Ellie Schwoebel and Kayleigh Hurley

Educ. 225 Research Paper

February 28, 2016

Cyberbullying In and Out of the Classroom

Cyberbullying is a form of harassment that takes place on any form of social media.
Although cyberbullying does not occur in face to face confrontation, the emotional and
psychological effects it can have on an individual can be just as detrimental as confrontational
bullying. The effects of this relatively new form of bullying is now being seen not only in a
school setting, but also at home.
The differences between cyberbullying and confrontational bullying is that
confrontational bullying usually occurs only when kids are around one another. Cyberbullying
can happen at any time, regardless of the time of day, because none of it has to occur while kids
are together. With the continuous increase of technological advances, cyberbullying has
increasingly become a more prominent issue, as kids are able to navigate their way through just
about any website online. Due to this increase of cyberbullying, children no longer have a safe
place to escape the bullies because it can now follow them anywhere they go.
Over the last ten years, many studies have been done, proving that cyberbullying is a real
problem in todays society. According to the National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau
of Justice Statistics, between 2008 and 2009 about 6% of students in grades 6-12 had
experienced cyberbullying. Since then, a recorded 34% of students say that they have
experienced cyberbullying at some point during their lifetime (Patchin). Throughout these past
seven years, there has been a drastic increase in the percentage of students who experience

cyberbullying. Out of all of the students that have been surveyed about cyberbullying, 42% of
them say that they have been bullied online, and about one in every four of these kids say that
they have been cyberbullied more than once (Adams).
There is also a significant difference between males and females that experience bullying
online. Justin Patchin, discovered that 40.6% of adolescent girls experience some type of
cyberbullying, verses 28.2% of adolescent boys. It had been found that girls are more likely to
post mean comments about each other, whereas boys are more likely to post hurtful pictures and
videos (Patchin). These statistics show that online bullying has become much more of an issue
for young adults and children in the world today.
Any type of bullying can have a major impact on how students act in the school setting,
especially when it comes to cyberbullying because it isnt always as obvious. Students who
experience cyberbullying might often try to avoid teachers, staff, or even other students. If the
cyberbullying becomes bad enough, students might even try to avoid going to school altogether.
Students tend to lose focus on school work and on their education when they are stressed about
people bullying them or judging them. This is why students who are experiencing any form of
bullying may experience a drastic drop in their grades.
Many states currently dont have any laws on cyberbullying in schools. Schools are
struggling to create policies that deal with cyberbullying and the use of cell phones at schools.
Experts say banning technology is not the answer, but rather teaching kids to be good digital
citizens. When schools adopt codes of conduct, they should apply to activity in or out of school
and set the consequences up front (Adams). Out of all 50 states, only 34 states have laws
passed against cyberbullying. Cyberbullying should be illegal in all 50 states in order to be able
to control and stop this issue.

There have been few actions taken to stop bullying mainly because many people dont
know how to stop it, causing them to become bystanders in these situations. A bystander is a
person who is present at an event or incident where bullying is taking place. A bystander can
even be a person who knowns that some form of bullying is happening, but they do not take part
in attempting to stop the incident. Bystanders allow the bully to think that their actions are okay
because they dont say anything, stop them, or stand up against the wrong actions of the bully.
Bullying stops when the bystanders speak up. Encourage bystanders to refuse to pass along
cyberbullying messages. Or they could add to wall post this is not cool when they see
something inappropriate (Adams). Whether it be in or out of school, anyone who witnesses
some sort of bullying should take a stance against it and speak out to try and stop it.
Cyberbullying is often brought into the home life as well. This is because cyberbullying
can be taken anywhere that there are electronic devices. Many kids that deal with cyberbullying
go through feelings of not being safe in their own home. Kids often isolate themselves from
their own family and close friends, therefore creating a hard environment to receive any form of
help. Dr. Caudle from American Osteopathic Association expressed that The home should be a
safe place where open discussion is not only allowed, but invited. Often, bullying is a cry for
help and can usually be traced to a time when the bully was in fact a victim of this type of
behavior. (Cyber-Bullying). By encouraging open and honest discussion amongst families on
this type of bullying, harmful mental health issues such as unhappiness, loneliness, depression,
anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts can be avoided, prevented, and/or helped.
Since cyberbullying and bullying have become such a relevant and controversial issue in
both the school and home setting, there are many resources that have become available for
people who are seeking extra help. Talking to parents/guardians is one of the first steps to take

when cyberbullying becomes an issue. Other people that are equipped with the proper training
and resources to help deal with these types of bullying are guidance counselors, teachers, and
psychologists. There are also numerous counseling centers and support groups that are available
for people who deal with these problems. Carlee Adams, the author of Cyberbullying: What
Teachers and Schools Can Do, suggested to parents to let their kids know that they are willing
and want to help if ever these problems occur (Adams). By doing this, kids know that there are
people who are advocating for them and are willing to do whatever it takes for them to get better.
Cyberbullying is a real and serious problem in the world today, and it can happen to
anyone. With the continual advances that are being made in technology, cyberbullying has the
potential to persist as a serious issue affecting the wellbeing of todays adolescence. This is why
cyberbullying may be considered one the scariest types of bullying, because people can never be
sure as to who is behind the screen, who they are talking to, and who they can trust.

Work Cited:
Adams, Caralee. "Cyberbullying: What Teachers and Schools Can Do." Scholastics Inc., 2016.
Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
"Cyberbullying." American SPCC, 2016. Web. 1 Mar. 2016.
"Cyber-Bullying and Its Effect on Our Youth." Cyber-Bullying and Its Effect on Our Youth. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.
Patchin, Justin W. "2015 Cyberbullying Data." Cyberbullying Research Center. N.p., 1 May
2015. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.