There was a time when kids dreaded coming to school to face the playground bully, lunch money bully, the school bus bully, etc. Now kids dread even waking up for fear of the other kids attacking them on the internet. This latest form of bullying has come to be known as cyberbullying and in recent years has become the source of some student's reasons to commit suicide.
The Meaning of Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying entails the involvement of children, preteens, and teens , in the commission of the act of threatening, harrassing, humiliating, embarrassing and targeting another person (child, preteen, or teen) through the use of digital, internet or other interactive technology such as mobile devices/cell phones.
Cyberbullying and Suicide
In some cases, cyberbullying is believed to have been the leading factor of teenage suicide cases. According to ABC News and Good Morning America, a fifteen-year old student in Massachusettes committed suicide in January of 2010 after being the victim of cyberbullying. Internet Safety Expert and Privacy Lawyer, Parry Aftab said it best when comparing schoolyard bullying to cyberbullying: "The schoolyard bully beats you up then goes home, whereas, the cyberbully beats you up at home, your grandparent's home, and anywhere you're connected to technology".
In the past eight years, there have been several suicides linked to cyberbullying, including: 13 year old Megan Meier of Missouri who killed herself after being harrassed online by the mother of a former friend; 13 year old Ryan Hulligan of Vermont hung himself after being cyber bullied; a 9 year old in Lewisville, Texas hung himself recently at his elementary school and 11 year old Carl Walker-Hoover of Springfield, Mass. hung himself after being harrassed and called gay.
Forty-one states have taken anti-bullying measures and out of those staes, 23 of them have specific laws against cyberbullying. Unfortunately, Massachusetts is not one of the states as of yet to enact anti-bullying laws.
Cyberbullying and Accountability
Is an apology to the cyberbully victim enough? if you're a parent of a victim who's been harrassed and tortured in cyberspace to the point of depression or even suicide, it can be assumed that an apology is not enough. Many states have taken a stand against cyberbullying because it has gone too far and enough is enough. One lawyer and father of a cyberbully victim filed suit against three girls in Texas who had been harrassing his daughter. He took several measures including sending cease and desist letters to their homes and sending the youtube video the girls created threatening his daughter, to school officials. It seemed that the parents of the three girls felt that apologies to the school principal was enough, however, there was no mention of apologies to the victim or the victim's family. When parents of cyberbullies or any kind of bully don't take action against their children's behavior, it sends a message to their children and other cyberbullies, that they don't have to worry about being held accountable. But where does the buck stop?
In Greater Bendigo, one young man rallied and encouraged the parents in the community to take a stand and help send a message that cyberbullying is unacceptable. He was prompted to create a Safe Community Forum that teaches people how to use social media responsibly. His idea of a Safe Community Forum was inspired by the recent reports on cyberbullying.
Safety Expert Parry Aftab recommends to victims of cyberbullying to use the "Stop, Block and Tell" tactic. To curtail cyberbullying, it starts with the victim making the choice to "stop" reading the harrassing messages, then taking every measure to "block" the cyberbullies from their computer and most importantly, "Tell" someone in a position of authority such as a school principal, parents, etc. who can help do something about it.
Sources:
ABC/Good Morning America, Mean Girls: Teen Suicide Calls Attention to Cyberbullying, Accessed June 17, 2011
Bendigo Advertiser, Responsibility Needed: Reade Calls for Stand Against Cyberbullying, Accessed June 17, 2011
Fox 26 News, Suit Over Alleged Cyber Threats Against Texas Girl, Accessed June 17, 2011
www.stopcyberbullying.org , What is Cyberbullying? Accessed June 17, 2011
Demetria Head - Demetria Head is a Contributing Writer in Detroit, Michigan. Her areas of expertise include Health and Wellness, Visual and Performing ...
