Cyberbullying

Considering the arguments in the book were confusing, quite similar, and didn't do a lot to support either argument, I am going to purposefully get a little off-track during this post. I think the first thing we need to look at is exactly what people consider cyberbullying. I think people have different understandings of what cyberbullying is, which can skew the survey results. Some may not report a one-time, minimally hurtful text as cyberbullying, while another may. Some people take more offense to bullying while others can ignore it or brush it off and move on. Furthermore, way less than half of those people bullied online have had it happen more than once. For instance, a study shows 42% of kids have been bullied online, but only 25% of those (around 10% of all those bullied online) have been bullied more than once. While being bullied once can cause significant damage to someone, I think its those who get bullied/are bullying repeatedly that need to be focused on. I believe a lot of that one-time bullying can just be contributed to the naivety of kids...they don't realize what harm they're causing and simply partake under peer pressure to fit in, or because it's the "cool thing to do." Some kids may need to experience bullying before they realize the effects it can have. Just like some people liberally say things such as "that's gay" until they have a friend that is gay or someone confronts them.

I think one of the biggest concerns is that school-aged children don't report a lot of bullying. Children may fear the adult will not be supportive, or they may fear that their bully will find out and matters will only get worse. A read an article where many children didn't report cyberbullying to their parents in fear that technology such as phones and the internet would be taken away from them as a parent's way to provide protection. Parents, teachers, and adults in general must do a better job of communicating how they can help those who are being bullied while understanding that children may fear the consequences of telling an adult about bullying.

Finally, I think it's important to know that cyberbullying doesn't just happen in elementary and high school. Although the studies we read about showed that cyberbullying was the worst in middle school and began to decline in high school, cyberbullying continues throughout a person's lifetime. Workplace cyberbullying is common, as competitors or co-workers may try to bash a reputation, product, idea, etc. Even in a workplace there must be a "safe space" or trusted individual who is prepared to deal with cyberbullying issues.

So whether men or women bully more, get bullied more, are subject to one type over another...all that is important right now is that people are becoming more aware of what is going on, adults are providing a support system for those who are bullied, and preventative measures are taken.

1) Have you personally been cyberbullied or know someone who has? If you are willing to share, can you describe what went on and what effect it had on the person being bullied?

2) What can schools do to help prevent bullying or to offer more support? Do you think ad campaigns or educational materials help?