Bullying takes many forms. Categories of bullying include physical, mental, verbal, and now - with the increasing use of technology and, in particular, the Internet - cyberbullying.
Cyberbullying involves abusing another person through the use of technology and is most common among young people. Prank calls can be made from mobile phones, hurtful messages sent by e-mail and social media can be used as a platform for posting nasty images of other people (known as denigration) or hacking into their online accounts (informally known as 'fraping').
Due to the large variety of methods and ease of access, cyberbullying is now the most popular form of bullying in the UK. [The Telegraph, 2009]
But why?
It has always been said that bullies are cowards, showering those who they see as weaker than themselves with nasty comments, all due to their own insecurities. And with cyberbullying - never has that statement been more true.
Cyberbullies are hidden by an online persona. This means that they are not only anonymous to their victims, but they can also avoid gaining any witnesses. It takes someone very brave to abuse someone face-to-face infront of a crowd of people, all of whom hold the power to report the incident to somebody senior, like a school headmaster. When online - this is not a risk. The number of witnesses can be in its millions, but with the identity of the attacker hidden, no one is any the wiser.
It can cause a great deal of anxiety to the victim when their bully is anonymous as it also means that they may be unable to identify why the person is attacking them, where they are and if it is a gang of people or one person. It also makes it very difficult for the victim to report the bullying to a friend, family member, teacher etc., as there are no names or faces to act upon.
Cyberbullies can still hold a strong power over their victims even if their identity is known. In a school scenario, members of staff can keep an eye on the named bully during school hours, but they cannot prevent them from accessing their phone or computer when they are at home. Young victims may hold a fear of telling their parents about the bullying incidents in case their parents remove or begin to monitor their access to their computer or mobile phone.
This video is a great example of the variety of media that can be adopted for cyberbullying:
In my view, people with a history of cyberbullying should have their Internet usage, both in school/at work and at home, closely monitored for a certain period of time afterwards.
Social media sites have made it a lot easier for cyberbullies to target their victims, so, to cancel out that fact, they should be making it much easier for victims to report their bullies.
The following website will be useful for anyone seeking help and advice on cyberbullying:
Online Video DarkMetalSkies. 2011.Cyberbullying: A real issue around teens [online video] 19 March. Available from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB2t6jnELZo [Accessed on 7 March 2012]
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