Cuvilly Corner: The Threat of Cyber Bullying
Cyber bullying has been found to be a serious threat to the social and academic health of many students. One of the most effective strategies for stopping cyber bullying is trying to stop the bully’s access to devices used to bully, such as the internet. This is challenging because it requires parental cooperation. Before these challenges can be dealt with, the first step to using the strategy must be correctly determining if cyber- bullying is occurring. Identifying cyberbullying is the necessary first step to stopping cyberbullying. Most cyber bullying takes place between school peers, so teachers, as well as parents, are now in a position to watch for cyber bullying.
Previous research has shown that children who are bullied at school suffer several outcomes. While some of the traits of cyber bullies are similar to more traditional bullies, it is important to know that there are some differences. One of the most significant differences is that victims of traditional bullying may feel safe away from school, but victims of cyberbullying can be bullied anywhere there is electronic access. Additionally, because the bullying takes place electronically, the distance between the bully and victim is great. As a result, the bully may be less aware of the results of his or her bullying. Another outcome is when the cyberbully may not even be aware of his or her actions. They might be doing it under the influence of other friends, or may think that it’s just a joke and not seriously affecting the victim. All of these reasons go to show that whether it’s bullying physically, through the internet, or unconsciously, you should not bully others in any way.