Cyber Bullying: Understanding Causes, Effects, and Prevention Methods

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of cyber bullying, defining it as the use of electronic media to harass or intimidate individuals. It delves into the various causes of cyber bullying, including the desire for power, revenge, and boredom, while also highlighting the severe psychological and physical effects on victims, such as anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts. The essay further explores the prevalence of cyber bullying in various settings, including schools, workplaces, and online platforms. It emphasizes the need for stricter measures to combat this menace, including legislation, regulatory committees, and educational initiatives. The importance of support from family, friends, and the community in helping victims recover is also highlighted. The essay concludes by advocating for a collective effort to address the issue and promote a safer online environment.

Running head: CYBER BULLYING
Cyber Bullying
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

1CYBER BULLYING
“Knowing what's right doesn't mean much unless you do what's right.”
The above quoted lines of Theodore Roosevelt clearly indicates the stance which the
people should take against the various instances of bullying which has become a common
part of modern society. Bullying can be defined as the unwanted as well as the aggressive use
of superior force or power in order to suppress or intimidate an individual or to stop them
from doing a particular thing (Kowalski et al., 2012). A new form of bullying which is
inflicting the world at the present moment is the form of cyber bullying (Hinduja & Patchin,
2014). This essay intents to shed light on the concept of cyber bullying, the various causes of
it, its effects and the steps which can be taken to minimize the menace of cyber bullying.
Cyber harassment or cyber bullying can be defined as the form of bullying or
harassment which entails with the use of the electronic media (Kowalski et al., 2012). It is to
be noted that the present generation depends on the various kinds of electronic media for
diverse purposes like communicating, socializing and others (StopBullying.gov, 2018). It is
to be noted that the victims of cyber bullying are not only the teenagers but also the various
adults. In addition to bullying at schools, colleges and various electronic platforms workplace
bullying is also a common phenomenon which the majority of the people face. It is to be
noted that with the rise in the use of the various social platforms the incidents of cyber
bullying is on the rise (Hinduja & Patchin, 2014). According to an estimate around 33% of
the kids in the age bracket of 13-18 are subjected to incidents of cyber and among them
around 71% of these kids are victims of repeated incidents of cyber bullying (Forbes
Welcome, 2018). It is to be noted around 62% of the people in the workplace are subjected to
incidents of workplace bullying over the various electronic media channels (Forbes
Welcome, 2018). According to a statistics provided by the “2014 General Social Survey on
Canadians' Safety”, in Canada “17% of Internet users in this age group said they had been
victims of cyberstalking or cyberbullying in the previous five years. Nearly 100% of youth

2CYBER BULLYING
aged 15 to 29 were Internet users during that period” (Statcan.gc.ca, 2018). Another
interesting fact to note is that “More than one-third were cyberbullied or cyberstalked,
compared with 15% of the heterosexual population” (Statcan.gc.ca, 2018). There are several
factors which have given rise to the various incidents of cyber bullying in the recent times.
The primary reason is the desire of the individuals to assert their power as well as influence
over others (Cyberbullying Research Center - How to Identify, Prevent, and Respond, 2018).
It is to be noted that the researchers believe that the various perpetrator of cyber bullying are
looking to get rid of their boredom by indulging in incidents of bullying which gives a feeling
of pseudo-power over the other individuals. Another cause for the various incidents of cyber
bullying is the revenge factor (Cyberbullying Research Center - How to Identify, Prevent,
and Respond, 2018). It is to be noted that the majority of the incidents of cyber bullying are
motivated by the factor of revenge. It is normally seen that a common mentality of the
perpetrators of the incidents of cyber bullying is the fact that the others are indulging in the
various incidents of cyber bullying so they also need to indulge in those instances and thus
they resort to such activities. Another common reason is the fact that the various perpetrators
of the incidents of cyber bullying believe that the victims deserve the kind of treatment which
they are getting at the hands of the perpetrators (Hinduja & Patchin, 2014).
It is to be noted that the perpetrators of the various incidents of bullying consider the
activities of theirs to be funny and as a means to pass their boredom (Schneider et al., 2012).
However, as the real life instances and the various researches suggest the various acts of
cyber bullying can have severe consequences on the victims. The various acts of bullying not
only impact the confidence level of the victims but also affect the psychology of the
psychology of the victims (Weale, 2018). In severe cases, the victims even become suicidal
and develop various kinds of phobias (Weale, 2018). In some cases, the victims even become
absent minded and the incidents start taking a toll on the psychology as well as the physical

