CYBER BULLYING

Cyber bullying

Cyber bullying

Introduction

The growing availability, use of and reliance on information and communications technology (ICT) among young people (Smith et al., 2008), has been accompanied by the potential for such technologies to be misused to bully others; a type of aggression termed 'cyber bullying' (Smith et al., 2008). Cyber bullying includes, but is not limited to, mean, nasty or threatening text messages/instant messages/pictures/video clips/emails that are sent directly to a person through the Internet or mobile phone, or sent to others about that person. Cyber bullying is also when such content about a person is publicly posted on the Internet through blogs or social networking sites.

Cyber bullying can also include deliberately ignoring or leaving someone out of things over the Internet, stealing or distributing passwords or personal information, pretending to be someone else online to hurt another person or to damage their friendships or social status, and harassing others through multi-user-domain (MUD) gaming rooms (Patchin & Hinduja, 2006). Whilst cyber bullying has attracted much media attention, there is a paucity of empirical research in the area, particularly regarding how to intervene to reduce cyber bullying amongst young people (Smith et al., 2008). Hence, to address this behavior many have drawn on what is known about effective approaches to deal with face-to-face (non cyber) bullying (& Cross, 2009).

Bullying victimization and perpetration experienced by school-aged students is now recognized as an increasingly covert and complex phenomenon (Cross et al., 2009). Students who are bullied often suffer immediate harm and distress as well as negative long-term mental and physical (Karstadt, 2001) health outcomes. Bullying others is also associated with negative mental health outcomes, as well as a greater risk of delinquent behavior (Hirasing, 2003) including increased alcohol (Hemphill et al., 2011), substance use and violence (Farrington & Ttofi, 2011).

The rates of cyber bullying vary considerably largely due to a lack of theoretical clarification and standardized.

Although the prevalence rates of cyber bullying appear to be relatively low, the potential harm associated with being cyber bullied raises particular concern. The anonymity of the perpetrator and possible isolation of the target, as well as the potential for cyber bullying to reach an infinite audience (e.g., wide circulation of picture/video clip bullying), may also contribute to more harm experienced from cyber bullying (Slonje & Smith, 2008). Moreover, young people may feel they cannot escape the bullying situation due to potentially unlimited access to the Internet and mobile phones which appears to inflict harm, embarrassment and other psychological and social consequences on a much broader scale (Snider & Borel, 2004). Additionally, there is a notable lack of authority and supervision of young people in cyberspace. Due to the 'digital divide' between parents and their children who study, work and interact in fundamentally different ways than their parents did as adolescents (Palfrey& Gasser, 2008), many parents may feel unable to monitor or help their children online.

Reviews of school-based bullying programs suggest single-level programs are unlikely to provide an effective solution due to the systemic and complex ...