GE1226/SS1012 Essay: Youth Phenomenon of Cyber Bullying at CityU

This essay examines cyber bullying as a significant youth phenomenon, exploring its definition, prevalence, and characteristics. It delves into the impact of cyber bullying on adolescents, highlighting its differences from traditional bullying, including its permanence and accessibility. The essay analyzes the phenomenon through the lens of social science theories and literature, providing a comprehensive understanding of the factors contributing to cyber bullying and its effects. It then proposes various policies and programs that society could implement to address cyber bullying, focusing on prevention, intervention, and support for victims. The essay also includes a discussion of the legal and regulatory frameworks related to bullying, offering insights into how society can protect youths from this modern-day challenge, providing references to relevant studies and literature.

Running head: YOUTH DEVELOPMENT 1
Youth Development
Name
Institution

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Introduction
Phenomenon is a fact that for a long time is believed to exist or to occur especially when
their explanation or cause is somehow controversial. A phenomenon also originates from the
Greek word phainein to shine, show, appear or manifest itself. It is also any other thing that
manifest itself. Phenomenon is widely but not usually understood as things that manifest
themselves for a responsive being. A phenomenon is an unusual circumstance or occurrence.
During 1950s, rock-n-roll was taken as a fresh cultural phenomenon, whilst today we
consider of crop circles as an enigmatic phenomenon.
Youth phenomenon is the manner in which adolescents live and the values, norms and
practices they share in common. Essentials of youth phenomenon include behaviours,
beliefs, drinking, interests and styles. Stress on popular music, clothes, vocabulary, and sports
distinguishes adolescents from other age sets, providing them with what some people believe
is a separate philosophy of their own. Within youth phenomena, there are many divergent and
continually changing youth characters. These norms, behaviours and values fluctuate broadly,
and can differ from the broad youth culture (Hinduja & Patchin, 2017). Understanding what
adolescents deliberate upon and engage is important to understanding the connection between
agency and structure, individual action and social pattern.
Phenomenon of youth
The youth and Cyber Bullying
Cyber bullying is a form bullying that usually takes place on digital devices such as
computers, tablets and mobile phones (Khan & Daniyal, 2018). Cyber bullying can take
place through Text, apps, SMS or forums and online in social media. Some people engage in
viewing contents posted by others. Cyber bullying involves sending or sharing harmful,

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posting of negative, mean content about somebody or when it’s false. It can comprise of
sharing private information or personal information about somebody causing humiliation or
embarrassment. Some form of cyber bullying surpasses the line into criminal or unlawful
behaviour. The most usual places where cyber bullying happens are social media; instagram,
Facebook, twitter, snap chat, SMS, Instant Message (via devices, apps, social media
messaging features and email provider services).
With the commonness of comments, digital forums, posts, social media, photos and
content shared by people can frequently be seen by outsiders as well as friends. The content a
person post online including their personal content, hurtful, mean or negative makes a kind of
lasting public record of their opinions, behaviour and activities. This public record may be
taken as an online reputation, which can be available to employers, colleges, schools, clubs,
and people researching on an individual currently or in the coming future (Harwood &
Johnston, 2016). Cyber bullying can damage the online characters of everybody involved; not
just the individual being bullied, but those responsible for participating in it or the bullying.
Most youths engage in cyber bullying and such cases have been reported weekly involving
most youths.
Cyber bullying has the following features:
Determined- Digital devices give a capability to continuously and immediately
communicate 24 hours a day, so it may be hard for youths facing cyber bullying to find relief.
Permanent - Most information transferred electronically is perpetual and unrestricted, if
not removed and reported in good time. A damaging online reputation, comprising of those
youths who bully, can affect their college admission, other areas of life such as employment
(Campbell et. al, 2012).

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Hard to Notice – Because parents and teachers may not hear or see cyber bullying
happening, so it is difficult to recognize.
Though the question that has been raised on cyber bullying being a phenomena is whether
it is overrated or not. Some scholars claim that numerous assertions about cyber bullying
created in the media and other places are really exaggerated and have slight empirical
scientific provision (Pabian & Vandebosch, 2016). Refuting these assertions, it turns out that
cyber bullying, when learned in appropriate context, is a low-prevalence phenomenon, which
has not rose up rapidly and has not formed many novel bullies and victims; youth and the
children who are not into some system of out-dated bullying (Sofo & Sofo, 2014). These
assumptions are grounded on two fairly huge samples of learners, students from USA and
those from Norway, both of which have data of time series for a period between four to five
years.
It is additionally claimed that the question of likely undesirable effects of cyber bullying
has not attracted much thoughtful research devotion and a couple of approaches for such
investigation are recommended along with some procedural recommendations (Kowalski,
Limber & Agatston, 2009). Lastly, it is commonly suggested that colleges direct best of their
anti-bullying energies to responding to traditional bullying, combined with a significant
system-level plan that is probably able to decrease the already low prevalence of cyber
bullying.
It is known that there are severe correlates for targets of old-fashioned bullying. These
have been exhibited to comprise of amplified levels of misery, psychosomatic signs and
anxiety, in addition to frequently serious bodily damage and sometimes suicide (McQuade,
Colt & Meyer, 2009). Intimidated youths also sense more unceremoniously unfertile and
have larger relational problems, composed with higher non-appearance from college and

