The large increase in tweens exposed to the Internet via computers and cell phones has led to an increase in cyberbullies and their victims online, creating a digital face for traditional bullying that occurs within school facilities, a recent study by the University of British Columbia that involved 17,000 children ages 8 to 12.
Child-to-child cyberbullying is a form of humiliation, intimidation, and threat by an aggressive child directed toward another child or preteen through the use of the Internet on computers and mobile phones. With more children joining popular social networking sites like Facebook, bullying has become much easier for many, which has been shown by numerous studies to be detrimental to the psychological development of the victim and also linked to depression, school phobia, loss of self-esteem, reduced performance and the worst case of suicide.
The university study revealed that around 25-30% of young people admitted to participating in and being victims of cyberbullying, which showed a significantly greater difference with the 19% who confirmed having participated in and experienced bullying. This showed that children differentiate cyberbullying from actual bullying, indicating an emerging popularity of bullying via the Internet.
Several states supplemented additional laws to respond to the rise of cyberbullying within the public school system, creating anti-bullying campaigns such as “STOMP Out Bullying” and “It Gets Better.” There are also many websites and Internet resources that address cyberbullying issues, such as “dosomething.org.” Many schools are also organizing anti-bullying events on campus to address the problem. The state of Georgia has enacted a cyber bullying law (SB Bill Number 250), part of which states that cyber bullying “relates to prohibited acts of bullying in public schools…through the use of electronic data or access to software through a computer network or electronic technology of a local school system.”
Teachers and parents should be careful if a child exhibits any symptoms of cyberbullying. Open communication is vital in assessing the seriousness of a child’s situation. Certain measures must be observed to avoid the harmful effects of cyber bullying: educating a child in advance about cyber bullies, reporting abuse committed by a bully, and blocking the person from the child’s account. While education and community awareness are important, they do not replace the need for parental vigilance to monitor their children’s online activity. It is essential that parents take the initiative to consult a pediatrician for the necessary psychological support.
