The Nature and Impact of Cyberbullying in Adolescents

Bullying is an unfortunate occurrence that is both practiced and experienced

by millions of students worldwide. Students who once thought they were safe of the

terrors of bullying once the school bell rang, are now being subjected to an entirely

new realm of bullying. With the rapid new development and use of technologies such

as the Internet and cell phones, the bullying environment has dramatically increased.

“Bullying” in the general sense, can be thought of as, “an aggressive, intentional act

or behavior that is carried out by a group or an individual repeatedly and over time

against a victim who can not easily defend him or herself” (Smith, et. al., 2008). Now

with the technological advancements present in today’s society, a new category of

bullying known as “cyberbullying” has developed. “Cyberbullying” refers to

“bullying via electronic communication tools such as email, cell phone, Personal

Digital Assistant, instant messaging or the World Wide Web” (Li, 2008). This new

type of bullying that extends from the school yard and into the home has been a target

of concern among parents and teachers as the penetration of computers and cell

phones has deepened into the lives of our youth. There are concerns about how and

why students are using technological resources to harass one another. This paper will

determine the participants of cyberbullying, address those concerns, and offer

possible methods to solve this problem.

As a result of the endless capabilities that technology provides, cyberbullying

occurs in multiple forms. Students use various Internet forums to post material about

a person that contains sensitive, private, or embarrassing information (Li, 2008). They

also use Internet identities known as “screen names” to pose as someone else and post

material that makes that person look bad (Li, 2008). Harassment via cyberbullying

takes place by repeatedly sending offensive messages via email or other text
messaging to a person (Li, 2008). Additionally, students are sending angry, rude,

vulgar messages about a person to an online group or to that person directly (Li,

2008). Needless to say, the most prevalent forms of bullying online involve name-

calling or insults as well as password theft in order to succeed in pretending to be

someone else (Juvonen & Gross, 2008). According to an anonymous web-based

survey that was conducted with one thousand four hundred fifty-four 12-17 year old

youth in the U.S., e-mail and IM (instant messenger) were the most frequent

communication tools through which cyberbullying occurred (Juvonen & Gross,

2008). Although e-mail and IM are the most popular resources, more than half of the

sample reported involvement of profile sits, blogs, text messaging, chat rooms,

message boards, and web cams as mediums through which cyberbullying occurred

(Juvonen & Gross, 2008). The various forms of cyberbullying in conjunction with the

endless amount of resources with which to implement these bullying tactics, it seems

as though students are pressed to find a safe place within our technologically

advanced society.

Adolescence is a period of abrupt biological and social change. As a result,

participation in activities that can change and affect the status of the young individual

is inevitable. In the same web-based survey mentioned previously, it was found that

72% of the youth sampled experienced one incident of bullying in cyberspace within

the past year (Juvonen & Gross, 2008). Additionally, a comparison survey revealed

that 85% of the respondents who reported experiencing at least one incident of

cyberbullying within the past school year also reported experiencing one incident (of

traditional bullying) in school within the past year (Juvonen & Gross, 2008). A look

at age and gender within this study reveals that 15-17 year olds and girls were

significantly more frequent users of e-mail, profile sites, blogs, and cell phones than
were 12-14 year olds and boys (Juvonen & Gross, 2008). This gender difference can

be attributed to the nature of behavior patterns in boys and girls in that boys are

usually more physical when dealing with a problem whereas girls tend to hold

grudges (Smith et. al., 2008). Also, Internet use becomes more frequent with age

increasing the chances of exposure to cyberbullying, Obviously, the greater the

student participation in technology resources, especially mediums such as IM and

Webcams, the increased likelihood that the student will become victim to repeated

cyberbullying (Juvonen & Gross, 2008). Therefore, age, gender, reported school-

based bullying experiences, and the amount of Internet use, all play significant roles

in the cyberbullying population.

It is difficult to understand the motivations behind anyone who would

intentionally desire to harass another. Cyberbullying provides multiple “incentives”

for student participation that traditional bullying lacks. Cyberspace presents an

environment for those adolescents that may lack the courage to make a statement in a

face-to-face situation but still desire to have their voice heard. The element of

anonymity that can be accomplished on the Internet provides an opportunity for

students to eliminate the fear of getting caught while also trying to accomplish their

goal (Smith, et. al., 2008). These elements of cyberbullying may be attributed to the

Ybarra and Mitchell hypothesis, which suggests that traditional bully victims also

tend to be cyberbullies (Smith et. al., 2008). In a focus group study of 47 students

(boys and girls) aged 11-15 years, comments were offered supporting these

motivations, “people are too scared to do stuff face to face” (Smith, et. al., 2008).

However, comments were also made that support the typical nature of adolescents as

the focus group suggested that “they just got bored and were entertaining themselves”

(Smith, et. al., 2008). Whatever the reasoning, cyberbullying has provided a method
by which anyone can inflict harmful messages upon another.

It was difficult when researching this topic to determine which data to use to

represent the student population that is involved in cyberbullying. I decided to use the

results that found the highest percentage of adolescents that had experienced

cyberbullying. I made this decision based off of personal experience with students at

this age level as well as my own experience as a middle school and high school

student. Other studies have found a lower percentage of students that have had similar

experiences. Raskaukskas and Stoltz (2007) surveyed 84 students in the U.S. aged 13-

18 years of whom 49% reported being to victim to cyberbullying (Smith, et. al.,

2008). Another study conducted by i-SAFE America in 2004 surveyed 1500 U.S.

students in the 4th to 8th grades and found that 42% were cyberbullied (Li, 2008).

