We use technology in almost every aspect of our daily lives; it is how we stay connected in this fast-paced world. Technology provides many benefits, but it has the potential to destroy many people. With technology use on the rise, bullying has taken a new, more destructive form. Cyberbullying, as defined by the Cyberbullying Research Center, is the willful and repeated harm inflicted through the medium of electronic text (qtd. in Chait). Cyberbullying is a serious problem and has serious consequences.
There are many contributing factors to cyberbullying. Children and young adults have almost infinite access to social networking sites, chat forums, and cell phones. It is hard to find a middle school age child without access to the internet in some way. The internet is a huge part of the life of an adolescent (“What Is Cyberbullying”). Schools typically assign work that requires the use of the internet. It is how we research for projects, papers, and now we can access most of our textbooks online as well. With access to a portal of information about people, websites that allow people to publish their own thoughts, and a fine line of censorship and monitoring, it is as if America is laying the foundation for this to occur. The tools for this crime are lying around and are being abused by people. This leads to many victims having to undergo the harsh effects of cyberbullying. Bullying has always been a problem in its nature but bullying in cyberspace is a whole different story. Images and hurtful messages can be sent or posted at anytime anonymously or on a website where anyone can access the information (“Cyberbullying”). This increases the chance that the information will be seen by multiple individuals thus embarrassin...
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Technology plays an important role in cyberbullying. According to Hinduja and Patchin, “The primary means through which it can occur include the Internet-enabled
As a recently recognized form of bullying, cyber bullying also referred to as electronic or Internet bullying, is defined as “the use of information and communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior by an individual or group that is intended to harm others” (Belsey, n.d., p. 8; Bonanno & Hymel, 2013). Cyber bullying is characterized by intimidation, harassment, victimization, and aggression toward others that occurs through email, chat rooms, instant messages, webs...
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Traditional bullying that used to occur commonly on school-grounds has now been over shadowed by harassment through the Internet and other technology related devices. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary “cyber bullying” is defined as ...
This sort of phenomenon makes major headlines regularly in recent times and effects a clear majority of today’s youth. State and local lawmakers have taken steps to prevent this type of bullying by making illegal under several criminal law codes. Michele Hamm, a researcher in pediatrics explained, “There were consistent associations between exposure to cyberbullying and increased likelihood of depression.” Cyberbullying became widespread among students with the rapid growth in use of cellular devices and the Internet. With this kind of technology bullies have the ability to send harmful messages to their recipients at any given time. This type of bullying is the hardest to control because it involves students but often happens off school grounds. However, because the evidence is material, students and parents could bring this evidence to the school and local police departments if a situation were to happen. Parents should be mindful of their child’s use of the internet and electronic messaging, cyberbullying usually takes place in a medium in which adults are seldom present (Mason, 2008). Also, instead of sending direct messages to other students, bullies use platforms such as social media and anonymous blogs to post harmful things for others to see. Educators must understand the significance of social media use to their students, especially
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Most adults when reflecting on their school days, may evoke imagery of the taller than average, out of form classmate, chuckling along the hallways carelessly. Like an alligator ready to prance on his prey, he seeks students that appear smaller and weaker to tease and forcefully take their possessions. The appropriate term to describe the student who performed these menacing acts is a bully. However, present day bullies may be more than an individual or group that most students dread to encounter in the hallway and playground. Unfortunately, bullying occurs on a broader and more infectious level. With the advancement in technology, bullying in school has extended from the usual classroom episodes of intimidation to derogatory comments by means of text messaging and social media. In 2011, the U.S. Department of Education, Web Tables reports, “the 2008-2009 school year 7,066,000 students 8 through 18 reported that they were bullied at school (5), this number reflects an alarming 28 percent of 25,217,000 students.
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Cyberbullies are hiding behind technology because they can’t deal with the victim face to face. People depend on social networking sites because it’s an easy way to target their victim. Girls are more likely to bully online and boys are more likely to bully in person. Cell phones and computers are not to blame for cyberbullying it’s social media sites themselves that are to blame. 25% of teens say that they have been bullied through the use of technology and over half of young people report being cyberbullied. Cyberbullying happens 24/7 and never stops because technology can be used whenever the bully wants to use it for hurting their