3CYBER BULLYING
well being of the victims. In some severe cases, the victims become too scared to even leave
their home or to take the help of the various forms of social media or other electronic
platforms (Schneider et al., 2012). It is to be noted that the majority of the incidents related to
cyber bullying go unnoticed as the victims do not feel comfortable to complain about the
incidents of bullying to the authorities or even to their own family members.
It is to be noted that the increase in the number of the various cases of cyber bullying
calls for stricter measures against this particular menace. The various nations of the world in
order to counteract the menace of cyber bullying have taken activate initiative to curb the
evil. Some of the countries have even passed legislations making cyber bullying a criminal
offense (Cyberbullying Research Center - How to Identify, Prevent, and Respond, 2018). It is
to be noted that the various nations of the world have even set up regulatory committees
which monitor the instances of the cyber bullying and try to remedy the issues
(StopBullying.gov, 2018). In addition to this, the various schools as well as colleges give
regular workshops on the concept of cyber bullying and try to make the students aware about
the various forms of cyber bullying and help them to report these instances of cyber bullying
to the authorities (StopBullying.gov, 2018). These schools as well as colleges also help the
students to overcome the various instances of cyber bullying and seek remedial help. It is to
be noted that in addition to all these the active support as well as the co-operation of the
parents, family members and friends also play a significant role to help the victims recover
from the instances of cyber bullying (Cénat et al., 2014).
The words of the author Germany Kent are significant to note in this particular
context “There's no room for hate and violence in this world. We must learn to be more kind,
compassionate, empathetic, and sympathetic to humanity”. Therefore, the various
organizations as well as the individuals should realize the harm which the menace of cyber

4CYBER BULLYING
bullying is causing to the people and try to take measures to control the menace of cyber
bullying.
Therefore, from the above discussion it becomes apparent that cyber bullying is one
of the most significant problems which the world is facing at the moment. This particular
menace not only affects the psychology of the victims but often affects the physical well-
being of the victims concerned. The various governmental organizations as well as the private
organizations have taken several steps to curb the menace however the active cooperation of
everyone is necessary to control the menace. It is to be noted that the active support of the
family members as well as friends also plays a significant role in enabling the victims of the
various attacks of cyber bullying.

5CYBER BULLYING
References
The Daily — Study: Cyberbullying and cyberstalking among Internet users aged 15 to 29 in
Canada. (2018). Statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 20 March 2018, from
https://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/161219/dq161219a-eng.htm
Weale, S. (2018). Counselling for cyberbullying has doubled in five years – children's
charity. the Guardian. Retrieved 20 March 2018, from
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/nov/13/counselling-for-cyberbullying-has-
doubled-in-five-years-childrens-charity
Cyberbullying Research Center - How to Identify, Prevent, and Respond.
(2018). Cyberbullying Research Center. Retrieved 20 March 2018, from
https://cyberbullying.org/
Kowalski, R. M., Limber, S. P., Limber, S., & Agatston, P. W. (2012). Cyberbullying:
Bullying in the digital age. John Wiley & Sons.
Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2014). Bullying beyond the schoolyard: Preventing and
responding to cyberbullying. Corwin Press.
Schneider, S. K., O'donnell, L., Stueve, A., & Coulter, R. W. (2012). Cyberbullying, school
bullying, and psychological distress: A regional census of high school
students. American journal of public health, 102(1), 171-177.
Cénat, J. M., Hébert, M., Blais, M., Lavoie, F., Guerrier, M., & Derivois, D. (2014).
Cyberbullying, psychological distress and self-esteem among youth in Quebec
schools. Journal of affective disorders, 169, 7-9.

6CYBER BULLYING
Forbes Welcome. (2018). Forbes.com. Retrieved 20 March 2018, from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2017/03/14/cyberbullying-among-teens-
prevalence-impact-and-the-path-forward/#12f38467189e
What Is Cyberbullying. (2018). StopBullying.gov. Retrieved 20 March 2018, from
https://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/what-is-it/index.html