Cyberbullying has become a particularly menacing issue that affects a large part of the population. While bullying is mostly associated with young people and students, older people can also get cyberbullied in the workplace. The internet has provided a new platform where bullies can upset and intimidate other people. The anonymity provided by the internet gives a platform for bullies to have the courage to intimidate others. This can happen even when one would not normally bully others in their daily life. Cyberbullying is caused by revenge motives and the feeling that the victim deserves it and results in negative psychological, emotional, and mental effects.
Causes of cyberbullying
One of the leading causes of cyberbullying is the pursuit of revenge. There is a predisposition for people that have been victims of bullying or harassment in the past to find a way to strike back. They feel justified in their actions because they have been anguished and stressed in the past. They feel a sense of relief by making others experience what they did. Their main targets are thus people who they consider weaker and more susceptible to them (Zalaquett and Chatters, 2014). The anonymity by the internet hides the identity of cyber bullies and makes it easy for them to carry out their revenge.
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People can cyberbully others if they feel that the victim is mean or is of a higher social status. These reasons make the bully believe that the victim is deserving of their attacks. For instance, if someone is perceived to be mean to others, people may choose to bully them to retaliate their meanness. People may also find the victim that is bullied deserving if they happen to be in a better social status. A mean child may choose to cyberbully another that excels academically because they find the child a higher status than them.
Effects of cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is associated with negative behavioral, psychological, and emotional outcomes. The mental effects of cyberbullying vary depending on the victim and can include embarrassment, sadness, decreased self-esteem, and anxiety (Wright, 2018). The bullied person will experience low self-esteem as they find it difficult to face their tormentor or interact with other kids. In adverse situations, people that get bullied can experience high stress leading complicated health situations.
Cyberbullying on social media is highly linked to depression among teenagers. Research on the associations of cyberbullying and suicide by Bauman show that Cyberbullying is linked to depression that ultimately transforms to suicide (2013). There have been a series of high-profile suicides among teenagers in the past few years that has been associated with cyberbullying on various social networks. Unlike traditional bullying where one could easily escape the wrath of their tormentors, victims of cyberbullying find it difficult to find a way out. This leads to prolonged depression and several other mental disorders. The result of prolonged depression is that one can ultimately choose to take their own life.
Cyberbullying has become one of the most committed criminal activities among young people and little children. The increased use and developments in technology have made it difficult to handle the issue. People that have been bullied in the past or think that others deserve to be bullied may cyberbully others. The effects of cyberbullying vary from behavioral, psychological, to emotional. While some have the strength to confront their bullies, others can react very badly and choose to take their own life.
References
Bauman, S., Toomey, R. B., & Walker, J. L. (2013). Associations among bullying, cyberbullying, and suicide in high school students. Journal of Adolescence , 36 (2), 341-350.
Wright, M. F. (2018). The Nature, Extent, Causes, and Consequences of Cyberbullying. In Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Fourth Edition (pp. 1723-1733). IGI Global.
Zalaquett, C. P., & Chatters, S. J. (2014). Cyberbullying in college: Frequency, characteristics, and practical implications. Sage Open , 4 (1), 2158244014526721.
