved to the online world. Unfortunately, bullies are no exception to that; cyberbullying has been created along with the technology. According to Hinduja and Patchin (2015), cyberbullying is “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices” (p. 11). Essentially, cyberbullying is bullying through the means of electronics. If you are being mean on a screen, you are cyberbullying. Brewer and Kerslake (2015) remark that the main difference between traditional bullying and cyberbullying is that cyberbullying happens quickly, is permanent, and makes victims more available. Unlike traditional bullying where students could escape the bully by running home, cyberbullying has no escape because the Internet is always with us through our devices.
Along with technological advancements, society has also made medical advancements, but immunity to cyberbullying is not one of them. Anyone, regardless of gender, race, or age, can be affected by cyberbullying. Statistics compiled by Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center (n.d.) reveal that the percentage of people that have experienced cyberbullying has almost doubled from 2007 – 2016, with 15.5% of high school students and 24% of middle school students having been cyberbullied as of 2015, and while boys are more likely to be the cyberbully, girls are more likely to be victims of cyberbullying. However, girls are currently participating more in cyberbullying than they are in traditional bullying (Hinduja & Patchin, 2015). Racial differences in cyberbullying also exist, but the data is somewhat inconclusive, which is also true for age differences in cyberbullying. Hinduja and Patchin (2015) found that in terms of race, white students were more likely to be victims of cyberbullying, but another recent study found that Hispanic children were more likely to be victims. Meanwhile, yet another study found that non-white students were actually more likely to be the victims of cyberbullying. Regarding age differences, it currently seems that older students are more involved in cyberbullying than younger students, but that could be due to technology access and proficiency with devices (Hinduja & Patchin, 2015). Overall, people of any gender, of any race, and of any age can be affected by cyberbullying.
Cyberbullying does not come without issues and consequences. Clearly, cyberbullying does not make the victim feel good, but just how damaging can the situation be for both victim and bully? The anonymity of cyberbullying gives cyberbullies the courage to act more aggressively because they think there will be no consequences (Kowalski, Giumetti, Schroeder, & Lattanner, 2014). The consequence may not always be a punishment, but there are numerous negative effects of cyberbullying. On the bully side, a cyberbully usually acts out due to personal issues such as a lack of confidence, and a cyberbully is at greater risk of being cyberbullied in return. For the target of cyberbullying, the individual may feel that they cannot escape or control the situation and also may be bullied offline. Both cyberbullies and their targets may experience emotional problems such as anxiety and depression and also face decreased school satisfaction and achievement (Pacer, n.d.). Students need to be made aware of the consequences of cyberbullying from both sides. Teachers can communicate these consequences to their students by having open and honest conversations with them. Personal examples and videos can be shared as needed, but open communication from a trusted adult can be powerful.
Part of this open conversation about the consequences of cyberbullying should be infused with information about the appropriate use of technology. Teachers prefer to use positive language instead of negative language, telling students what they should do instead of what they should not do. For example, a student running down the hall would be told, “Walk!” instead of, “Don’t run!” because it tell the student how to act. Teaching about the appropriate use of technology when it comes to cyberbullying should be the same. Instead of saying, “Don’t be a cyberbully!” it is important to teach students what they should be doing online instead. For example, students can practice sending a kind email or positing positive comments on Instagram. It is also beneficial to teach students about digital skills that help defeat cyberbullying, such as blocking people, ignoring messages, securing personal information, and only connecting with friends on social media (Hamm, Newton, & Chisholm, 2015). Cyberbullying information can be taught with technology skills and digital citizenship rather than as a separate entity.
Cyberbullying does not discriminate, but it does hurt. It is important that adults and children recognize what cyberbullying is, who is impacted by cyberbullying and what the impact is, and what can be done about cyberbullying both proactively and reactively.
References
Brewer, G., & Kerslake, J. (2015). Cyberbullying, self-esteem, empathy and loneliness. Computers in Human Behavior, 48, 255-260. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2015.01.073
Hamm, M. P., Newton, A. S., & Chisholm, A. (2015). Prevalence and effect of cyberbullying on children and young people: A scoping review of social media students. JAMA Pediatrics, 169, 770-777. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26098362
Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2015). Bullying beyond the schoolyard: Preventing and responding to cyberbullying. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Kowalski, R. M., Giumetti, G. W., Schroeder, A. N., & Lattanner, M. R. (2014). Bullying in the Digital Age: A Critical Review and Meta-Analysis of Cyberbullying Research Among Youth. Psychological Bulletin, 140(4), 1073-1137. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24512111
Pacer. (n.d.). Cyberbullying. Retrieved from https://www.pacer.org/bullying/resources/cyberbullying/
