Cyber Bullying and Social Work Practice

Cyber Bullying and Social Work Practice

The Issue of Cyber Bullying

The phenomenon of bullying is increasingly common among young people. The victims and perpetrators are often classmates, who were the focus of acts of serious physical and psychological violence. The acts of bullying in schools have also been recorded several times on media. The fact is that schools are appearing more often in the media and this section of education is of serious concern to all members of the educational community. Indeed, violence in schools seems to have a great capacity to attract public attention which is an alarming situation for overall society. The longer the bullying persists the more difficult is to find a solution and the more reliable the physical or mental impairment of the affected children and adults. This paper will focus on the bullying at school, for example, the bullying of teachers towards pupils and vice versa (Olweus, 2006).

One in four students, elementary through high school, a victim of violence and bullying. Only 1 in 3 students harassed can report it. The locations of the attacks are not so much class that is when the teacher can control the situation but rather in the playground, in hallways or in the classroom when the teacher is not, and attention, leaving the institute. 

Background and Overview of the Problem

The Johnson High School located in the Florida, USA has been facing the issue of school bullying from the last two years. Due to such inappropriate behavior practices at school, the school has been criticized by the various human right and civil organizations. Cyber bullying at this school is an attempt that is conducted frequently with a child or adolescent, in order to frighten, intimidate, and humiliate another child or teenager through cyber or internet technology.

Ryan Patrick Halligan was a typical 13-year-old boy who was trying to make his way through the troubling adolescent years. He had encountered on-again, off-again bullying problems since about the fifth grade. As a result, the bullying and cyber bullying got so intense that Ryan began discussing his suicide plans with others online. In October 2011, while Ryan's father was away on business and everybody else in the house was sleeping, he hanged himself in the family's bathroom. Following his death, using a computer program, Ryan's father was able to obtain the transcripts of some of his online conversations. In addition to the nonstop online bullying, there were conversations with other students in which suicide was encouraged. Despite a loving and supportive family, Ryan's online social life ended up causing his death.

School and District Practice and Policies to Control Bullying At School

Code of Conduct

Students should have the courage to contact a person who can help like teachers, school psychologists, parents, friends, outsiders, and counseling center. Many victims feel ashamed that they are bullied and suffer in silence. However, it is important that they trust adults to whom they can tell about the bullying incidents. The contact with people exposed to the Internet can help students ...