Laurelea O’Halloran

March 26, 2013

Writing 201

Bullying

Bullying use to be a problem which mainly happened at school and while it still affected the child at home,it wouldn’t be as prevalent in their home life. With Facebook, twitter, smart phones, and other devices, children are much more susceptible to bullying, as well as given a bigger arena to be a bully.It is wondered whether social network sites and other social media are a form of bullying. Cyberbullying should be considered a form of bullying because it can have the same affects as traditional bullying, or worse. Cyberbullying has long term and short terms effects on kids, there are more ways to be cyberbullied, and adults need to recognize and administer punishments to these crimes.

“Bullying is a form of aggressive behavior in which someone intentionally and repeatedly causes another person injury or discomfort. Bullying can take the form of physical contact, words or more subtle actions.” (Bullying)According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, to bully means to treat abusively, to affect by means of force or coercion, and to use browbeating language or behavior(“bully”).

Facebook, twitter, and other social network sites were created with the intent to stay connected with others. Throughout the years all generations of individuals have access to these sites.

While Facebook and other social network sites are generally harmless, children need to learn how to properly use these tools. When they learn how to use these sites and learn how to solve their problems in an appropriate way, they can influence each other and society for the better.

The older they get, the more opportunities they have to make choices. Through sites like Facebook and Twitter, children can get a sense of anonymity when commenting and messaging others. In cyber-space a person can be anyone they want and no one knows who they really are. This can lead to things being said much harsher and mean because there is a sense of empowerment and the lack of fear of getting caught because they don’t think there will be repercussions for their actions. "Anonymity emboldens the person doing it--and it increases the fear factor for the victim," says Kowalski from the article Ya Wanna Take This Online (Chu 52).This gives the shy, small, child ability to bully where he might have had the disadvantage with traditional bullying. Children need to realize their actions affect others.

Traditional bullying, or schoolyard bullying, is what many people refer to classic bullying. This can occur in any situation, but schools are a commonplace. Traditional bullying consists of verbal, physical, and emotional abuse. It’s easier to spot bullying at schools because teachers, principals, and other students are generally present. Adolescent bullying may take many forms, such as physical, verbal, and relational or social. Physical bullying, hitting, pushing, and kickin, and verbal bullying, name-calling and teasing in a hurtful way, are usually considered to be a direct form, while relational bullying refers to an indirect form of bullying, such as social exclusion and spreading rumors.

Cyberbullying is through forms of technology. This includes cell phones, laptops, and other electronic devices through the use of IMs, texts, emails. Bullies can send out rumors, embarrassing pictures, and hateful comments through these sources.

Cyberbullying can have a greater effect on children because unlike traditional bullying, a victim can be bullied at any time of the day. It also usually happens when they are alone and is more easily hidden. The children that are being bullied are less likely to talk to and adult and get the help they need because they feel embarrassed and alone. Children being bullied are being bullied for a reason. These are the kids who are more likely to be quiet and shy with low-self-esteem. They are the prime targets for bullies.

There are cases where children being cyberbullied have long-term psychological affects or commit suicide to escape the world they are in because they cannot find a way out. Victims who are bullied usually already have problems, such as as self-esteem issues, and are already more susceptible to other problems.

There was an incident is Northern California in which several girls hacked a 12-year-old’s Instagram account and posted sexually derogative pictures. The parents contacted to school and administrators said they would investigate the report.

"Part of the problem is kids not recognizing that what's happening is a form of bullying." Kids don’t realize what is happening because it isn’t clearly defined as bullying (Wang, Lannotti, Nelson 379).

Cyberbullying needs to be treated just as seriously as traditional bullying. It can still affect children and teens psychologically. "The Internet is no longer just an advantage. A child is at a disadvantage not having it," says Brittany Bacon, an FBI-trained WiredSafety.org volunteer (Chu53). She says teens need to learn boundaries and manners in cyberspace just as they must in other venues of society. It’s not the sites themselves that are the problem, it’s the way children and teens use them. “While hate and prejudice are as old as humankind, new technologies have helped to spread them quicker and more forcefully than ever before. The Internet has created racist forums and communities, and new social networking sites draw in teenagers and enable them to spread vicious rumors about classmates and neighbors. Cyberbullying has become a real threat, and parents and educators must work in unison to counter antisocial and harmful harassment and make such crimes punishable by law” (Chu 54). It’s important for parents and teachers to help kids understand how to use the tools for the better and how to handle problems they have with their peers through communication, instead of bullying.

“For example, previous studies showed that positive parental practices, such as parental warmth or support, could protect adolescents from involvement in both bullying perpetration and victimization (i.e., being bullied). Compared with parents, friends seem to play a more mixed role: having more friends was found to be negatively related to victimization, suggesting a “friendship protection hypothesis”; yet adolescents identified as bullies were found to be less socially isolated” (Chu 54). With the help of teachers and parents, as well as others peers, cyberbullying can be prevented and fixed if it has already begun. Communication is key in this process.

Works Cited

Chu, Jeff. "Ya Wanna Take This Online." Times Magazine 166.6 (2005): 52-55. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Mar. 2013.

Wang, Jing, Ronald J. Lannotti, and Tonja R. Nelson. "School Bullying Among Adolescents in the United States: Physical, Verbal, Relational, and Cyber." Journal of Adolescent Health 45.4 (2009): 368-375. National Institutes of Health, 31 Mar. 2009. Web. 29 Mar. 2013.

"Bullying."Bullying.N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2013.

"bully." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, 2011.

Web. 8 May 2011.