Cyber-bullying: Literature Review and Social Marketing Plan

This article provides a literature review on cyber-bullying and a social marketing plan to prevent it. It discusses the impact of cyber-bullying on victims and the need for awareness. The plan targets school children and youth and involves media and social media campaigns. The stakeholders include parents, school authorities, and victims. The product is awareness and proper behavior, and the promotion is through social media and news networks.

Running head: CYBERBULLYING
Cyber-bullying
Name of Student:
Name of University:
Author’s Note:

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Part 1: Literature Review on “Cyber-bullying”
Cyber crime is an unlawful activity where the computer becomes a tool or a target is used
for the creation of cyber threat and cyber terrorism. This is because of disruptive activities in
cyber space with the major intention of increasing social, ideological, political or similar
objectives. These are done either to make a person afraid or to fool a person. “Cyber-bullying is
nothing but the use of information and communication technologies to give trouble to others by
sending of messages, emails or more.” (Notar, Padgett & Roden, 2013) The material of cyber
threats can range from anything be it texts or emails or discussion groups, message boards chats
or phones. The cyber threats can be either direct or indirect threats which can be distressing
material. This might lead to the belief that the writer is upset emotionally or might have thoughts
of harming people or leading to committing suicide (Hinduja & Patchin, 2014).
The advancement of technology has made several things possible which were
unimaginable earlier. The progression of technology is equated with the advancement of human
societies. There have been several developments in human societies which have helped make
several advancements but there have been several negative happenings as well. Due to the
internet, there has been the existence of cyber-bullying which would not have been possible
earlier at the time there was no internet. The word “cyber-bullying” was not prevalent even
before a decade. The problem however has become immensely severe today. There is no need
for the cyber bullies to be strong or fast or best in any sense, it is enough for them to have access
to the internet and need to have some sort of a gadget to terrorize (Kowalski et al., 2014).
It is possible for anyone to become a cyber bully and such people usually do not posses
much worries regarding having face to face confrontations with the people whom they target.

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The double edged nature of the modern technology has led to the emergence and immense
growth of the concept of cyber bullying. This leads to severe psychological impacts on the
people who are targeted. There have been instances where people have been suffering from
depression. They have been situations where people have not been able to come out from their
homes into the open due to the negative impact it has made on them. The major victims of cyber
bullying are school children and kids who are targeted as an extension of their bullying in class.
Therefore it is necessary for the teachers to ensure that the negative implications of bullying are
nipped in the bud and it is discouraged vehemently in school. In order to stop such practices, it
needs to be ensured that the curriculum includes the negative impacts which cyber bullying can
have on children and their minds (Slonje, Smith & FriséN, 2013). It needs to be ensured that
there are holistic relations in the peer groups and also at schools and primary education
institutions to develop a proper level of awareness regarding the consequences of cyber-bullying.
The virtual interactions need not be considered as fantasy as it causes young people to remain
engaged with them.

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References:
Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2014). Bullying beyond the schoolyard: Preventing and
responding to cyberbullying. Corwin Press.
Kowalski, R. M., Giumetti, G. W., Schroeder, A. N., & Lattanner, M. R. (2014). Bullying in the
digital age: A critical review and meta-analysis of cyberbullying research among
youth. Psychological bulletin, 140(4), 1073.
Kowalski, R. M., Limber, S. P., Limber, S., & Agatston, P. W. (2012). Cyberbullying: Bullying
in the digital age. John Wiley & Sons.
Notar, C. E., Padgett, S., & Roden, J. (2013). Cyberbullying: A review of the
literature. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 1(1), 1-9.
Slonje, R., Smith, P. K., & FriséN, A. (2013). The nature of cyberbullying, and strategies for
prevention. Computers in human behavior, 29(1), 26-32.

