Cyber Bullying

“Unless and until our society recognizes cyberbullying for what it is, the suffering of thousands of silent victims will continue,” quoted by Anna Marie Chaves, CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA (Chapter 3 Understanding Cyberbullying). It is a fact that there are still lots of cases of cyberbullying happening as you read this. According to different organizations and research centers, … approximately half of the young people have experienced some form of cyberbullying, and 10 to 20% experience it regularly, and more than half of adolescents and teens have been bullied online, and about the same number have engaged in cyberbullying… (GuardChild). Current bullying statistics may not be accurate as they may not report their bullying because they feel that no one would believe them or do anything to help them. People just choose not to speak anything about it in the reason that they have considered it as a norm, but I will not endure and pretend that it isn’t as important as other forms of bullying. As I am strongly against cyberbullying, I have conclusive reasons why cyberbullying must stop. It greatly affects the victim personally, mentally and even physically, the use of technology and social media is being abused by cyberbullies, and the act itself is immoral.

Cyberbullying affects the personality of the victim. Being bullied, in many forms, destroy one’s character, including his/her ego and overall personality. His/her self-esteem is greatly involved as derogatory words, harsh statements, and impolite treatment are given. The victim can also suffer from major depression and anxiety that would lead to a change of behavior. He/she might perform badly in school as he/she has lost his/her focus. The victim might refuse attending classes in great fear of being exposed to people. The worst case scenario is when the victim suffers from any degree of trauma that would entirely change his/her life, even resulting in suicide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 4,400 young people commit suicide each year, estimates that there are at least 100 suicide attempts for every suicide among young people, 14 percent of high school students have considered suicide and nearly 7 percent have attempted it (Nobullying.com).

As cyberbullying arises, it becomes obvious that the use of technology and social media is being abused by many. Electronic devices serve many purposes and one of these is being a communication tool. Social media sites can be used for positive activities, but one can also do harm. People who have bad intentions use technology to degrade people. One can message anyone threats, send people with malicious content, and threaten the victim by blackmailing. One unforgettable cyberbullying case is the Amanda Todd Case: In her seventh grade, she learned using video chat to meet new people. She met one stranger who convinced her to show her breasts on camera. Little did she know that the stranger would attempt to use the photo to blackmail her and would begin circulating the picture on the Internet (Nobullying.com). Instead of being secure and having safety, users get frightened being cyberbullied. Cases of cyberbullying pose danger to anyone who uses technology, therefore it must be stopped to prevent further risk.

            Cyberbullying is an immoral act, so is any forms of bullying.  The act itself is just simply unacceptable as it does and can harm people in many aspects. Bullies can be predisposed to having criminal behavior, thus bullying others can lead to crime if it exceeds to a severe extent. Another alarming thing about bullying is that the victim isn’t the only one who gets affected, the bully himself gets too. Bullies might have developed or had already acquired certain mental problems that make them do such things. Studies show that cyberbullies are more prone to hyperactivity and conduct problems and often smoke and drink (Reinberg). Bullying is condemned by many since it is immoral, but cyberbullying doesn’t receive similar treatment because it is more difficult to deal with.

            Remember that what you say reflects more about you than to the person you’re telling it to. Unfortunately, not everyone understands that. Cyber bullying might not have gathered great attention as other forms of bullying, but as individuals, we should advocate stopping cyberbullying. People who are being bullied are greatly damaged, cyberbullies abuse technology for their own wicked intentions, and the act itself is deemed to be immoral. Let us be the voice of those unheard screams, unspoken pleas, and silent victims. Let us stop cyberbullying by informing our friends and family of what it is, how it happens, and what the possible dangers are. Together, we stop cyberbullying to save the victims and to even prevent more people becoming one.  

Bibliography

"Chapter 3 Understanding Cyberbullying." Shore, Kenneth. The Bullying Prevention Book of Lists. National Professional Resources Inc./Dude Publishing,, 2016. 19. Google Books.

GuardChild. 2016. Web. 8 September 2016. <http://www.guardchild.com/cyber-bullying-statistics/>.

Nobullying.com. 23 June 2016. Web. 8 September 2016. <https://nobullying.com/six-unforgettable-cyber-bullying-cases/>.

Reinberg, Steven. Cyberbullies and Victims Have Mental and Emotional Health Problems. 2012. Web. 8 September 2016. <http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/DocumentToolsPortletWindow?displayGroupName=Viewpoints&action=2&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010789207&zid=3236fc27103691994323424eea8330e8&source=Bookmark&u=oak30216&jsid=440fb7ee287e6b45cb66e2f40f3dfc>.

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September 4, 2016