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substandard academic ability (Mishna, 2012). In the evolving ground of cyber bullying many
scholars have ignored a better result and additionally dangerous outcomes for those involved
owing to the 24/7 outlook and the opportunity of the broader viewers with this system of
bullying. Nevertheless, up to date there is rare experiential indication to sustain this.
This training wanted to associate casualties' insights of the ruggedness and effect of
bullying by old-style and cyber means. The chief conclusions indicated that though learners
who had been involved by the old-fashioned bullying described that they stroked their
bullying was severer and harsher and had many effects on them including the students who
had been cyber bullied. The compares of their psychological health discovered that cyber
victims forwarded some of the social difficulties. The suggestions for school analysts and
mental health workforces are deliberated.
There seems to be some perceptual misunderstanding with respect to the extent and scope
of online bullying established on media information and a number of findings; several of
which are theoretically comprehensive and methodologically demanding and some of which
are not (Jimenez, 2010). In the following passage scholars share their findings from their
research and those of their peers to establish the real occurrence rates of cyber bullying.
They also portray a connection between online bullying and offline grounded on empirical
workings to be clear that those victimized in the real world and in cyberspace are not two
distinct people. Lastly, they campaign for the systemic method of improving the
demonstrative and interactive climate within colleges as the most favourable way to stem the
surge of teenage hostility.

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Analysis with reference to social sciences theories and/or literature
Models and theories help experts focus on what is variable and the most appropriate areas
or objectives for modification. A theory is an established idea of interconnected ideas,
descriptions, and proposals that shows a methodical opinion of actions or states by stipulating
relationship among variables, so as to elucidate and foresee the proceedings or situations. The
concept of generalization, or wide request, is significant. Perceptions assumed of as the
building hunks of theory or the basic rudiments (Ashford & LoCrey, 2009). A hypothesis is a
word used for an important notion in a theory. Lastly, a model is a widespread or theoretical
explanation used to analyse or clarify something.
Theories and models can be important in evaluating, planning and implementing
interventions (Garner & Hancock, 2014). Theories and models assist the program organisers
and scholars go beyond primary unalterable risk aspects (socioeconomic status and gender) to
response to why, what and how people can change their behaviour.
Models and theories can be utilised to direct the pursuit for the explanations as to why
many individuals do not heed to the advice given to them by the medical officers ensuing
public health and medical assistance, or not taking care of themselves in fit manner. They
may assist in choosing what they require to know before progressing and making an
intervention program. They can deliver vision into how you form program policies to
influence individuals and administrations and make an impression on them. They also help
someone recognize what ought to be checked, restrained and or related in the program
estimation.

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Laws, Policies & Regulations
Society and native lawmakers have taken a step to stop bullying and defend the youths.
For instance, each dominion, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories (state), discourses
bullying inversely. Some may come up with regulations, policies and laws to curb this vice
in order to protect the youths. Others have industrialized model rules schools and native
educational interventions they can use as they progress their own native laws, regulations and
policies. Most society regulations, rules and policies need the districts and the colleges to
establish a bullying course of action and rules to retort to bullying when it takes place. In
addition, states may discourse bullying, cyber bullying, and associated actions in a solo law
or crossways numerous laws. In some occasions, bullying appears in the illegal cypher of a
national that may relate to teenagers.
The U.S in December 2010, Subdivision of Education established a background of mutual
apparatuses established in state regulations, rules and laws absorbed on bullying during that
time. The outline was utilised to define how colleges were engaging in action to avoid and
reply to cyber bullying events within the school. The collective mechanisms rules which have
transformed over time comprise of explanations of bullying, essential features that are
frequently battered for bullying behaviours, and comprehensive necessities for school district
rules.

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References
Ashford, J., & LeCroy, C. (2009). Human Behavior in the Social Environment: A
Multidimensional Perspective. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning
Campbell, M. K., Spears, B., Slee, P., Butler, D., & Kift, S. (2012). Victims’ perceptions
of traditional and cyberbullying, and the psychosocial correlates of their
victimisation. Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, 17(3-4), 389-401.
doi:10.1080/13632752.2012.704316
Garner, R., & Hancock, B. H. (2014). Social Theory: Continuity and Confrontation: A
Reader, Third Edition. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Harwood, C., & Johnston, J. (2016). Positive Youth Development and Talent
Development. Positive Youth Development Through Sport, 113-125.
doi:10.4324/9781315709499-10
Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. (2017). Cultivating youth resilience to prevent bullying and
cyberbullying victimization. Child Abuse & Neglect, 73, 51-62.
doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.09.010
Jimenez, J. (2010). Social Policy and Social Change: Toward the Creation of Social and
Economic Justice. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Khan, D., & Daniyal, M. (2018). Cyber Bullying in Pakistan: Statistical, Legislative, and
Social Analysis. doi:10.20944/preprints201804.0102.v1
Kowalski, R. M., Limber, S. P., & Agatston, P. W. (2009). Cyber Bullying: Bullying in the
Digital Age. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
McQuade, S. C., Colt, J. P., & Meyer, N. B. (2009). Cyber Bullying: Protecting Kids and
Adults from Online Bullies. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO
Mishna, F. (2012). Cyber Bullying in a Cyber World. Bullying, 73-86.
doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199795406.003.0015

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Pabian, S., & Vandebosch, H. (2016). (Cyber) bullying Perpetration as an Impulsive,
Angry Reaction Following (Cyber) bullying Victimisation? Youth 2.0: Social Media and
Adolescence, 193-209. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-27893-3_11
Sofo, M. M., & Sofo, F. (2014). Social Networking, Cyber Bullying, and the Role of
Community Education. Cyber Behavior, 164-180. doi:10.4018/978-1-4666-5942-1.ch010

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