Cyberbullying
The effects, causes, solution, and examples
Cyberbullying- the use of electronic communication to bully a person
The effects of cyberbulling
- Increased feelings of sadness and loneliness
- Changes in sleep and eating patterns
- Loss of interest in activities
The causes of cyberbullying
'Cyberbullying occurs when a person (often a child, preteen, or teenager) is bullied, harassed, humiliated, threatened, embarrassed, or targeted in some way by another person (often a child, preteen or teenager). Cyber-bullying is much like traditional playground bullying where there is name calling and someone is getting picked on, except cyber-bullying is done through the use of the internet, cell phones and other forms of digital technology. In order for it to be categorized as cyber-bullying, the intent must be to cause emotional distress, and the methods of cyber-bullying are limited only by a child's' imagination or access to technology . Cyber bullying can be something as simple as continuing to send an e-mail to someone who has said they want no further contact with the sender, but it could also include threats, sexual remarks and hate speech. '
http://www.kean.edu/~schandle/Students/LNerilo/what%20is%20cyberbullying.htm
The solution
'Don’t respond. If someone bullies you, remember that your reaction is usually exactly what the bully wants. It gives him or her power over you. Who wants to empower a bully?
Don’t retaliate. Getting back at the bully turns you into one and reinforces the bully’s behavior. Help avoid a whole cycle of aggression.
Save the evidence. The only good news about digital bullying is that the harassing messages can usually be captured, saved, and shown to someone who can help. You need to do this even if it’s minor stuff, in case things escalate.
Talk to a trusted adult. You deserve backup. It’s always good to involve a parent but – if you can’t – a school counselor usually knows how to help. Sometimes both are needed. If you’re really nervous about saying something, see if there’s a way to report the incident anonymously at school.
Block the bully. If the harassment’s coming in the form of instant messages, texts, or profile comments, do yourself a favor: Use preferences or privacy tools to block the person. If it’s in chat, leave the “room.”
Be civil. Even if you don’t like someone, it’s a good idea to be decent and not sink to the other person’s level. Also, research shows that gossiping about and trash talking others increases your risk of being bullied. Treat people the way you want to be treated.
Don’t be a bully. How would you feel if someone harassed you? You know the old saying about walking a mile in someone’s shoes; even a few seconds of thinking about how another person might feel can put a big damper on aggression. That’s needed in this world.
Be a friend, not a bystander. Watching or forwarding mean messages empowers bullies and hurts victims even more. If you can, tell bullies to stop or let them know harassment makes people look stupid and mean. It’s time to let bullies know their behavior is unacceptable – cruel abuse of fellow human beings. If you can’t stop the bully, at least try to help the victim and report the behavior.'
examples
David Knight : Burlington, Ontario
David Knight was oblivious to a website created all about him. For months, there had been a website that made fun of David and his family. They said things along the lines of that he was a pedophile, he's gay and dirty. The website invited others to actively be involved with bashing this boy. Along with the website, people were sending him hateful emails telling him how much they don't like him. Thankfully, David did not physically harm himself like others you will read about.
Amanda Marcuson: Birmingham, Michigan
When some girls stole Amanda Marcuson's belongings, she reported it. Later that night, she received instant messages calling her harsh names and saying she was a tattletale. Trying to defend herself, she replied that they had stolen her stuff and that just made it worse. When going out with her family, her internet messages were forwarded to her phone and she had received the maximum limit, 50, which were all threatening, intensely mean messages. The girls never even said another word to her, in person.
Jodi Plumb: Mansfield Nottinghamshire
Jodi Plumb was distraught when she found out there was a website containing terrible comments about her. It was talking about her weight and they estimated a time of her death. Jodi's mom went straight to the school board and asked for harsher action taken about the bullies. Jodi had been attacked twice in school. As well as people taking pictures of her for the website. Her mother was very upset.
Ryan Halligan: Poughkeepsie, New York
An autistic thirteen year old that's sweet as can be just trying to make it through the days became a prime target of cyberbullying. Going through his days, and like any boy, he had that one crush. This girl that he had his eye on, had stuck up for him for a while but soon became the main bully. She pretended to like him and then made fun of him and said, she would never like a guy like him. As his pain got worse, he had a pen pal that was encouraging him to end his life. Ryan became so hurt, the he hung himself. All because of cyber-bullies.
https://sites.google.com/a/cypanthers.org/cease-cyber-bullying/real-life-examples-of-cyber-bullying