These statistics suggest that cyberbullying may not be a significant issue that needs

immediate attention. However, factors affecting these low numbers may be the

availability of technology resources in the given surveyed area or the idea that

students may not understand the existence of “cyberbullying” simply because of the

absence of face-to-face exchanges. Nevertheless, the prominence of technology in the

lives of adolescents is rapidly growing everyday. Therefore, the prevalence of

cyberbullying will continue to increase and develop as a pressing issue in today’s

society.

Students use various methods to deal with the issue of cyberbullying. In

response to one of the most popular forms of cyberbullying, instant messaging, 67%

of the sample used in the Juvonen & Gross study stated that they “blocked” someone

from contacting them through IMs. One-third of the sample reported restricting

particular screen names from their buddy list, and about one fourth of the sample

resorted to switching their screen name and sending a “warning” to the perpetrator
(Juvonen & Gross, 2008). Other prevention tactics used include telling a parent or

teacher, keeping a record of offensive emails/texts, ignoring it, reporting to

police/other authorities, and asking them to stop (Smith, et. al., 2008). Compared to

traditional bullying, turning to parents is not a popular option explored by victims of

cyberbullying. In fact, 90% of the sample reported not telling a parent and nearly one

third of this sample state that this absence is because they fear restrictions of the

Internet if their parents had knowledge of cyberbullying (Juvonen & Gross, 2008).

Some students suggested that schools should ban cell phone and private Internet use

in schools in order to prevent cyberbullying (Smith et. al., 2008). However, this

suggestion was met with resistance as students suggested that these outlets could still

be used secretly and that they could still occur after school hours (Smith et. al., 2008).

All of the above solutions are based off of student assumptions that they should deal

with the issue themselves. However, the solutions provided really only supply a

temporary fix to the problem in a situation where more affirmative steps need to be

taken in order to result in a more permanent solution.

A major step that needs to be taken in order to reduce the prevalence of

cyberbullying is to increase awareness among adults. The supporting data shows that

with the absence of the student informing the parent of the issue, it is difficult for

parents to “witness” these events as they occur. The technology gap that is present

among current youth and adults puts the latter at a disadvantage as they lack

knowledge of the potential of cell phones and the Internet. (Smith et. al., 2008).

Suggestions to increase this awareness include implementing cyberbullying explicitly

in anti-bullying policies and anti-bullying materials as well as in teacher training

materials (Smith et. al., 2008). Furthermore, schools should provide information on

how parents can intervene by providing information on how to contact mobile phone
companies and Internet service providers, and legal rights in these matters (Smith et.

al., 2008). Specific information regarding coping with cyberbullying should also be

used in dealing with this matter. Although cyberbullying occurs in an element that is

difficult to monitor, effective communication between parents, students, and school

personal can serve as a solid foundation to prevent this issue.

Cyberbullying is a new element of peer torture that truly terrifies me as a

future educator and parent. It upsets me that students who are subject to the cruelties

of the playground cannot have the pleasure of participating in a social online network

without having the fear of being furthered bullied through this alternative medium. I

believe things such as instant messaging, text messaging, and profile sites are things

that students should engage in for social development as well as just pure

entertainment. However, with the reality of cyberbullying present, I think that steps

should absolutely be taken in order to decrease the onset of cyberbullying. First of all,

I think that all schools should mandate that students have signed permission forms to

use the Internet during school. Furthermore, all school computers should restrict use

of online forums and public profile sites to at least eliminate the possibility of

cyberbullying occurring on school grounds. At home, parents should have limited

Internet access placed on all computers that their children use. Additionally, they

should set a time limit on how long their child is allowed to use the Internet. I think

the longer the students are on the Internet, the greater their chances of cyberbullying

or becoming a victim to cyberbullying. Finally, I think that all districts should have a

mandatory workshop for all parents to attend at the beginning of the year that

provides information on what exactly cyberbullying is as well as the different

mediums associated with cyberbullying so that they can be sure to monitor all

resources. Although this phenomenon presents many obstacles that make it difficult to
tackle, I believe that this a problem that can be reduced with a dedicated effort among

parents and other adults.

Cyberbullying is a new form of bullying that was rapidly brought about by the

dramatic increase in electronic or online communication. It can take various forms

ranging from posting embarrassing or private things about another on the Internet to

directly and repeatedly stating angry or rude messages to another. The recent

popularity of cyberbullying may be due to the absence of the face-to-face element that

is present in traditional bullying. In regards to this idea, cyberspace in essence levels

the playing field for all adolescents to participate in bullying. Students deal with this

issue by blocking the bully or even changing screen names. However, a more

permanent solution involves the participation and knowledge of adults. In order for

cyberbullying to decrease, parents must have adequate knowledge of current

technological resources and the ways in which they are being used in cyberbullying.

School informational meetings should be used to assist parents in learning about this

phenomenon and the steps that they can take in order to keep their children safe.

Technology is an excellent resource for our youth to utilize and explore. However, we

must make every precaution necessary in order to ensure all students are experiencing

a positive technological environment.

Bibliography
Juvonen, Jaana and Elisheva F. Gross. “Extending the Schools Grounds? Bullying
Experiences in Cyberspace.” Journal of School Health, 78:9: 496-504, 2008.

Li, Qing. “A Cross-cultural comparison of adolescents’ Experience Related to

Cyberbullying.” Educational Research, 50:3: 223-234, 2008.

Smith, Peter K.; Mahdavi, Jess; Carvalho, Manuel; Fisher, Sonja; Russell,

Shanette; Tippett, Neil, Cyberbullying: Its Nature and Impact in Secondary

School Pupils, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, v49 n4 p376-385 Apr

2008.