Bullying: Victims Of Cyberbullying

Jacob Mandella

Ms. Gommermann

English 11

12 January, 2018

Cyberbullying

Waking up, seeing rude and mean comments posted about a person 24 hours a day, and feeling like there is no way out of this; this is a the new form of bullying which can be constant via social media. According to Merriam Webster, cyberbullying is “the electronic posting of mean spirited messages about a person (such as a student) often done anonymously”. Cyberbullying is harassment using electronic forms of contact such as text, photos or videos. The term cyberbullying refers specifically to the harassment when it is directed directly towards minors (“11 Facts About CyberBullying”). Since the accessibility of home computers has increased, bullying forced its way

Look for a child who is “being emotionally upset after using their cell phone or being on the internet, being protective over their digital life, withdrawal from family friends and actives, avoiding school or group grathings, being nervous when they get a text, and finally avoiding discussions about computer and cell phone actives” (“Cyberbullying”). Victims of cyberbullying often experience emotional distress such as anger, sadness, depression and embarrassment. Many of these teenagers will not want to talk about this because, they feel ashamed of themselves for being a target on the internet (Bazelon). Also, the teenager will feel if they tell their parent they will get their social media privileges taken away. A real life example of cyberbullying is an 18 year old Houston, Texas teenager, Brandy Vela, who shot herself in the chest after being cyberbullied for a little over a year (CBS/AP). This young woman was targeted about her weight and constantly harassed about it, so Brandy went to the police for help. Unfortunately, the app the bully was using was untraceable and the police said there was nothing they could do, so Brandy changed her number. The cyberbullying continued for Brandy and she eventually took her own life (CBS/AP). Teachers and parents both need to be made aware of these signs so they can address the issue in a safe environment

In fact, students will find their way around limitations that are put on their device (“Laws & Policies”). Student’s who are the bully will still engage in bullying behavior during the times they have access to websites that are unblocked. This is not the solution to cyberbullying as does not address the core of problem. However, it is a step in the right direction to begin the conversation of cyberbullying. Blocking websites or other online content is not the answer alone, but in combination with other strategies it could have some positive