Cyber bullying is dangerous especially to kids because it refers to any harassment that occurs via the internet, cell phones or other devices. This bullying happens intentionally through communication technologies to harm others through a hostile behavior such as sending text messages and posting ugly comments about someone on the internet.
When we
talk about bullying it involves the use of threatening someone, force of abuse,
intimidate or even aggressively dominate others. This behavior includes verbal
harassment or threat and this may be directed repeatedly towards that
particular person who will end up being a target of cyber bullying.
There is a
new type of bullying which is more intense because this bullying happens online
and it’s called cyber bullying which is a form of bullying done through social
media that has become increasingly common among teenagers. This bullying
includes posting rumors about someone else without their permission, sexual
remarks and labels of hate speech online.
The effects of Cyber Bullying
Research has proved that
cyber bullying can be more harmful than traditional bullying because the victims
start having a lower self-esteem, variety of emotional responses such as being
scared, being frustrated, angry and depressed which can lead to teenagers
committing suicide. The impact of cyber bullying can cause significant emotional
and psychological distress. The teens that are victims of cyber bullying often
experience being overwhelmed because other kids are also participating in the
bullying online and this can cause the victims of cyber bullying to feel like
they are not safe. This teens also feel like they are vulnerable and powerless
because the bullies can remain anonymous and the victims have no idea who is
inflicting the pain.
The
teenagers that are at high risk of being bullied online through cyber bullying
are those kids that are perceived as different from their peers. This people
are usually targeted because they are either overweight, underweight or even
those who are unable to afford what other kids consider as cool such as nice
clothing. Some are even considered and also seen as annoying or provoking
because of the way they look or their personality that is the reason why they
get bullied online.
How does cyber bullying happen online
Cyber bullying happens in various ways such as images,
words, comparisons and competitions among their peers and also referring to
people whom the victims know and care for. The types of cyber bullying is
exclusion, harassment, outing, cyber stalking and cat-fishing. Cyber bullying on
social media is linked to teen depression which leads to teenagers committing
suicide which makes cyber bullying so dangerous to teenagers. Here are facts that
prove how bad and dangerous cyber bullying is such as the fact that nearly 43%
of kids have experienced cyber bullying more than once and the most shocking
fact is that 68% of teens agreed to the fact that cyber bullying is a serious
problem.