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Part 2: Social Marketing Plan on “Cyber-bullying”
Situation Analysis:
It is considered that cyber-bullying is a severe issue which takes place in different
situations and different scenarios. The target public who are to be considered in this particular
assignment is that of the government bodies. In case the support of the government is attained for
the plan it will be possible to collect funds for raising awareness and its campaign in the different
places to be targeted. The media is one of the most useful tools in reaching the target public and
this is because of the reason that the media is very strong and the capability of the media to reach
out to the public is also very strong. The media personnel can help in providing information to
the victims specifically that there are methods of help which are available and this can be
employed in order to prevent the idea of cyber bullying.
The campaign of the social media is aimed at those people who are victims and who are
targeted by the cyber bullies. It is the major target of the campaign to inform these people that
help is available for them and also the fact that this proceeding can be stopped. This is necessary
because there are many victims who do not react to the effects of cyber bullying and hence suffer
from their consequences. This can be stopped by informing them how to get help at the time they
are targeted and at times when they feel alone.
The campaign also tries to put forward the information that the idea of cyber bullying
needs to be stopped and in order to facilitate this it needs to be understood by the individuals that
there are certain pre determined characteristics of cyber bullying which need to be identified and
stopped thereafter.

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Segmentation and targeting:
It is desirable that the market be segmented into specific areas which include those of
gender, education level, age group primarily. The target market here is majorly the children and
youth as there are most prone to the concept of cyber bullying. Therefore the major contact point
for the specific market is that of school and college children who are targeted with respect to the
idea of cyber-bullying.
Positioning and branding:
The positioning of the campaign is quite sensitive by nature. This is due to the fact that it
is possible for the people to feel disillusioned or afraid by the way in which they might be
approached. Therefore it is the duty of the people to ensure that the campaign be conducted in a
subtle and serious manner.
Stakeholder Analysis:
Key Stakeholders:
Parents:
The parents need to be involved in this program as it often happens due to the negligence
of the parents towards their children. Therefore it is to be ensured that the parents be made aware
of the harmful impacts of exposure to the internet of their children. In case the parents are not
made aware later on they have to suffer the repercussions of their negligence by means of
witnessing the sufferance of their children.

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School and college authorities and teachers:
It is the schools and colleges where the students spend a majority of their time. The
repercussions of cyber bullying on the school performance is also bound to be severe. Therefore
the teachers need to be made aware that in case they do not warn the children it will not be
possible for them to concentrate on their studies and focus on the important things in their life.
Victims:
They comprise the most important people who are being repeatedly bullied by different
categories of people. This is because the main aim of the plan is to help the sufferers and be of
importance to them.
Offer formulation:
Product:
The main aspect or product which is being actually sold in this particular context is that
of awareness and proper behaviour. This is done to ensure that the victims gradually reduce and
no one is harmed by the harmful behaviour of the evil doers.
Price:
There are several facets which can be considered in this particular regard. The situation
might be very sensitive as well as emotional for the victims.
Promotion:
The promotion will be conducted by means of the social media and other news networks
who agree to partner with the campaigners. This will help in reaching a wider range of people
very easily.

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Implementation:
The social media marketing plan will be conducted by means of social media and this
helps in the overall knowledge gain of the victims who are being hurt or ignored. There needs to
be an assurance and a reasoning provided to the victims that they will get help only in case they
come out in the open and in case they share their problems with the campaigners instead of
remaining in the dark about majority of situations.
Monitoring and evaluation:
The plan is to be monitored successfully and seen whether the means of advertisement
and campaigns are working or not. There needs to be a careful monitoring to ensure that victims
are reacting to the situation and they are coming out in the open. Only then will it be possible to
infer that the plan has been successfully implemented.

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Bibliography:
Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Harker, M., & Brennan, R. (2015). Marketing: an introduction.
Pearson Education.
Lee, N. R., & Kotler, P. (2015). Social marketing: Changing behaviors for good. Sage
Publications.
Lefebvre, R. C. (2013). Social marketing and social change: Strategies and tools for improving
health, well-being, and the environment. John Wiley & Sons.
Stelzner, M. (2014). 2014 Social Media Marketing Industry Report. Social media examiner, 1-
52.
Thackeray, R., Neiger, B. L., & Keller, H. (2012). Integrating social media and social marketing:
a four-step process. Health promotion practice, 13(2), 165-168.